how do i add a drawing guide (a moveable grid line)

[Guest]

I'm trying to align object in a powerpoint and need to create guidelines
(gridlines? drawing guides?...I've seen them referred to several ways).
Please advise?

 

[Luc]

Mc,
If you activate guidelines using a right click on your slide and choosing
grid and guides in the menu and check show guidelines, two guidelines will
appear in the middle.
These guidelines can be copied (created if you like) using ctrl+drag. You
can have as many as 8 horizontal and 8 vertical guidelines.
Those can be used to align objects on your slide. Just drag the object
towards the guideline, they are sort of magnetic so the moment you come
near, the object snaps to the guideline. Which makes it easy to align object
evenly.
If you want to use the grid, activate it using the same method but this time
check show grid, you can put a measurement if you want. Object you move or
drag will use the grid, for instance if you put the reference points 1 cm
apart an object you move will jump 1 cm at a time. If you do not want
objects to snap to the grid, remove the check next to snap to grid and you
will be able to freely move an object.
You could also use the align and distribute tear-off menu of the drawing
toolbar to align objects. Click on the draw button in the drawing toolbar
and choose align and distribute. You can easily align object horizontally
and vertically in relation to eachother or the slide.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I'm trying to align object in a powerpoint and need to create guidelines
(gridlines? drawing guides?...I've seen them referred to several ways).
Please advise?

How you get there depends a bit on your version of PPT.
In 2003, for example, choose View, Grid and Guides then put a check next to
"Show drawing guides on screen".

That'll initially give you one vertical and one horizontal guide.

To add more guides (up to a total of 8 of each type) hold down Ctrl while you
drag one of the existing guides to a new position.