Bullet-text spacing

[Mike Weir]

In spite of what the help file says, bulleted text in boxes doesn't
seem to follow the settings established in the master slide. A post
by John Langhans suggests that maybe it wasn't supposed to. One hint
that maybe it's just not working right is that selecting a line in a
text box and applying bullets gives bullets immediately adjacent to
the text; subsequently applying numbers gives a reasonable spacing;
reapplying bullets leaves them spaced like numbers. I can
individually adjust them, and paint formats, and set defaults (as
others have described), but am I missing something that would have the
master slide govern the settings?

I studied most of the postings looking for just the right answer;
can't claim to have seen them all - sorry if I missed it.

Environment is Win2k, Powerpoint 2000, only default fonts installed,
no graphics or other fancies in the presentation, default bullet
character.
Thanks,
MPW

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

In spite of what the help file says, bulleted text in boxes doesn't
seem to follow the settings established in the master slide.

Ordinarily they do, but if you've applied formatting directly to the text on
the slides, that overrides what's on the master. Since you've overridden the
master, PPT (logically, I think) assumes that you want the override to remain,
even though you may later change the master.

Usually reapplying the master (it might take a time or two) convinces it that
you really truly no kidding done fooling now COME ON GIVE IT TO ME want the
master to take over again.

A post

by John Langhans suggests that maybe it wasn't supposed to. One hint
that maybe it's just not working right is that selecting a line in a
text box and applying bullets gives bullets immediately adjacent to
the text; subsequently applying numbers gives a reasonable spacing;
reapplying bullets leaves them spaced like numbers. I can
individually adjust them, and paint formats, and set defaults (as
others have described), but am I missing something that would have the
master slide govern the settings?

I studied most of the postings looking for just the right answer;
can't claim to have seen them all - sorry if I missed it.

Environment is Win2k, Powerpoint 2000, only default fonts installed,
no graphics or other fancies in the presentation, default bullet
character.
Thanks,
MPW

--
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
Featured Presenter, PowerPoint Live 2004
October 10-13, San Diego, CA www.PowerPointLive.com
================================================

 

[Mike Weir]

Sorry for the long text tail, but I'll leave it this once for context.
Reopened and resaved original file a couple of times; no changes
apparent.

Created a new file to try Steve's suggestion (in no case did I change
the parameters of the bullets on a non-master slide, but I did apply
bullet format to the default non-bulleted text.) Enter text, change
spacing on master slide, go apply bullets to text, still not following
master. Save and reopen a couple of times; no change. Same results
whether cursor is in the text or entire box selected.

New file, go directly to master slide, change spacing, then right
click on the box and make it the default for new text boxes. On a new
slide, new text box, text is automatically bulleted and has spacing
set on master. Save and reopen, text spacing is back to initial
value (adjacent to bullet). Local override seems to be preserved
through saves.

Looks to me like a bug, and I'll just work around it as required.

Thanks, Steve.
MPW

 

[Mike Weir]

Sorry for the long text tail, but I'll leave it this once for context.
Reopened and resaved original file a couple of times; no changes
apparent.

Created a new file to try Steve's suggestion (in no case did I change
the parameters of the bullets on a non-master slide, but I did apply
bullet format to the default non-bulleted text.) Enter text, change
spacing on master slide, go apply bullets to text, still not following
master. Save and reopen a couple of times; no change. Same results
whether cursor is in the text or entire box selected.

New file, go directly to master slide, change spacing, then right
click on the box and make it the default for new text boxes. On a new
slide, new text box, text is automatically bulleted and has spacing
set on master. Save and reopen, text spacing is back to initial
value (adjacent to bullet). Local override seems to be preserved
through saves.

Looks to me like a bug, and I'll just work around it as required.

Thanks, Steve.
MPW

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hi,

Created a new file to try Steve's suggestion (in no case did I change
the parameters of the bullets on a non-master slide, but I did apply
bullet format to the default non-bulleted text.) Enter text, change
spacing on master slide, go apply bullets to text, still not following
master. Save and reopen a couple of times; no change. Same results
whether cursor is in the text or entire box selected.

I'm still confused here.

There's no such animal as a non-master slide. All slides are based on a master in
PowerPoint. The master has several auto-layouts, one of which is blank -- nothing on it
but the background. Do you mean a slide based on a blank layout?

And if so, did you create the textbox yourself rather than entering text into a "click
here" placeholder?

That might explain things if so. Placeholder text on slides follow the master formatting,
but not regular text boxes that you add to individual slides.

New file, go directly to master slide, change spacing, then right
click on the box and make it the default for new text boxes.

In the Font dialog box or by rightclicking and choosing Set as default?
That can make a difference in some cases.

On a new
slide, new text box, text is automatically bulleted and has spacing
set on master. Save and reopen, text spacing is back to initial
value (adjacent to bullet). Local override seems to be preserved
through saves.

Hmm. I've repeated this here (ppt2003) and the text box formatting seems to have held
here.

Looks to me like a bug, and I'll just work around it as required.



Thanks, Steve.
MPW

Steve Rindsberg <[email protected]> wrote in message

--
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
Featured Presenter, PowerPoint Live 2004
October 10-13, San Diego, CA www.PowerPointLive.com
================================================

 

[Mike Weir]

Thanks for your very detailed reply, Steve. I knew it would be
difficult to convey accurately; most of the fault is mine.

- Our version is 2000 SP3.
- "non-master" meant an ordinary, blank new slide (the last
auto-layout shown).
- You've hit upon it exactly. I didn't appreciate the difference
between "placeholder text" and "regular text boxes." I was using the
latter, and had been assuming the text "models" on the master slide
were supposed to apply to any text. Typically I place new text boxes
roughly where I want them on a completely blank template. I just
tried it again using a template having a title and text box (second
auto-layout shown); worked just as desired.

Hope this has been useful to somebody else. Appreciate your time.
MPW

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Excellent! Glad it helped, and thanks for letting me know.

Thanks for your very detailed reply, Steve. I knew it would be
difficult to convey accurately; most of the fault is mine.

- Our version is 2000 SP3.
- "non-master" meant an ordinary, blank new slide (the last
auto-layout shown).
- You've hit upon it exactly. I didn't appreciate the difference
between "placeholder text" and "regular text boxes." I was using the
latter, and had been assuming the text "models" on the master slide
were supposed to apply to any text. Typically I place new text boxes
roughly where I want them on a completely blank template. I just
tried it again using a template having a title and text box (second
auto-layout shown); worked just as desired.

Hope this has been useful to somebody else. Appreciate your time.
MPW

--
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
Featured Presenter, PowerPoint Live 2004
October 10-13, San Diego, CA www.PowerPointLive.com
================================================