How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts in PowerPoint

Most people use the mouse and cursor to navigate the PowerPoint features.  However, there’s a faster way.  And that’s by using keyboard shortcuts.

Common Keyboard Shortcuts

There are some keyboard shortcuts that I use all the time.  They are:

CTRL+D =  duplicate slides or objects

CTRL+M = create a new slide

CTRL+X = cut the object off the screen and place on the clipboard

CTRL+C = copy object and place on clipboard for pasting

CTRL+V = paste object from clipboard

While those are the ones I use most of the time, there are all sort of shortcuts available via the keyboard.  And once you know what they are and how to use them, it can really speed up your production.

Using the CTRL key and it works is the same across PowerPoint versions.  With the introduction of the ribbon toolbar in PowerPoint 2007, how you use the ALT key is a little different.

Below are two quick video tutorials that explain how to use keyboard shortcuts in the different versions.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts in PowerPoint 2003

Here’s an earlier post that describes the PowerPoint 2003 tutorial in more detail.

Click here to view the PowerPoint 2003 tutorial.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts in PowerPoint 2007

Here’s an earlier post that describes the PowerPoint 2007 tutorial in more detail.

Click here to view the PowerPoint 2007 tutorial.