Article overview:
1. What is a table of content?
2. Should your presentation have a table of contents?
3. Examples of a table of content
4. How to create a table of content
5. Useful Tips
6. Free table of content templates

1. What is a table of content?

A table of content, usually mentioned as ToC or TOC, is an organized list of your presentation or document’s sections which are separated by paragraphs or page numbers. Most often, if the table of contents is part of an article, it should take as little space as possible, while ToC’s of presentations take one slide.

Chaos was the law of nature. Order was the dream of man.

–Henry Adams

2. Should your presentation have a table of contents?

To be quite frank, you cannot create a high-quality presentation in PowerPoint and present it in a business meeting in front of board members or other highly educated audiences without adding a table of contents. While it doesn’t take much time to create one, it sets the expectation for the whole presentation. It provides the much-needed structure that we mentioned earlier.

But let’s see the three main reasons people add a PowerPoint table of contents:

• Clarity – if you have a presentation that consists of 30+ slides, it will be a great benefit for your audience to know what appears on each slide.
• Follow-up – in case you’re sending your presentation to people who haven’t attended your meeting/lecture, they will know what they have skipped.
• Class – adding a table of contents in PowerPoint is one of the “boosting” exercises that makes your audience realize that you know your stuff.

3. Examples of a table of content

But instead of talking the talk, let’s bring in some good table of contents examples that can help you out.

Example 1: Table of Contents APA Style

If you’re following APA style, which is dominant in PowerPoint, you need to follow a strict procedure. Every single heading should be mentioned – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. It’s also a good idea to know how to cite in APA 7, since you should follow all the guidelines and not mix them up.

Example 2: Colorful table of contents

Original source

If you’re looking for a way to create a more creative table of contents, you can “borrow” this infographic. You should, however, know that it’s not suitable for large presentations, as it occupies a lot of space.

Example 3: Table of Content with a Picture

Original source

Sometimes, you may want to create a table of content that has an embedded picture so as to “fit” into the other slides. And it’s perfectly fine! In this example, we see how an image can blend into the slide with the table of contents without creating a distraction.

Example 4: Table of Contents with Text

Original source

Apart from including 3D designs, this example can show how to add a table of contents while at the same time presenting the main topic you will discuss. It even has a percentage chart to further boost the facts.

4. How to create a table of content

Learning how to create a table of contents in PowerPoint is crucial, as we have already learned from the previous paragraphs. Let’s see how to create an interactive table of contents.

Step 1:

You need to dedicate a slide in PowerPoint for your table of contents. Since you want to show your audience what they are about to see, you should place it before you start presenting your content. And since you cannot have anything above the intro slide with the topic and your name, the best place to position the table of contents is on the second slide.

Step 2:

Now, it is time to add hyperlinks to the slides. For that to happen, you add your slide names, then go to Insert->Link. You have to select the text name plus the slide that it should go to. Complete this for all your slides.

Step 3:

After you’ve completed the first two steps, it’s time to customize your text layouts. It will be best to use a single style instead of using many different ones, as you have to maintain consistency.

Step 4:

Step 4 is where you should apply visual hierarchy. If some slides are subordinate to topics on different slides, it’ll be better to have that visually represented so that your audience could quickly realize what the main topic of discussion is and what the sub-topic is.

5. Useful Tips

When you are working with tables of contents in PowerPoint, there are some useful tips you can utilize in order to get the most value out of your slides:

Tip 1: Create a hierarchy – if you think there are topics and sub-topics, it will be best to create a hierarchy where you will inform your audience which parts of your content are crucial.

Tip 2: Do not create a two-slide table of contents – regardless of your formatting options, you should not create two slides of the table of contents.

Tip 3: Name your headings properly – your audience should know what to expect from the name.

6. 10 Free table of content templates

Well, not everyone has the time or desire to create a table of contents which is quite understandable. You may wish to use advanced resources or simply save time. Fortunately for you, there are plenty of free resources to capitalize on. Let’s see 10 free resources that you can utilize in your practices.

6.1. Table of Contents with Chronological Order

This free table of contents gives us the opportunity to create an original concept for our table. You can amend the texts and images and add whatever you want, so you make it fit your agenda. The style is not official, so you cannot present that in front of a business audience, but for presentations in front of colleagues and fellow students, it’s more than decent.

6.2. 3 Points Table of Contents

If you’re looking for an interlinked table of contents, this template might be the right choice for you. There is a character in the middle and up to 8 slides that you can insert additionally. In case you’re looking to create a moderately long presentation where every slide is related to the same topic, this is a great option. ——————————

6.3. Step-by-step Table of Contents

Is your presentation about something that is developed step-by-step, like a product demo, or some sort of a guide? If so, this free PowerPoint table of contents template might be your ultimate solution. Of course, you can rename the text.

6.4. Business Table of Contents

When you’re after a business presentation, you might look for more straightforward design ideas. And this business table of contents for PowerPoint shows just that. Simple, yet elegant enough to impress even naysayers.

6.5. Open Book Table of Contents

This free table of contents for PowerPoint gives you an amazing opportunity to add 10 slides, and it looks like a book, which makes it even more visually appealing.

6.6. Stylish Hexagon Table of Contents

Are you looking for a more “design-perfect” table of contents for your next PowerPoint project? Well, you can consider this option. The numbers are smoothly embedded into the hexagon form, which makes them look chic, and instead of the bulk text, you can simply add your slide names.

6.7. Timeline Table of Contents

In case you would like to insert a timeline table of contents in your PowerPoint presentation, this free template can perfectly suit your needs. All slides are connected with the main topic, and the smooth color palette adds even more depth to the design.

6.8. Funky Table of Contents

If you would like to impress your audience with something cool and colorful, then this PowerPoint free infographic template can perfectly fit your goals. The colors are smoothly changing, and there are “links” between the squares with rounded edges.

6.9. Interconnected Table of Contents

Do you have a main topic that everything revolves around? Then, this free PowerPoint table of contents template might be tailored for your personal demands.

6.10. Modern Table of Contents

Whether you like stylish corporate presentations or not, this smart four-slide table of contents will provide you with a lot of colors, attention to detail, and a little bit of extravagant look.

Final words

Structuring your content the right way cannot pass without a proper table of content. It shows your audience expertise, structure, and, most importantly – that you’re an authority in the industry.

You may also be interested in some of these related articles:

• How to Embed a Video In PowerPoint [2022 User Guide]
• The Best Free PowerPoint Templates to Download in 2022
• How to Record A PowerPoint Presentation [2022 User Guide]

The post How to Create Table of Contents in PowerPoint: Ultimate Guide appeared first on GraphicMama Blog.

But how exactly should you make standout presentations? In this article, you will find out with the help of our 15 Apple Keynote tutorials.

1. Getting started with Keynote

Every software journey starts with a “manual” of how to use it, and in this Keynote tutorial, you will understand what Apple Keynote is, what this software package offers, and goes over some of the most used features available – such as the basic templates, the main menus, and the visual hierarchy of the app. What you will learn is how to replace images, add texts, and some other basic tasks which is quite helpful for someone inexperienced with the program.

2. How to create a presentation in Keynote?

Learning how to make a presentation in Keynote is crucial before you advance to the next stages. So, in this Keynote beginner tutorial, you will learn how to create a presentation from scratch. You will see how to add themes, change the background color, add a gradient, insert a slide number, and other cool stuff. It’s definitely worth checking it out, especially if you’re a complete newbie.

3. How to Format Text in Keynote?

Knowing how to format text is pivotal in any presentation software, and Keynote is no exception. In this Keynote text formatting tutorial, you will see how to align text, how to add a different color style, change the font, and play around with the font weight, font size, and other key patterns. Luckily, the app is very intuitive, and you’ll get used to modifying the fonts easily.

4. How to Add and Edit Images in Keynote?

As an Apple software, Keynote is perfectly optimized for editing images. In this Keynote tutorial, you’ll learn how to add images, change the background, align different images on the canvas, and so much more. While the video guide is considered old now (the video is published in 2010), the concept is still considered unique even today.

5. How to Add a Video in Keynote?

Adding videos is crucial if you want to grab the attention of your audience. In fact, it raises audience awareness a lot! In this Keynote tutorial, you will learn how to embed a YouTube video in Keynote within a couple of seconds and then check its size or even add a shape. So cool!

6. How to Make Charts in Keynote?

Creating charts in Keynote is not just possible, but it’s quite a lovely experience! In this Keynote chart tutorial, you will learn how to create a chart in Numbers (Apple’s version of Excel and Google Sheets), and then transfer it to the presentation software, where you can modify it in any style you like. You can pick between 2D and 3D, animated Keynote charts, and even make your chart colorful.

7. How to Create a GIF in Keynote?

Animated GIFs add value to your presentation and make it look more interactive. While adding GIFs to Keynote is possible and easy, there is something else you can do – create a GIF from Keynote. In this video tutorial, you will learn how to make a cool GIF using Keynote, and use it for your presentation or other designs.

8. How to Make Infographics in Keynote?

Keynote is a powerful presentation app because it has many functionalities but, more importantly, it focuses on great looks. In this Apple Keynote tutorial, you will learn how to manage proportion, pick the right size of the infographics, group objects, and some more useful techniques that you can apply to your works.

9. How to Use Presenter Notes in Keynote?

PowerPoint and Google Slides users know them as “Speaker notes,” but in Keynote, they’re known as Presenter Notes. In this Keynote tutorial, you will learn how to show presenter notes and add some while “on the go.” Topher Morrison will also give you some practical advice on how to use them correctly so you don’t forget your thoughts during the presentation.

10. Intermediate Keynote Tutorial

If you have stepped up your game, then it may be time for some of the more advanced Keynote tutorials. What you will learn from this video is how to create animations in Keynote, make transitions, and even remove backgrounds (which is very useful). You will also learn how to add links to slides and insert shapes to make flashy designs. Last but not least – you’ll see how to customize your Keynote toolbar.

11. How to Collaborate in Keynote?

We all have to admit that Keynote can’t rival Google Slides in terms of collaboration, but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. In this Keynote tutorial, you will see how to make your presentation shareable and how to do it properly, so you can collaborate with your peers on Keynote presentations without issues. All the progress is saved in iCloud Drive, and you can check the changes in real-time.

Read more: Keynote vs Google Slides comparison

12. How to Create a Poster in Keynote?

Who would suppose you can create beautiful posters with Keynote? Well, we do! In this Keynote poster tutorial, you will learn how to quickly come up with a poster design without spending too much time. The guide itself is simple, but it will teach you how to make slides vertical and where to find icons. On top of that, you will also see how to align objects.

13. How to Make a Dynamic Background in Keynote?

That is arguably the most interesting Keynote tutorial on our list, as it will show you how to add a dynamic background. You can find a couple of different options, which you will learn to customize to get the results that you wish. We have to admit Jesse has been quite creative with his explanations, but the guide was very helpful, too!

14. Keynote for iPad Guide

We cannot make a Keynote article without mentioning iPads. It’s simply impossible. In this Keynote for iPad tutorial, you will learn all the basic (and not so basic) skills to operate well on the Apple tablet. You’ll learn how to change fonts, create transitions, and print your presentations, but also collaborate and AirDrop, create passwords, add soundtracks, and other useful things that you can do.

15. How to Present Keynote Slides in Zoom?

Learning how to stream a live presentation in Zoom has become a very crucial skill to acquire these days, so it’s no surprise that many presentation programs are adapting to use it. In this Keynote live streaming tutorial, you will learn how to pair it well with Zoom and present it in a virtual meeting.

Final words

Keynote is a great presentation software. It has an amazing UX design, and it can help you craft masterpieces. While some argue it’s not as feature-rich as PowerPoint, learning it can give you everything you need.

If you find our content useful, you can check some of the other articles:

• Keynote vs PowerPoint: Presentation Software from Different Worlds
• 30 Free Marketing Presentation Templates with Modern Design
• How to Start and End a Presentation: 10 Practical Tips to Grab Attention and Make an Impact

The post 15 Keynote Tutorials To Make Sublime Presentations [2022] appeared first on GraphicMama Blog.

Design is so simple. That’s why it’s so complicated.

– Paul Rand

The design world is always creating new challenges for the apps that are fighting for a bigger market share. And Corel’s Graphics Suite has always been a member of this elite list. In this article, we will see what CorelDRAW is and 22 CorelDRAW tutorials to reach new heights in your design skills.

Article overview:
What is CorelDRAW?
Getting started with CorelDRAW
Graphic Design Tutorials
Drawing Tutorials
Digital Marketing Tutorials
Website and App Design Tutorials

What is CorelDRAW?

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is a legacy app that was launched back in 1989. It’s the  “archrival” of Illustrator, and for decades, people have considered these two apps as the main graphic design software solutions. CorelDRAW is responsible for millions of designs created each month.

Why do people love CorelDRAW?

Corel’s graphic design app has a rating of 4.3/5 stars in G2. And while it has some shortcomings, it’s a preferred option for many designers and agencies on a budget, as it allows a one-time purchase, albeit being a bit pricey. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite does not only include CorelDRAW – but it also has a couple of useful apps, like Aftershot HDR and Photo-Paint, which help handle photos and raster images.

Being a complete software package makes the app an excellent choice for professional work.

Getting started with CorelDRAW

1. Beginner Tutorial

CorelDRAW is a mature graphic design software. There are a lot of different features and tools that you can apply in your works. However, if you need to start from zero, this CorelDRAW beginner tutorial might be the proper option for you. You will see how to add shapes in CorelDRAW, add effects, create texts, and create custom artwork.

2. CorelDRAW 2022 New Features

Corel is committed to updating its Graphics Suite. CorelDRAW was a bit lacking a few years ago, but nowadays, things have changed. Among the new things you’re about to see in the video are some updates to Corel Photo-Paint, a tutorial library for CorelDRAW that is customized according to your needs and experience, as well as some changes in multipage view and an improved export docker.

3. How to Work with Shapes in CorelDRAW?

Shapes are the main element that is used in graphic design. Since CorelDRAW works with vector files, you need to know the basics of how to work with vectors. In this CorelDRAW tutorial for beginners, you will learn how to access the shape tool, and the most important details about it. Everything is well explained on the screen, so even if you miss a sentence or two, you can easily scroll back and watch it again.

4. How to Use the Pen Tool in CorelDRAW?

Working with the pen tool is a must-have for anyone who calls themselves a designer. In this CorelDRAW tutorial, you will learn how to use the pen tool to track objects and follow guidelines in order to create consistent designs. You will also see how to use the nodes to create custom shapes.

5. How to Work with Color in CorelDRAW?

Working with color is crucial in design. In this video guide, you will see how to use the color palette in CorelDRAW. You will also see how to add our color palette and have it available at all times. The video also offers some practical tips, and if you don’t know how to use the color theory, you might get a good value watching this tutorial.

Graphic Design Tutorials

6. How to Create a Business Card in CorelDRAW?

Business cards are one of the first tasks in graphic design. In this CorelDRAW tutorial, you will see how to create a business card with a lovely triangle pattern. You will also see how to use premium colors (black, red, and white), and make the design exclusive. If you want inspiration for a creative business card design, this is it. Bear in mind the video is without background music and voiceover.

7. How to Make a Flyer Design in CorelDRAW?

Designing a flyer might be a very powerful move if you want to promote your services. Among the CorelDRAW flyer design tutorials, we find this one most useful. You will see how to add images and add them in the frame, as well as create beautiful curves across the design. Last but not least – this guide will help you follow the color guidelines and add social media handles.

8. How to Create a Logo Design in CorelDRAW?

Company logos are the first sign of a good company branding strategy. In this logo design tutorial, you will see how to create a modern wordmark logo that is perfect for law firms or FinTech businesses. What grabbed us in this video guide is how each step is explained in a simple-to-understand way. You will see how to break the text, add custom shapes, and use the outline to “erase” unnecessary elements.

9. How to Design a Brochure in CorelDRAW?

Brochures are a good way to stand out in front of customers. In this video, you will learn how to create an abstract business brochure in CorelDRAW that can engage potential users/customers. The key skills you will acquire are how to align shapes in the design, add images, focus on branding, and add contact details.

10. How to Create Package Design in CorelDRAW?

Package design is an area where CorelDRAW excels at. In this package design tutorial, you will see how to create amazing graphics for a coffee product. What we loved here is that each step is explained quite well. You will see how to use the color eyedropper tool to replicate the original design colors, as well as learn how to utilize shapes the best way possible. On top of that, you will see which shortcuts are used on the left.

11. How to Create Infographics in CorelDRAW?

Marketing infographics are a great way to grab attention, as they can help you visualize your ideas. In this CorelDRAW infographics tutorial, you will see how to create simple process infographics that explain three steps of doing a procedure. What we liked the most in this video is that the whole concept is pretty straightforward, and the guide is beginner-friendly.

12. How to Design a T-Shirt in CorelDRAW?

The T-Shirt design industry is generating billions annually, and it gives creative people a chance to succeed. In this T-Shirt design tutorial, you will learn how to learn the concept of making a T-Shirt design mockup. The video shows how to position a pocket or a logo and gives a good idea of how to apply your designs to apparel. If you are interested in T-Shirt designs, you can check some other T-Shirt design apps.

13. How to Make a Menu Card Design in CorelDRAW?

Restaurant menus are quite popular graphic design assignments. In this CorelDRAW tutorial, you will see how to create a professional menu card from scratch. You will see how to position your images, as well as the different categories, dishes, and prices. The texts are well-positioned and you see how to add details for delivery and restaurant address.

Drawing Tutorials

14. How to Add Brushes in CorelDRAW?

Creativity means doing something others don’t do. That’s what custom brushes are for. They can give you the extra “spark” in your designs. In this short CorelDRAW tutorial, you will see how to create a custom brush in CorelDRAW so that you can get more from your designs.

15. How to Draw in Perspective in CorelDRAW?

CorelDRAW is extremely powerful when it comes to drawing in perspective. In this CorelDRAW perspective drawing tutorial, you will learn how to come up with 2-point and 3-point perspectives. You will also see how to position the objects on the perspective plain so that it looks properly.

16. How to Create Anime Artwork in CorelDRAW?

Coming up with anime artwork is always a pinnacle of drawing. In this speed art tutorial, you will see how to turn a sketch into a cool anime illustration in around 20 minutes. We have to mention it is an advanced CorelDRAW tutorial, as there isn’t much explanation, but there is a good concept behind the artwork.

17. How to Design a 3D Cube in CorelDRAW?

3D shapes have become a standard in any type of design. We see them everywhere. In this CorelDRAW tutorial, you will see how to make a normal hexagon into a 3D cube. What we like in this video is that all actions in CorelDRAW are mentioned on the left, and at the bottom, we see the instructions.

Digital Marketing Tutorials

18. How to Design a Facebook Post in CorelDRAW?

CorelDRAW is very flexible and will help you create posts for your social media accounts with ease. In this CorelDRAW social media design tutorial, you will learn how to create a funky post by utilizing images, composition, and fonts.  Just like in the previous video, all commands and actions are displayed as subtitles.

19. How to Create an Instagram Story in CorelDRAW?

Instagram stories are one of the most used forms of digital marketing content, as they are easy to share and can reach many people. In this video tutorial, you will learn how to create an Instagram story ad, with all the necessary details – a graphic design, brand logo, special offer, and, of course – a call-to-action button.

20. How to Design a Facebook Cover Photo in Illustrator?

Facebook covers are some of the most overlooked designs, but they can have a huge impact. In this Facebook cover image tutorial, you will learn how to design beautiful artwork. What we loved here is that the video content is explained in the beginning, so you know what the whole content will cover. You’ll also see how to manipulate shapes, add texture effects, and position vectors on the canvas.

Website and App Design Tutorials

21. How to Create a Landing Page in CorelDRAW?

Although CorelDRAW is not considered a UX/UI design app, it is still a vector software that can pull amazing designs. In this CorelDRAW landing page tutorial, you will see how to create an Aston Martin landing page from scratch. The steps are explained on the right corner, so you can follow what is happening in real-time.

22. How to Design a Mobile UI in CorelDRAW?

Mobile user interfaces are the next big thing in design. In this CorelDRAW UI tutorial, you will learn how to create a mobile furniture shopping app from scratch. What we loved in the video was how smooth and realistic the pages were and how practical this video in general was. There is a CTA button, multiple menus, and effects. The color palette is consistent and professional, too.

Conclusion

CorelDRAW is one very capable vector graphic software. With some skills, you can craft many designs, and even if you take it in “terra incognita,” with the help of some CorelDRAW tutorials, you can achieve magnificent results.

If you find our video tutorials helpful, you can also check out some other articles that you might find interesting:

• Get Started With Adobe Illustrator: 12 Tutorials To Step Up Your Game [2022]
• The Top 24 Figma Tutorials To Create a Killer Design In 2022
• 30 Amazing Adobe Photoshop Tutorials for Beginners [2022]

The post 22 CorelDRAW Tutorials for Beginners to Start Design appeared first on GraphicMama Blog.

An InDesign tutorial a day keeps the editor away.

Over the last few years, InDesign has become a household name for any print design tasks. Books, brochures, magazines, and all types of publishers utilize this great software from the Adobe family.

In this article, we will explain what InDesign is and mention 21 great tutorials to become a good publisher in 2022.

Article Overview:
What is InDesign?
Getting started with InDesign
Print Design Tutorials
Digital Marketing Tutorials

What is InDesign?

InDesign is a designing and publishing software developed by Adobe in 1999. In this digital age, e-publishing has taken control over the whole publishing market, and this is where InDesign excels. It helps you create multi-page documents and build consistent designs.

It also shares Adobe’s Creative Cloud user experience and is very similar to Adobe Illustrator – which means there won’t be a steep learning curve if you have some background knowledge in Illustrator.

Why do people love InDesign?

We have always stated that customer satisfaction is the single most important factor in deciding whether a software kit is worth its price. Adobe InDesign users rate it with 4.6/5 stars in G2. The seamless UI, combined with the easy learning curve, as well as the page organization features make InDesign a fan favorite.

Last but not least, Adobe’s app is perfect for file preview and it uses resource shortcuts instead of large images, making files easier to scan. InDesign is perfectly capable of handling large text bulks without any problem. In fact, it is regarded as the best publisher apps in the world.

Getting started with InDesign

Before you get into the more specific tasks, you need to see how basic things are done in InDesign. Let’s see some InDesign beginner tutorials that can help you learn the basic processes.

1. Adobe InDesign Tutorial For Beginners 2022

We always start out with large app tutorials with relatively long videos where you can learn how a program looks and behaves. In this InDesign tutorial, you will see how to create some basic operations. While there isn’t a full version of all guides (which is quite unfortunate), you can get a good idea of how this program works in general.

2. InDesign 2022 New Features

It’s always exciting to see a new release of your favorite app, and InDesign is no exception. In this video, Martin will provide us with the latest features that have appeared in InDesign 2022. Among them, you will find more extraction tools like text and shape capture and font recognition. You can also change the color themes of the images and insert shortcuts from Photoshop and Illustrator.

3. Adobe InDesign Interface Tutorial

Before you start your journey with Adobe’s publishing software, you need to understand its user interface. In this InDesign beginner tutorial, you will understand how to create a new text document and see all the options – including size, margins, bleed, etc. You can also see how to access the Preview mode in order to watch how your document will look.

4. How to Add and Format Text in InDesign?

As a publishing software, InDesign has to be flawless with text. And it is. In this Adobe InDesign tutorial, Dansky will show you how to create a textbox, change the font size and font weight, as well as text leading, superscript & subscript, and other important industry terms. You will also learn what kerning is and other words in the editor’s dictionary. However, all these terms are crucial for a successful publishing project.

5. How to Insert an Image in InDesign?

InDesign is a publishing app, and as such – you have to pay attention to visual elements. In this quick InDesign tutorial, you will learn how to add image resources to your pages. If you’re still new to Adobe’s software, you might find it tricky to position your image. But it’s all about the page layout. Fortunately, you can scale up and down your image, and select where you should add it. Thankfully, if you’re not a professional, InDesign will “do the math” for you.

6. How to Work With Colors?

Design and colors have always walked hand in hand. InDesign doesn’t make an exception. In this video tutorial, you will learn how to create a color swatch. Also, you will see how to use a color theme with perfect color palettes for your designs. Last but not least, you will see how to use the Eyedropper tool which lets you use a color palette straight from an image that you have opened.

7. How to Use Parent Pages in InDesign?

One of the best things about InDesign is consistency. This is the essence of the whole software. In this Adobe InDesign tutorial, you will learn to use some of the most important features of the program – Parent Pages (previously known as Master Pages). Every single step is well explained, and what we loved best is how each action is zoomed in, making it legible for all people.

8. How to Work With Layers in InDesign?

Working with layers is pivotal in InDesign. It helps you manage your pages the best way and it makes arranging textbox areas and image resources possible. In this InDesign layer tutorial, you will learn how to conceptualize layers and place them one ahead of the other in the right order. We believe it’s crucial to watch this video from end to end, as it can help you create more organized pages and ease your work.

Print Design Tutorials

InDesign is an extremely powerful software for printing purposes. That’s why we will go through some of the biggest real-world applications.

9. How to Create a Brochure with InDesign?

We’ve already mentioned InDesign as one of the best brochure makers on the market. In this InDesign brochure tutorial, you will see how to hone your skills and come up with a great brochure design. You will see how to utilize the grid, apply images, and the Eyedropper tool to get the most of your image colors and create a balanced design. The presenter pays enough attention to alignment, too, which is crucial for your designs.

10. How to Make a Flyer in InDesign?

If you need a simple flyer design instead of a logo, then you’re at the right place. This video guide will show you how to create an InDesign flyer from scratch. You will see how to utilize shapes and colors, and add image resources to bolster your design. You’ll also see how to arrange your texts and where to position your logo. It’s a very user-friendly InDesign tutorial that lets you be creative.

11. How to Design a Newspaper Layout in InDesign?

Newspapers are one of the classic forms of graphic design. In this newspaper layout tutorial, you will see how to build a proper layout using InDesign. You will see how to add custom fonts (a crucial part), select the size and standards, and add color swatches. You will also learn how to structure the newspaper by creating “room” for images and text boxes. What we found useful is how detailed every part of the guide is.

12. How to Make a Book Layout in InDesign?

A publishing software cannot be considered premium unless it’s capable of delivering great book layouts. In this InDesign book design tutorial, you will first see some of the best practices of book design (which we admire a lot), and only then the video will move forward to the main subject. You will start with the Master Pages (Parent Pages). You will also see how to utilize Parent Pages for book chapters, and add images, too.

13. How to Create a Magazine Using InDesign?

InDesign is equally capable of book and magazine designs. Let’s see how to create the latter. Satori uses Photoshop as a helping tool (which is a common practice, by the way). From this InDesign magazine tutorial, you will understand how to utilize the grids and separate an image into two parts. You will get to know how to apply texts and where to position your logos. Last but not least – you will see how to export your designs properly and learn some practical tips.

14. How to Design a Poster With InDesign?

Posters can convey messages like nothing else. They are unique in their creation. In this InDesign poster tutorial, Will Patterson shows us how to craft a creative poster with lots of elements and unique concepts. In the video guide, you will see how to add assets into your design, play with color, create image areas that you can position on the grid. The last thing you’ll learn is how to align assets on the grid so they appear more natural.

15. How to Create a Calendar With InDesign?

Every single company needs a calendar. The good news is InDesign is capable of producing one in just under 20 minutes. In this InDesign tutorial, you will learn how to create a calendar. What grabbed our interest is the additional tool for InDesign that creates the calendar for you, leaving only the design part. You will also see how to add images to your calendar, and modify the Master Page (Parent Page).

16. How to Design a Restaurant Menu Using InDesign?

Restaurant menus are specific and they should follow a strict pattern. With this InDesign tutorial, you will learn how to create a trifold menu, and follow the guidelines. You will also see how to apply different width sizes to specific pages which is crucial for your designs. After that, you will see how to create columns with dishes and prices, as well as learn how to add images to InDesign, and position them properly.

17. How to Create a Catalog Design?

Catalog design is the cherry on the cake for InDesign. The software seems to be made for it. In this catalog design guide, you will see how to make a new one from scratch. Angelo will teach you how to use the grid, optimize the images, as well as leave space for the text. This is a very basic InDesign tutorial, but it will help you immensely.

Digital Marketing Tutorials

InDesign is not only good for print, but it can handle many digital tasks with ease. Let’s see some useful Adobe InDesign tutorials for the web.

18. How to Design an eBook in InDesign?

The difference between printed books and eBooks is not huge. In this eBook design tutorial, you will learn how to create a cover page for your next eBook, as well as create H1 and H2 headers, manage texts (size and aligning) and add images within the pages. Last but not least – you will learn how to add a Table of Contents, which is critical in navigating readers.

19. How to Create an Email Newsletter with InDesign?

Newsletters are an amazing marketing tool, and creating them will definitely help you out with your marketing efforts. In this newsletter design tutorial for InDesign, you can create some cracking email campaigns that you can distribute to your customers. You will see how to add images as well, and what we loved the most is that you can see how to add the newsletter in MailChimp.

20. How to Make an Instagram Carousel Using InDesign?

Carousels are a powerful tool that can boost your Instagram marketing. But is InDesign capable of creating carousel designs? In fact, it is! In this quick InDesign tutorial, you will see how to create a couple of the same designs in no time. While it may be more convenient to create the designs in Photoshop/Illustrator, arranging the carousel is the best when done in InDesign.

21. How to Create a Website Banner in Adobe InDesign?

Who would suppose you can create website banners with InDesign? Well, this easy InDesign tutorial will show you how to do so. You will start by picking the right size and then go through creating the text and picking a font, then adding image, and using on-text effects, to create beautiful “fire” letters. The last part is the one that will guide you how to use the Eyedropper tool to “copy” a color and use it for the navbar menu.

Conclusion

Adobe InDesign is a very powerful software for creating publishing materials. From brochures to newspapers, it can be used for anything if used properly. We hope our InDesign tutorials helped you step up your design game.

If you want to check out some other app tutorials, you can read some of our other articles:

• 30 Amazing Adobe Photoshop Tutorials for Beginners [2022]
• Get Started With Adobe Illustrator: 12 Tutorials To Step Up Your Game [2022]
• The 25 Absolute BEST Adobe XD Tutorials In 2022
• Graphic Design Trends 2023 Are Shaping the New Reality

The post 21 InDesign Tutorials To Become a Great Publisher in 2022 appeared first on GraphicMama Blog.

Affinity Designer is a budget-friendly powerhouse that can create supreme designs.

In this article, we will introduce you to Affinity Designer as graphic design software and provide you with 25 Affinity Designer tutorials to step up your game.

Article overview:
What is Affinity Designer?
Getting started with Affinity Designer
Graphic Design Tutorials
Drawing Tutorials
Social Media Design Tutorials
Website Design Tutorials

What is Affinity Designer?

Affinity Designer is an award-winning graphic design app that works with vector files. Developed in 2014, it has two “siblings” – Affinity Publisher and Affinity Photo. The software is extremely light for a vector program. It’s easy to distinguish it from Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW, both hardware-demanding.

It has more than enough features for both easy tasks and professional design work. In fact, it’s so well optimized for iPad, that it trumps most apps on the market.

Why do people love it?

G2 users rate it with 4.6/5 stars. According to most design experts, Affinity is extremely intuitive for everyday use, doesn’t come with overwhelming features, and most importantly – it’s an affordable option.

$55 for a one-off purchase is considered a bargain today. Most apps working with vectors charge for annual subscriptions and they all cost more than Affinity’s product. Add that to the lower hardware equipment requirements and we can easily see why many small agencies turn to Affinity Designer for the main graphic design software.

Getting started with Affinity Designer

In this section, we will review some basic Affinity Designer tutorials everyone needs to know. As we always do, we will start with one long video that consists of many small processes, and we will then go through single tutorials, to put more attention to individual tasks.

1. Ten Best Affinity Designer Beginner Tutorials

Affinity Designer is relatively easy to learn, so it won’t take you much time to get used to it, especially if you have a background in graphic design. This Affinity Designer tutorial shows you how to understand the user interface, create a new document, play with colors, add text, and some other basic lessons. The good news is that you can learn fast, even if you don’t have a lot of previous experience.

2. Five Tips and Tricks for Affinity Designer in 2022

Affinity Designer is a funny app to work with. While it doesn’t come with Illustrator’s features package, there are some tips and tricks that can help you create stunning designs. In this Affinity Designer video tutorial, you will learn some interesting things you can do with your designs – like isolation mode, changing view modes and others. What we loved in this guide is how well every step is explained, without rushing or background music that can distract you from the tasks.

3. Building Shapes in Affinity Designer

Building shapes in Affinity Designer is a little bit different than the same task on other apps. In this Affinity Design tutorial, you will find out how to build shapes “The Affinity Way”, and even like it better. Ben explains the 5 geometry operations that will be crucial when working with your designs. What you’ll also see in the video is how to create custom shapes, and even figures with those custom shapes.

4. How to Create Global Colors in Affinity Designer?

Global colors are colors that can be amended across the whole frame after a single change. In this Affinity Designer tutorial for beginners, you will learn how to create global colors and change them in the software easily. This will significantly help you when you have multiple details with the same color and a single modification will affect all selected elements.

5. How to Add an Image Inside a Letter?

Adding images inside letters is a very cool way to present your brand or to showcase a message. In this Affinity Designer tutorial, you will learn how to select an image and then insert it into a letter. What impressed us was how the leaves were going “outside” the letter and how brushes were applied, creating a beautiful contrast.

6. How to Make Isometric Shapes in Affinity Designer?

Isometric shapes and 3D elements are one of the 2023 graphic design trends. You will learn how to use Affinity Designer for creating beautiful isometric shapes that include rounded corners, smooth edges, and even stacking cubes. You’ll also see how to color them properly so that they look gorgeous.

7. How to Use Gradient Colors in Affinity Designers?

Working with gradients is a substantial task of each graphic designer. In this video tutorial, you will learn to use gradient colors, see how to use the fill tool, and apply different techniques (linear, radial, elliptical, etc.) depending on the task. You will also see how to use the gradient option menu, reverse the gradient and reduce/increase the opacity. It’s a useful guide for anyone who is just starting their Designer path.

Graphic Design Tutorials

Affinity Designer is a robust app that can help you create very powerful graphic designs. Let’s see what you can create with it.

8. How to Make a Business Card in Affinity Designer?

Business cards are a great way to showcase your company details. Affinity Designer is quite capable and if you need to create business cards, you’re in safe hands. In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a business card from scratch – with all the shapes, icons, and other best practices. Of course, you can also use some free business card templates that you can customize later on in Designer.

9. How to Create a Poster in Affinity Designer?

Learning how to create a poster is crucial for any graphic designer. Fortunately, there are more than enough resources to find inspiration. In this Affinity Designer poster tutorial, you will learn how to professionally utilize the grid, apply brand colors, and then utilize fonts and match the font color with the background color. What we really loved in this video guide is how organized the canvas is – it’s a sign of top-notch work.

10. How to create a flyer in Affinity Designer?

Affinity Designer is a quite capable app that can help you create amazing flyers. In this tutorial, you will see how to use anchor points, add external image resources, and utilize layer effects. Then, you will find out how to create buttons, add branding and choose the right fonts. While there is no voiceover, this Affinity Designer tutorial is extremely helpful, as it shows you how to do things step by step.

11. How to Make a Logo in Affinity Designer?

Logos are crucial for any professional design software. They are an irreplaceable part of the branding strategy. In this Affinity Designer logo tutorial, you will see how to create a logo in the program from scratch. Every step is well explained, and the presenter is kind enough to offer you great advice on how all designs should be aligned and structured. The final outcome is also beautiful.

12. How to Create Package Design?

Product package design is a must-have for many businesses, that’s why they are seeking professionals capable of delivering. Something you should always consider is the form factor. It makes the difference between a perfect fit or a big mistake. In this Affinity Designer package design tutorial, you will see how to create the design for a sanitizer. You will see how to use shapes and colors, and put focus on certain details (in our case, the badge).

13. How to Design a T-Shirt Mockup?

T-Shirt design is quite popular today, as it gives creative designers a great opportunity to earn an additional income. In this Affinity Designer T-Shirt design tutorial, you can see how to create great mockups that can sell well. What we loved here is the practicality – you will see how to apply your designs to PlaceIt and then adjust them, to look better. If you’re interested in T-Shirt mockups, you can also check our article about the best T-Shirt design software options.

Drawing Tutorials

Affinity Designer is an attractive option for people who want to make illustrations, as it offers a lot of features. Let’s find out how well it does the job.

14. How to Create Custom Brushes with Affinity Designer?

Being creative means doing something that other people don’t. And that’s why you will see this Affinity Designer tutorial. It will show you how to create custom brushes that you can recolor. At the end of the video, you will also see how to delete brushes that you don’t want to use anymore.

15. Sketching in Affinity Designer

Affinity Designer is a supreme tool for sketching. It allows you to turn hand-drawn concepts into 3D illustrations. As we can see in this Affinity Designer sketching tutorial, you can draw something which you can then scan into the app, and by applying the anchor points correctly, you can create vector art. Of course, the final image doesn’t have to look like the original – instead, you can add extra creativity.

16. How to Convert 2D into 3D letters?

3D letters can make an amazing logo. They can also convey messages in a much better way. In this Affinity Designer tutorial, you will learn how to make a simple 2D letter into a beautiful 3D concept. What we loved here is how well the anchor points and gradients were utilized across the design. The final result is a smooth 3D letter with a reflection effect.

17. How to Cartoon Yourself in Affinity Designer?

Affinity Designer is an amazing app for creating cartoons out of real images. In this Affinity Designer cartoon tutorial, you will learn how to utilize strokes and curves, in order to create an illustration out of a real image. We have to mention that it takes some time and practice before you start getting great results but it’s well worth your time investment!

18. How to Draw on iPad?

Apple’s tablets have proven to be very intuitive digital drawing boards. In fact, many apps have developed their features to match iPads. In this Affinity Designer iPad tutorial, you will learn how to do basic things – like create shapes, apply brushes and strokes, and align objects. You will also see how to use the different UI on the iPad, as it is not the same as the PC and Mac versions.

Social Media Design Tutorials

Social media designs are a big part of running a thriving business today. Let’s see if Affinity Designer can come up with something great in this department.

19. How to Create a Facebook Post in Affinity Designer?

Facebook is still the biggest social media network globally. Building great designs is a must, and there are vital details to keep note of. In this Affinity Designer Facebook post tutorial, you will see how to create a Facebook post according to the best practices – use the recommended size, apply enough contrast, work with the CTA buttons, and position the branding.

20. How to Design an Instagram Story in Affinity Designer?

Instagram stories are a hot trend and you should get the most of them! In this Affinity Designer tutorial, you will see how to create greater stories on an iPad which is even cooler. Every step is well explained – you can hear the explanation and also see with texts and screenshots what’s being done. If we have to rate this tutorial for usefulness and explanation, we’d easily give it a 10/10!

21.  How to Craft an Instagram Carousel in Affinity Designer?

Instagram carousels are much preferred to standard Instagram posts nowadays due to their additional creativity. In this Instagram carousel tutorial, you will see how to create a grid and separate the design over the different “slides”. You will also see how Eric does his process in real life which can be quite helpful.

22. YouTube Banner in Affinity Designer

YouTube banners are a powerful weapon if utilized properly. In this video tutorial, you will see how Affinity Designer can help you solve the “mystery”. You will also see how to use a pre-defined template, to avoid getting your channel art cut because of screen sizes. Bear in mind this tutorial is about positioning your designs, rather than creating a new one from scratch.

Website Design Tutorials

Affinity Designer is also capable of creating some great web designs. Let’s see some of them.

23. How to Create a Website Banner in Affinity Designer?

Website banners are a very powerful weapon in the arsenal of any UI designer. They can grab the attention immediately. In this Affinity Designer website banner tutorial, you will see how to perfectly optimize shapes and use a color palette to get those magnetic red gradients. After that, you will see how to embed images into the design and add social media icons and a personal message.

24. How to Create UI elements in Affinity Designer?

Affinity Designer can be also used to create UX and UI designs. As a vector app, it can offer you lots of features you can apply to your work. What we love here is how well the rules are explained, so that UX/UI designers follow the right guidelines. You can also see how a real-life website mockup is made, and how a menu (in our case, the search bar) appears on separate artboards for different devices.

25. How to Build a Landing Page in Affinity Designer?

Affinity Designer is also amazing for creating landing page mockups. What you will learn from the Affinity Design landing page tutorial is how to insert a stock photo, and then create all the necessary elements – like social media handles, CTA buttons, contrasting texts, and a navbar. The video has no voiceover and you can fully focus on the design.

Conclusion

Affinity Designer is one superb vector graphic program. Given the fact it costs a fraction of the price you might pay with other solutions, you are getting a ton of value for your money. But as good as it may be, you still have to invest time to learn everything about it.

If you want to enrich your knowledge about other vector apps, too, you can check our other tutorials:

• The 25 Absolute BEST Adobe XD Tutorials In 2022
• The Top 24 Figma Tutorials To Create a Killer Design In 2022
• Get Started With Adobe Illustrator: 12 Tutorials To Step Up Your Game [2022]

The post 25 Affinity Designer Tutorials To Step Up your Game in 2022 appeared first on GraphicMama Blog.

Luckily, nowadays, there are many options to do so and in this article, we will review some of them.

See also: How to Add Audio to PowerPoint: The Quick Step-by-Step Guide

Article overview:
1. What is the difference between PDF and PPT files?
2. How to convert PDF to PowerPoint for free?
3. How to convert PDF to PowerPoint with paid apps?
4. Bonus option

1. What is the difference between PDF and PPT files?

Both PDF and PPT files are meant to be presented. But they are different in their concepts.

PDF files are great for presenting on any type of device and are easily sharable. They are great for print and despite their flaws, they are still not obsolete – and they can’t be. I can’t recall many other formats that look decent both on the web and on paper. However, there are times when the flaws come to the forefront and editing is one of them. While editing PDF files is not impossible, you might have some trouble completing that task.

The most common case when you have to change the PDF content is when you have made a typo. In other cases, you need to update some data. This is where PowerPoint’s native format comes in.

We can all agree that PowerPoint files are easier to edit and present than PDFs. Let’s see the options that we have to convert PDF files into PowerPoint slides.

2. How to convert PDF to PowerPoint free of charge?

While file conversion websites are a lot these days, you will soon find out that there aren’t many options to convert your PDF files for free. And quite honestly, if it’s a one-off task, who needs to pay $10 for the sake of a single file?

Probably the best scenario possible is to have a standard Google Slides or PowerPoint presentation that is in PDF format. Let’s see how to do it.

Step 1. Open PowerPoint

The first thing to do is to open PowerPoint on your computer. You can do it on both web and desktop versions but we prefer the desktop, as it has more functions.

Step 2. Select “File” from the navigation menu

Once you click on the File button, you should see the navigation menu on the left, as well as a screen with templates, and a search bar, and by default, you will see which are the recent files that are opened.

Step 3. Pick “Open”

It’s the third option from top to bottom. Once you press it, you will have an option to open a file from your computer, shared files, or your personal files from OneDrive.

Step 4. Open the file

When you choose the PDF file you’d like to open, you just click on it, and voila – it is already in your PowerPoint slides.

Step 5. Save the file

After you open the file, you can decide to save it in another format, duplicate it, or edit it. No matter what you do, don’t forget to save the file in one of the relevant formats (which are a lot!).

3. Convert PDF to PowerPoint using Paid Apps

The Internet is full of solutions. If you’re looking into a premium editor, look no further than the options we will present to you below.

3.1. Adobe Acrobat DC

Adobe Acrobat DC is arguably the best PDF editor in the world. It’s the original editor made for PDF, so you don’t have to be surprised it can convert PDF to PowerPoint files without any problem. Though it doesn’t offer a free version, it has a 7-day free trial during which you can test its functionalities which are aplenty. It runs on all platforms, and as an Adobe product, you will get the premium. Bear in mind you should splash another $24 each year to get functions like PDF comparisons and ISO validation checks which are quite handy.

3.2. Nitro PDF Pro

Nitro Pro is the best alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC by far. There is an Essentials version that is currently supported for Mac users only (the $129.99 plan) but if you would like to get access to the full package – you need to pay $179.99 per user annually for both Mac and Windows. The good news is that you can save 37% for 5 subscriptions and 57% for 10 subscriptions, so it’s not that steep for bigger teams. On top of that, there is a 14-day free trial.

3.3. Smallpdf

Smallpdf isn’t as feature-rich as Adobe Acrobat DC. And it never claimed it was. However, where it stands out is the very user-friendly interface which is combined with a free version (up to 2 PDF files per day). Since it works on the web, it doesn’t matter which platform you are using. As long as you have an Internet connection, you can convert PDF to PowerPoint without any trouble.

3.4. PDF Element

PDF Element is a great PDF editor that can convert PDF to PowerPoint. Developed by Wondershare, it has a lot of features. It’s priced at $129 per year but there are occasional discounts. At the time of writing the article, you can get it for $79.99 per year. Also, a perpetual license costs $159 which is a good deal, considering how good this app is.

4. Bonus: Convert PDF to PowerPoint using screenshots

I’m really sorry if that made you burst out laughing but the reality is that you can create a more than a decent presentation with screenshots. What you need to have are a screenshot tool and some time. PDF to PowerPoint screenshot conversion is a viable option when you don’t have to edit the text.

There are tons of options on the market but we will mention a couple of programs that are free:

• TinyTake;
• Greenshot;
• Skitch;
• Snipping Tool.

What you need to do is simply create a screenshot for each PDF page, and then paste them into PowerPoint. The best thing is that you don’t even have to save your files, you can simply copy them to the clipboard and paste them directly.

If you have added your screenshots, you can see options for tweaking the slides on the right – there is a decent choice of variants to choose from. And if you like nothing, you can check for some free PowerPoint templates.

Conclusion

Technology has advanced a lot. While PDF editing has been torture in the past, nowadays you can easily convert PDF to PowerPoint, Word, and many other formats. You can do it on both your desktop computer and in the cloud, so there’s nothing to worry about.

If you find this article helpful, why don’t you check some of our other PowerPoint tutorials:

• How to Convert Your PowerPoint Presentation into Google Slides
• How to Insert GIFs into PowerPoint: The Quick Step-by-Step Guide
• Get Started with PowerPoint – Guides and Resources

The post How to Convert PDF to PowerPoint? [Easy Guide] appeared first on GraphicMama Blog.

For this guide, we will use some of the most popular online tools on the market (Panopto and Loom) and some totally free options for Windows and Mac computers.

Article overview:
1. Why do people record their presentations?
2. How to record a presentation on Google Slides using Panopto?
3. How to record a presentation on Google Slides using Loom?
4. How to record a presentation on Google Slides using Microsoft Windows?
5. How to record a presentation on Google Slides on a Mac?
6. Other tools you can try

1. Why do people record their presentations?

There is a reason why people record their presentations. Unfortunately, you don’t know how your voice will sound or articulate when you are presenting. In such situations, it will be best to record your presentation to see if there is something you need to change before doing it live. Also, recording your presentations is a very good way to remember what you are about to say. But let’s see the main use cases when recording your Google Slides presentation will make great sense:

1. Practice your presentation skills – you can’t hear yourself while talking. That is why recording your voice might be a good indicator of how you present. Is your tone of voice smooth? Do you need to raise it? Are you mumbling or “like”-ing? Recordings can help you identify problems in advance.
2. Save valuable time – instead of recording each lecture, you can save your efforts once, and later sent them.
3. When you have stage fright – not everyone has the natural confidence of Elon Musk. If you are a shy person who gets terrified when speaking in front of huge audiences, recording your presentation is a great move.
4. Avoid distractions – during live presentations, interruptions are more common which can affect your flow. A recording of your presentation at home can later be sent as a follow-up.

2. How to record a presentation on Google Slides using Panopto?

There are plenty of tools that could be utilized, so feel free to use anything which you might find suitable. Panopto is a good option since it doesn’t require us to download a software extension, and it has a free plan which is more than enough for starters. Your videos are also stored on Panopto’s drive, so you will avoid issues with cluttering your computer or mobile device.

Step 1. Open Panopto.com

When you open the website, you will see there are plenty of options out there.

Step 2. Click on “Record”

Once you’ve opened the website, click on the big red button “Record” (next to Company and before Get Started).

Step 3. Select your Audio, Video, and Screen Options

The browser will ask for permission, so make sure you grant Panopto access to your webcam(s) and audio source(s). Usually, if you don’t have more than one source, they will be launched by default.

Step 4. Choose what to share

Now, you have to click on Screens and Apps, and select your preferred option.

Entire screen (if you have 2 or more, you can either select one of the screens or all of them), a Window, or a Chrome Tab.

Step 5. Fix the settings

When you click on the “Settings” button (in the bottom right corner), there will be a menu that you can access.

Step 6. Start recording

Click on the big circle in the center to start recording.

Step 7. Save your recording

Once you end your recording, you can send it to Panopto, YouTube, Classroom, or download it on your computer.

3. How to record a presentation using Loom?

Loom is among the most used recording pieces of software globally. It is great for teamwork and has a lot of collaboration tools. Let’s see where it shines.

Step 1. Open Loom.com

The first step is to launch Loom. Just like Panopto, it’s an online-based service, so you don’t have to download or install anything.

Step 2. Sign up

Now, you have to open an account. The good news is you can use your Google Account to log in.

Step 3. Enter the recording settings

In order to start recording, click on New Video, and then from the dropdown menu select Record a video.

Step 4. Start the recording

Once you have selected whether or not you will use your Screen, Camera (or both), you can add some specific options and start recording. You’re limited to five minutes on the free plan, so don’t waste much time.

Step 5. Pause/Finish the recording

On the bottom left corner, you will have the option to pause or finish (the red square button) the recording. Before saving, you will have the options to Trim the Video, change the title (Loom | Free Screen & Video Recording Software – Day/Month/Year is by default), and make some Video Preferences.

Step 6. Share the video

Once you’re ready, you can share the video on different platforms like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Gmail, etc.

Video Tutorial

4. How to record a presentation using Microsoft Windows?

There is also a free way to record presentations on your Windows computer. If you use Windows 10 or 11, this might be a good option.

Step 1. Open Game Bar

Many of you may seem surprised, but Windows has a built-in recording tool. It’s called Game Bar. To access it, you need to press the WIN + G. Of course, make sure it is enabled first.

Step 2. Click on “Capture”

The Capture button is next to the sound button. It will unlock you with the option to record.

Step 3. Click on “Record”

Click on the Record button which is the third from left to right. You can also start recording with Win + Alt + R.

Step 4. Record your clip

Now, you can freely record your clip.

Step 5. Delete or save the clip

Once you have filmed your presentation, you can either go to the folder where your file is stored, or delete it.

5. How to record a video on a Mac?

Last but not least, we have another free option for Apple users.

Step 1. Open QuickTime

The first thing you need to do is open your QuickTime.

Step 2. Click on File -> New Screen Recording

Once you’ve opened QuickTime, you have to select File -> New Screen Recording.

Step 3. Select what portion you would like to be recorded

There are several options that you can choose from.

Step 4. Start recording

After you have selected what portion of your screen you will record, you are free to start recording your screen. You have plenty of options for convenience, such as a timer, built-in microphone, where to save the recording, etc.

Video tutorial

6. Other recording tools

Of course, these 4 are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more apps that also deserve attention but couldn’t rank higher on our list. Let’s see which they are:

1. Zoom – Zoom is one of the most popular presentation software on the market, and the only reason it doesn’t appear here is because of its significance. We have prepared a separate tutorial on how to record a presentation in Zoom.
2. AnyMeeting – it’s a very powerful presentation recording software. However, over the past few years, it lost some of its sheer power and it got passed by different platforms that offer much more versatility at more affordable prices.
3. Camtasia – what we love about Camtasia is that you can create a next-level video experience. The cross-platform functionality is a great addition. However, it seems too hard for small tasks and the $300 purchase is not the value we are looking for here.
4. OBS Studio – it’s a top solution for cross-platform live streaming. It has high-end functionalities and it is open-source. That’s great but there’s a catch – it’s too complicated for the average user.
5. Debut – Debut is a great free tool that allows webcam recording and presentation recordings, too. However, it’s not compatible with any other OS than Windows, and the user interface looks dull.
6. Screencast-O-Matic – it’s a very simple and effective tool but you need to pay a decent amount of money to get value out of the app. The free version doesn’t support HD recordings which limits its capabilities a lot.

Conclusion

Many people wonder how to record a presentation on Google Slides. Fortunately, there are many programs, and you can easily switch to anything you want. We have found that QuickTime and the Game Bar are amazing options for unlimited recording which also comes for free. However, if you’d like to upload your content online with a click of a button, you might fight Panopto and Loom better.

If you liked our presentation about screen recording, you can find these tutorials helpful, too:

• How to Write Scannable Content? Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Convert Your PowerPoint Presentation into Google Slides
• How to Start and End a Presentation: 10 Practical Tips to Grab Attention and Make an Impact

The post How to Record a Presentation on Google Slides? appeared first on GraphicMama Blog.

Everything is designed. Few things are designed well. -Brian Reed

Design is everywhere around us. From the social media posts we see all the time to website user interfaces. In this article, we will talk about Sketch – explain what it is, why people love it, and provide 20 Sketch tutorials that will help you start your design journey with a bang.

Article overview:
What is Sketch?
Getting started with Sketch
Web Design Tutorials
App Design Tutorials
Digital Marketing Design Tutorials

What is Sketch?

Sketch is one of the best UX/UI software on the market. In fact, it ranks first in our chart. It is among the oldest user experience apps on the market. It was launched in September 2010 – in comparison, both Adobe XD and Figma were released in 2016. So it’s not a coincidence that most experienced UX and UI designers have created their first mockups in Sketch. Probably the only setback with the app is that it is available only on iOS and macOS which limits its exposure on standard desktop computers.

Why do people love it?

Rated with 4.5/5 stars in G2, Sketch certainly raises eyebrows. While some people complain about the lack of PC support or collaboration editing, we must admit that price-wise Sketch is better than both Figma and Adobe Illustrator – it costs just $99 annually per contributor.

While some users have moved to competitors, being on the market for well over a decade means Sketch is well-known to professional designers, and many of them will keep using it for the foreseeable future.

Getting started with Sketch

1. Introduction to Sketch

As with every single app, learning the user interface is the first and foremost task you should complete. In this Sketch introduction tutorial, you will see where the app components are located, how to create a new Sketch file, as well as see how to create shapes in Sketch or utilize the color picker tool. You will also see how to add texts to your designs and change font size, colors, etc.

2. Learn Sketch: Features from A to Z

It’s not very common that you find quirky tutorials. However, in this video guide, you will see 26 terms (starting with the letters A-Z) and see what their significance for your Sketch projects is. Every single term is well explained – the usability of it, how to find it, how to optimize it, etc. The best of all is that the lecturer speaks slowly and convincingly, so it’s a very useful Sketch tutorial to kick start your journey with the app.

3. Sketch Keyboard Shortcuts

No matter how useful an app is, keyboard shortcuts are the thing that can boost speed. Once you learn how to use Sketch, you will start looking for a way to optimize the time spent on the app. This video will help you remember the main shortcuts in Sketch and reduce your completion time by a lot!

4. How to Design On Artboards in Sketch?

Artboards are an important part of Sketch. In this Sketch beginner tutorial, you will see how to use artboards and create variously sized ones for different devices (iPhones, Android, etc.). You will also learn how to manage the artboards and export them in different resolutions.

5. How to Manage Color Palette in Sketch?

Working with color palettes is one of the pivotal tasks each designer should do. In this video tutorial, you will see how to organize your colors in Sketch so that you can easily access them. What we love here is that each color is given a name and a value in HEX, RGB, etc. It makes it easy to work afterward.

6. How to Create a User Flow in Sketch?

User flows are part of each UX experience. They ensure developers and designers are on the same page. This Sketch tutorial is quite helpful, as it shows you how to link the different artboards and create relationships. You should consider that it has a custom plugin, though (Sketch Flowkit). Luckily, if you want to create your own kit, there is another tutorial from MDS.

7. How to Prototype in Sketch?

Prototyping is the bread and butter of Sketch. It lets you see how the final outcome will look like. In this explanatory video, you will learn how to add transitions and animations, so that you recreate a normal user experience. The Sketch tutorial is quite useful, as the presenter speaks as he operates on the platform and there’s no background music, so you can focus on the tasks.

8. How to Handoff Projects in Sketch?

Learning how to make developer handoff in Sketch is crucial for the collaboration between designers and developers. What you will learn here is how to share documents with peers who will use the Inspector feature to check the design and turn it into code. Not only that – developers can directly copy the code and paste it afterward.

Web Design Tutorials

9. How to Create a Website Design in Sketch?

Website design is where Sketch excels. It has superb features that can provide you with consistent user experiences. In this Sketch web design tutorial, you will see how to create a user interface from scratch. Everything is well explained, and what we love is how each command is written in the subtitles. It’s very rare to see it, but it helps a lot.

10. How to Make Animations in Sketch?

Animations and interactions make designs so much better, as they make the latter much more interesting to users. Jesse Showalter shows us the Anima plugin that lets you create complex animations, interactions, and perfect timings. The plugin also lets you export the video, as well as the code, and handoff to developers which makes things even better.

11. How to Design a Blog with Sketch?

WordPress has become a hub for blogs, thanks to its simplicity. However, for purists, Sketch is still a tool that can make the blog section look absolutely stunning. In this Sketch tutorial, you will see how to create a blog article design with the app. If you have a custom-made site, this tutorial might be extremely helpful for you and your designers.

12. How to Design a Landing Page in Sketch?

We have already shown you how to create a landing page in Sketch, but we couldn’t resist this tutorial. Why? First, because it’s quite practical for SaaS companies, and second – because it shows not one but two design versions. Every single process is well explained, and you will learn some tips and tricks on how to add icons, how to add a placeholder text and utilize the grid according to the best practices.

13.  How to Create a Progress Bar in Sketch?

Progress bars can contribute a lot to the website’s performance, yet they are always quite tricky to make. In this Sketch tutorial, you will see how to make an accurate and editable progress bar in the app within 3 minutes. You will see how Sketch can calculate everything precisely and help you out with the design of the progress bar.

App Design Tutorials

14. How to Make a Modern App Icon in Sketch?

The first thing when you are doing app design is to think about what the app icon will look like. In this icon tutorial, you will see how to create a modern and lovely-looking material design icon by using only a background and a basic drop icon.

15. How to Design an App UI in Sketch?

Sketch is a very powerful tool for creating app designs, and in this UI tutorial, you will see how to create a music app in Sketch. What we loved here was how the screens were aligned, and the design followed the grid pattern to achieve consistency. It’s crucial for any mobile design to offer a consistent UX.

16. How to Create a Travel App in Sketch?

We have shown you how to design a music app in the previous video. In this Sketch app tutorial, you will find out how to design a travel app. The key takes here are to prepare a logo, a color palette and headings, and body texts before you start crafting your app user interface. Then, you will see how to add custom icons and create different pages. The video ends up with prototyping of the whole project.

Digital Marketing Design Tutorials

17. How to Design a Business Card with Sketch?

You can easily design a business card with Sketch. In this business card tutorial, you will see how to create one from scratch. Of course, you can use business card templates that you can modify in the app and avoid thinking about the concept.

18. How to Create a Logo in Sketch?

Sketch is a multi-purpose app, and if you use the right features, you can actually come up with a great logo. In this Sketch logo design tutorial, you will learn how to create a certain logo in a couple of steps. The tutorial is easy to follow. If you want to create a logo but are not fond of this one, you can check some free logo templates that are editable in Sketch.

19. How to Design an Instagram Story in Sketch?

Instagram stories are a crucial part of any marketing strategy. Thus businesses should pay them enough attention. Luckily, you can create a great Instagram story ad with Sketch, and in this video tutorial, you will see how to make it in 2 minutes.

20. How to Create an Email Design in Sketch?

Email newsletters have proven to dramatically increase sales, especially for e-commerce stores. In this Sketch email design tutorial, you will learn how to create a newsletter design with Sketch in just over two minutes. It’s really simple – all you have to do is have some text, an image, and flashy attention-grabbing call-to-action buttons.

Conclusion

Sketch is one amazing prototyping app, and while it is no longer the only horse in the UX/UI design race, it certainly holds the upper hand in software maturity, and lots of experienced designers are still choosing it for the macOS environment.

If you find this article helpful, you can also read some of our other tutorials:

• The 25 Absolute BEST Adobe XD Tutorials In 2022
• The Top 24 Figma Tutorials To Create a Killer Design In 2022
• Get Started With Adobe Illustrator: 12 Tutorials To Step Up Your Game [2022]
• Graphic Design Trends 2023 Are Shaping the New Reality

The post 20 Sketch Tutorials To Master the UX Design Software appeared first on GraphicMama Blog.

Fortunately, Microsoft’s app is the global leader in presentation software and provides you with all the required tools to create an excellent presentation you can show in front of your audience. But how to record a presentation on PowerPoint, and is it easy to do so?

Article overview:
1. What are the benefits of recording PowerPoint presentations?
2. How to record a PowerPoint presentation?
3. How to live stream a PowerPoint presentation?
4. Frequently asked questions

1. What are the benefits of recording PowerPoint presentations?

I am are pretty sure that if recording presentations weren’t helpful, PowerPoint wouldn’t offer it to its users. Well, we all know that’s not the case. Recording your PowerPoint slides can bring a ton of benefits. Let’s see which they are:

1. Save time – regardless if you’re a lecturer or present in front of colleagues, having a video of your recording will save you many hours. Imagine speaking in front of your marketing team, but 2 members are on summer holidays. It’s fine. They’ll catch up later when they watch your PowerPoint recording.
2. Focus on the presentation – usually, if you’re presenting in front of an audience, it’s typical to get asked many questions that you need to answer promptly. But that is a good reason to get distracted from your core information. Thus, it makes sense to record your presentation beforehand.
3. Practice before presenting – the best way to carry out a great presentation is to spend some time at home, focusing on key details. When you record your PowerPoint slides, you can find areas of improvement and work on them.

2. How to record a PowerPoint presentation?

There are many tools that you can use to record a PowerPoint presentation. From Loom and Panopto, and even Apple’s basic Quicktime and Windows’ own recording tool. But here we will discuss none of the other options. Why? The answer is simple: PowerPoint has its own in-built, robust recording tool.

Unlike other options, PowerPoint’s recording feature enables you to record slide by slide. This effectively means you can create as many recordings as you like, until you like the playback version, and move on to the next slide.

Pro tip: PowerPoint doesn’t record slide transitions. You need to start recording each slide when it is opened and finish the recording before you move on to the next one.

Let’s see how to record a PowerPoint presentation with video and audio in just a few steps.

Step #1: Open your PowerPoint presentation

The first step is to open the PowerPoint presentation you wish to record. Ensure you have all the necessary slides and information on them. While this seems logical, there aren’t one or two cases when presenters have recorded wrong or unfinished slides, which leads to a disappointing outcome.

Step #2: Prepare your video and audio devices

Before you start the recording, you should check your camera and microphone. Try to make a sound check and see if your camera works properly.

