How does one use the Title Master?

[markpoyser]

I've figured out how to create a template, both slide master and title
master. But I'm totally confused as to how to use them, and the Help
function doesn't make clear what the user is to do.

I've got my template. A .pot file.
Now I want to create a presentation using it.

So, using PowerPoint 2003:
create-a-new-presentation, on-my-computer, my-templates(folder),
my-first-template.pot, [OK].

Nit: Why is the Slide Layout pane still up? All options are grayed
out. Why hasn't it closed?

Close Slide Layout pane. I'm apparently in Master View.

I go to Normal view.

I see a slide that looks very much like the Title Master. I can enter
stuff into the placeholders. Good.

But now I want a new slide. If I select Insert/Duplicate slide, I get
something like the Title Master, but it's got the text in the
placeholders that I just edited. So I'd have to clear out that text.
That's not efficient.

But if I select Insert/New_Slide, I get a Slide Layout pane, but where
is my Title Master? All I see are layouts, that, if I select one, will
show up with the placeholders (if any), but with the Slide Master as
background.

Here is the main question for this post:
Q: How can I get a new slide with a clean (i.e. no filled placeholders)
Title Master as the layout?

 

[Guest]

On the master title slide set the font you want to use, background colour and
insert any graphics eg a logo. Dont insert any text.

Similar for the slide master but usually fewer graphics as they will appear
on all slides. Again no text!

Good info here
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00313.htm

In normal view you should now get a title slide with no text but your fonts,
background colour / graphics. Insert new slide should give you other slides
with no text. Use slide layout to get other layouts based on your master.

 

[markpoyser]

Thank you for your comments.

In Normal View, when I insert a New Slide, I do not get a slide with
the placeholders or backgrount of the Title Master.

Just experimented a bit. WOW! What a horrible user interface!

It turns out that to get another instance of a slide that corresponds
to the Title Master - you do the following:

Insert / New_Slide
and then from the Slide Layout pane, if I select the one at the top
left, then I get a slide with the Title Master layout I'd made (BTW,
had Next/Prev buttons added).

If I select any other layout, I get that layout, but with the Slide
Master background.

Is that the deal? That to get a New Slide with the Title Master, I
pick the upper left one from the Slide Layout pane? That is
totally non-obvious.

What gives?

[Thanks to the many answers I've gotten from the folks on this
board, but I've gotta say, I think the UI is beyond belief. It leads
to incredible frustration when trying to do anything new.]

 

[Guest]

Its not really "non obvious"
The first slide is usually "the title" hence title master and the next
slides are the .... slides! You need to design the two masters with that in
view.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Thank you for your comments.

In Normal View, when I insert a New Slide, I do not get a slide with
the placeholders or backgrount of the Title Master.

Just experimented a bit. WOW! What a horrible user interface!

I have my problems with it too; it seems to me that the title master should
occupy a different part of the layout task pane or there should be an Insert
New Title Slide in addition to Insert, New Slide. Oh well.

In case it helps, ALL new slides are based on the Slide Master *except* Title
Slides, which are based on the Title Master (if there is one - there isn't
always, but it's easy to add one).

It turns out that to get another instance of a slide that corresponds
to the Title Master - you do the following:

Insert / New_Slide
and then from the Slide Layout pane, if I select the one at the top
left, then I get a slide with the Title Master layout

Yup. And the only hint that this particular one is the Title layout is the
tooltip text. Well, and the fact that it looks like a title slide. Or like a
title slide looks when your titles look like PPT's default titles. ;-)

If I select any other layout, I get that layout, but with the Slide
Master background.

Is that the deal? That to get a New Slide with the Title Master, I
pick the upper left one from the Slide Layout pane? That is
totally non-obvious.

What gives?

[Thanks to the many answers I've gotten from the folks on this
board, but I've gotta say, I think the UI is beyond belief. It leads
to incredible frustration when trying to do anything new.]