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How to Use Slide Master in PowerPoint

Tap through each step to see how Slide Master keeps a whole deck consistent.

  1. Click the "View" tab

    Go to the "View" tab at the top of the ribbon.

  2. Click "Slide Master"

    In the "Master Views" group, click "Slide Master" to enter the master-editing screen that controls the whole design.

  3. Edit the top master slide

    Changing the large master slide at the very top -- font, color, logo position, and so on -- applies the same change to every layout beneath it automatically.

  4. Click "Close Master View"

    Once you are done editing, click "Close Master View" on the ribbon to return to the normal editing screen.

  5. Why it is worth using

    Instead of changing the logo or font on every single slide one by one, editing it once in Slide Master applies the same design across dozens of slides at once.

Tired of making the same design change on every single slide

Repeating a font swap, color change, or logo move across dozens of slides one at a time is slow and easy to get inconsistent. Slide Master exists specifically to solve this: make the change once at the master level, and every layout built from it updates together, keeping the whole deck visually consistent without the manual repetition.

What all those smaller slides underneath the master are

Below the large master slide sits a set of smaller slides, each representing a specific layout type -- Title Slide, Title and Content, and so on. If you only want a different look for one particular slide type, editing just that layout, rather than the master itself, keeps the change scoped to slides that use it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the smaller slides underneath the master?

Those smaller slides are individual layouts for specific slide types -- Title Slide, Title and Content, and similar. To change the look of just one slide type, edit that specific layout instead of the master.

I edited the master but some existing slides did not change. Why?

If a text box on a slide was directly reformatted, that manual override takes priority over the master and will not update automatically. Resetting that text box formatting (Clear Formatting) reapplies the master settings.