I liked being able to change the text box color. