How To Use OpenOffice Impress

This is a tutorial that shows you the basics of how to use OpenOffice Impress. OpenOffice Impress is a free multmedia presentation equivalent to Microsoft PowerPoint.

1. How To Use OpenOffice ImpressHow To Use OpenOffice Impress
•OpenOffice Impress is a
multimedia presentation
tool.
•Impress is LOADED with
features such as: 2D and
3D galleries, templates,
drawing tools, animations,
effects and several export
features.
•Impress includes user
friendly tools for
developers as well as
presenters.

2. What You Will LearnWhat You Will Learn
•How to create a new presentation
•How to insert text
•How to insert images
•How to use Master Pages
•How to design tables
•How to use items from the gallery
•How to configure custom animations
•How to configure slide transitions and sounds
•How to save and export you presentation as Macromedia
Flash, HTML or PDF.

3. Creating a New PresentationCreating a New Presentation
Open OpenOffice Impress.
Create a blank presentation from the
Presentation Wizard pop up by
clicking the Empty Presentation
radio button.
Click Next three times until Impress
opens to the main editing screen.
You have created a new blank
presentation. (See Ref. 2)

4. Consider what type of background you want for your slide show.
To load a template, right-click your slide and select Slide Design.
The Slide Design dialog box appears.
Click Load in the lower right corner of the box, click Presentation Backgrounds to
highlight it.
Click More.
Click the Preview
check box.
Click a template
in the Templates
window to
highlight and
preview it.
When you find
one that you like,
click OK to select
it. (See Ref. 2)

5. Inserting TextInserting Text
Insert text into your
slides by clicking the T
in the tool bar located
under the slide
workspace.
Click, hold and drag a
text box on your slide.
Type the desired text
into your text box.
Click, hold and drag
your cursor over your
text to highlight it.

6. Configure your text using the text tool bar that appears over your slide workspace.
Select a font name by clicking the black arrow and choosing a font from the drop
down menu.
Select a font size by
clicking the black
arrow and choosing a
numerical size from
the drop down menu.
You have the option of
making your text bold,
underlined, italicized,
adding a drop shadow
and justifying as
needed.
You can also insert
bullets from this tool
bar.

7. Creating a New Slide and Inserting Creating a New Slide and Inserting
an Imagean Image
Create a new or
duplicate slide by clicking
Insert in the top tool bar
and select either Slide or
Duplicate Slide from
the drop down menu.
A new slide will appear.

8. Insert an image in your slide by clicking Insert, hover your cursor over Picture, and
select From file.
The Insert Picture dialog box appears.
Navigate to the image file
on your computer, click the
image to select it and click
Open.
The image is inserted in
your slide.
Move the image by
clicking, holding and
dragging the it to the
desired location on your
slide.
Resize the image by
clicking, holding and
dragging the green
anchor points. (See Ref.
2)

9. Using Master PagesUsing Master Pages
If you haven't yet chosen a background for your slides, it is not too late. Master Pages
is a powerful OpenOffice Impress tool for creating a consistent presentation.
Click the Master Pages tab
in the Tasks pane to the
right.
Choose a Master Pages
template by clicking one in
the pane.
Impress automatically
updates your slides and
each time you create a new
slide, it's layout will be
consistent with the others.
(See Ref. 2)

10. Designing TablesDesigning Tables
Click the "Table Design" tab in the Tasks pane.
Click one of the Styles. The Insert Table dialog box appears.
Type the number of columns
and rows needed for your
table and click "OK".
From the Table tool box, edit
all of the elements of your
new table including: line
style, line color, borders,
area color, merge and split
cells, align the contents of
the your cells, insert and
delete columns and rows.

11. Using Items from the GalleryUsing Items from the Gallery
Click the Gallery icon in
the tool bar under your
slide workspace.
The New Theme pane
appears above your slide
workspace.
OpenOffice Impress
has the following
galleries built in to the
New Theme pane:
Backgrounds, Bullets,
Homepage, Rulers and
Sounds.
Preview these galleries
by clicking each one to
highlight it.

12. The contents of the highlighted gallery will appear to the right.
Use items from the gallery by clicking one, holding and dragging it onto your slide.
Move the item to the
desired location on
the slide by
clicking, holding
and dragging the
item into place.
Resize the item by
clicking, holding
and dragging the
green anchor points.

13. Custom AnimationsCustom Animations
OpenOffice Impress has a built in interface to create custom animations for the
elements in your presentation including, but not limited to: fly in, Venetian blinds,
dissolve in, spin in and spiral in.
Click the Custom
Animation tab in the
Tasks pane.
Click the element you
want to work with on
your slide.
Click the Add button on
the Custom Animation
tab.
The Custom Animation
dialog box appears.

14. Click an animation to select it.
Preview the animation by clicking the Play button at the bottom of the Custom
Animation tab.
If you do not like the
chosen animation,
change it by clicking
the animation in the
Custom Animation
tab and then clicking
the Change or
Remove buttons.
Try a different
animation or opt to
not animate your
presentation.(See Ref.
2)

15. Slide Transitions and SoundsSlide Transitions and Sounds
OpenOffice Impress
allows you to add
transitions in between
the slides of your
presentation.
Click the Slide
Transition tab in the
Tasks pane.
Select the slides that
you want to which you
want to apply a
transition.
Press Ctrl+A to select all
of the slides in your
presentation.

16. Click a slide or press and hold the Ctrl key and click multiple slides to manually
select more than one.
The slides are highlighted in the Slides pane.
Click a transition in the Slide Transition tab to select it.
Impress shows you a preview of the selected transition.
Preview several in this manner
until you find one that you like.
Click the black arrow next to
Speed and select a speed from
the drop down menu.
Click the black arrow next to
Sound and select a sound from
the drop down menu if
applicable.

17. In the Slide
Transition tab,
set the speed
at which your
presentation
advances to
the next slide.
Click the radio
button for "On
mouse click"
or
"Automatically
after".
If you chose
"Automatically
after", type the
transition time
in the text box
beneath. (See
Ref. 2)

18. Saving and ExportingSaving and Exporting
Save your work by clicking File in the top most toolbar.
Select Save As from the drop down menu.
The Save As dialog box
appears.
Navigate to the folder in
which you want to save your
presentation, type a file
name for your presentation,
select Microsoft PowerPoint
97/2000/XP (.ppt) from the
file type drop down and click
Save.

19. OpenOffice Impress also has and Export feature that allows you to export your
presentation in several different formats including, but not limited to: HTML, PDF and
Macromedia Flash.
After you have saved your presentation, click File in the top tool bar and select Export
from the drop down menu.
Specify a folder on your
computer to export your
presentation.
Type a file name for your
presentation in the File name
text box.
Click the black arrow next to
Save as type and select a
file type from the drop down
menu.
Click Save.
Your presentation will be
exported to the specified
folder and saved as the
chosen file type.

20. ReferencesReferences
•http://www.openoffice.org/product/impress.html
•http://www.learnopenoffice.org/contents.htm
About The DeveloperAbout The Developer
Ava Fails has worked professionally as a writer for 3 years although writing for her
began long before her professional endeavors. Her experience includes technical
writing, blogging, creative writing and web content development. In addition to
writing, Ava also has a background in fine art and computer graphics. Her work with
both graphics and writing has appeared on numerous websites on the Internet.
August 2009