Step #3: Select the slides you wish to record

PowerPoint gives you the option to record a presentation right from the beginning, or from a specifically selected slide.

• Pick “From Beginning” (1) from the Record tab of the Ribbon if you wish to start from the first slide.
• Pick “From Current Slide” (2) from the same tab in case you would like to start from a selected slide (which isn’t the first one).
• Click the Record button (3) which is positioned in the top right corner, between the Comments and Share buttons. It starts the recording from the slide you have currently selected.

Step #4: Start the recording

Once you click on one of the options, you are ready to start narrating your PowerPoint presentation. You will see a countdown timer, after which you can start narrating slides.

Step #5: Manage your PowerPoint recording

You have probably seen a couple of other options aside from the recording one. Let’s see which they are:

• Timer with a grey/red light – if you are recording your narration, you will see a timer and a small circle with a red light that indicates you are recording. If you pause, the small circle indicator will become grey again and the timer will stop counting.
• Refresh icon – right next to the timer there is a refresh-like icon but it serves a different purpose – to re-take the recording. You have the option to record again the current slide or all slides.
• Start/Stop button – the big red button serves as a start/stop button for your recordings. Only stop the recording when you want to move on to the next slide.
• Pause button – if you would like to stop the slide recording, in order to drink some water or read your speaker notes, you can use the Pause button, and then resume the recording. Bear in mind you cannot pause and move to the next slide. You have to stop the recording, to indicate you have finished with the current slide.
• Camera button – clicking the camera button will work as a toggle on/off.
• Microphone Button – clicking the microphone button will work as a toggle on/off.
• Ellipsis – this is the place where you can select camera and microphone settings, as well as erase recordings from the current slide or all slides.

Step #6: Export your PowerPoint video recording

The last button from the menu is the Export setting. You can export your narration as an mp4 file in Full HD size by default. However, you can customize your export and get your narration in 4 sizes – 480p, 720p (HD), 1080p (Full HD – standard), and 4K. We don’t recommend Ultra HD exports.

Pro Tip: Exporting 4K PowerPoint presentation recordings doesn’t necessarily mean you will get better quality (unless you have 4K resources within your presentation) but it does guarantee a significantly larger file size – up to 4 times more than on standard Full HD recordings.

3. How to live stream a PowerPoint presentation?

If you have already honed your skills and would like to stream your PowerPoint slides directly to your audience, there are many ways to do so. We are going to cover two of them.

3.1. How to stream a PowerPoint presentation from OneDrive?

Microsoft has invested a lot of resources to make OneDrive a powerful cloud service, and so far they have been quite successful. Let’s see how to record a PowerPoint presentation in front of live audiences.

Step 1 – save your PowerPoint presentation in OneDrive.

Step 2 – open your PowerPoint slides from PowerPoint online.

Step 3 – go to Present Live from the Slideshow Ribbon tab.

Step 4 – share a  live link with your audience.

3.2. Stream your PowerPoint presentation in Zoom

Zoom is one of the most popular conference call apps which has plenty of tools, including live streaming presentations. Since PowerPoint is the leading presentation program in the world, Zoom developers have created some amazing things, like PowerPoint presentation recording with a web camera on a transparent background. If you’re interested, you can check our guide on how to record a Zoom presentation.

4. FAQ

Does PowerPoint have a screen recording?

PowerPoint has a screen recording window and you can select the area you would like to be recorded. Go to Record (from the Ribbon), then select Screen Recording, choose the area and start recording.

Can I view speaker notes while recording narration?

You are able to access your speaker notes if you have created them beforehand. To insert speaker notes, you have to go to View -> Notes Page and you will have a text box that you can utilize for speaker notes.

What format does PowerPoint use for video?

PowerPoint records videos in mp4 format. The default resolution is 1080p (Full HD).

Conclusion

Recording your PowerPoint presentations can make the difference between a successful and smooth speech and a bad narration. Being able to record each slide means you can get the best narration possible for your whole presentation.

And if you would like to stream your presentation live, there are more than enough options to do so – both via the online version of PowerPoint or via third-party apps like Zoom.

If you found this article helpful, you can also check some of our other PowerPoint tutorials:

• Add Audio to PowerPoint: The Quick Step-by-Step Guide
• Insert GIFs into PowerPoint – a 2022 Pocket Guide
• How to Convert Your PowerPoint Presentation into Google Slides?

The post How to Record A PowerPoint Presentation [2022 User Guide] appeared first on GraphicMama Blog.

Google Slides is already feature-rich, allowing for plenty of activities to be completed on the program. “Playing” with the slides is only one of the options available.

Article overview:
1. How to duplicate a Google slide?
2. How to hide a Google slide?
3. How to delete a Google slide?
4. How to move a Google slide?

Working on your next presentation might be as easy as pie, but it can quickly become a nightmare if you have too much content stacked. Making decisions when you need to add a new slide is very crucial. You cannot forget about your speaker notes, too. If you add speaker notes for your Google Slides presentations, you may have noticed that it is never a good idea to have hundreds of words written there. But if your content needs much explanation, you can’t explain everything in two words. Then, it is time to create a new slide.

Moving slides is also critical to your presentation’s success. Imagine making a demonstration on the planets in the Solar System. You have slides about Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. However, you have placed Venus ahead of Mercury and Mars after Neptune. In such cases, it is better to put things in order, and instead of deleting a slide (or copy-pasting), just move the slides into the right place in your Google Slides presentation.

There are circumstances when you have done a lot of research that is useless for your audience. Do you have to delete the slide and admit to wasting so much time? And what about realizing later that your data has been valuable, but you need to do things again? It’s much better to hide a slide to ensure it won’t be visible to your audience, but keep it if you need it afterward.

And deleting – it’s obvious. Sometimes you simply don’t want to keep your slide information – whether you’ve decided it is useless or too complicated for your audience.

1. How to duplicate a Google slide?

In one of our other tutorials, we explained how to create a new slide (check chapter 4.3). That is why we will review how to duplicate a slide here. Duplicating slides is a great way to keep your design while creating new content.

Step 1. Open your presentation in Google Slides

You can open an existing presentation (if you have an account) or create one from scratch.

Step 2. Select the slide you would like to duplicate

Now, you have to select the slide you want to duplicate. It happens when you scroll down to the desired slide and then right-click on it. The marked slide will have an orange border.

Step 3. Duplicate the slide

Your slide is marked and ready to be duplicated. You can do it in two ways:

1.  Go to Slide->Duplicate Slide (the second option).
2. Use the command Ctrl+D (Cmd+D for Mac users).

Step 5. Change the content of the slide

The slide is duplicated, so you have to change the content now. Remember that leaving duplicate slides in your presentation doesn’t make a good impression, and you should ensure you have changed the content.

2. How to hide a Google slide?

We already mentioned why hiding slides in Google Slides is not a bad idea, and it can save you a lot of trouble.

Step 1. Open your Google Slides presentation

Step 2. Select the slide

Now, you should select the slide you wish to hide.

Step 3. Hide the slide

When you have clicked on the side, it’s time to hide it. Click on Slide from the menu and then select Skip slide. Once you complete this step, you will see a hidden eye icon on top of the slide, and the content won’t be visible in Slideshow mode. You can still edit the slide as usual.

Step 5. Unhide the slide

If you would like to unhide your slide, you have to go to the skipped slide, click on Slide, and select Skip slide again.

3. How to delete a Google slide?

Sometimes, you create a slide, but you have fitted your content elsewhere. Or you have a slide that is irrelevant to the others. This time, it’s better to remove it rather than leave it hidden, since you will never use it.

Step 1. Open your Google Slides presentation

Step 2. Select the slide

Before you delete a slide, you need to select it. Make sure you check carefully before removing it.

Step 3. Delete the slide

Once the slide is selected, you can delete it in two ways:

1. You can go to Slide and then mark Delete slide.
2. Press the Delete key on your keyboard.

4. How to move Google slides?

Moving Google Slides is not a hard task if you know how to do it. Let’s see the steps.

Step 1. Open your Google Slides presentation

Step 2. Mark the slide

Check the slide you should move. Then right-click on it. You have to see an orange border around it.

Step 3. Move the slide

This is the interesting part. You have two options to move your slide.

• Option 1:

Go to Slide and then click on Move Slide. The first thing you will notice is that an action cannot be completed. You need to select between four scenarios:

1. Move the slide up (Ctrl/Cmd + Up)
2. Move the slide to the beginning (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Up)
3. Move the slide down (Ctrl/Cmd + Down)
4. Move the slide to the end (Ctrl/Cmd + Down)

• Option 2:

Use your cursor to move the slide around the presentation.

Conclusion

Dealing with Google’s presentation toon is simple. However, you need to have full control of your slides if you want to impress your audience. Hopefully, we managed to teach you some operations with slides that might be useful for you.

If you find this lesson helpful, you can also check some of our other Google Slides-related articles:

• How to Convert Your PowerPoint Presentation into Google Slides
• The Best Google Slides Templates to Grab Now
• Free Google Slides and PowerPoint Templates for Teachers

The post How to Add, Duplicate, Move, Hide, and Delete Slides in Google Slides? appeared first on GraphicMama Blog.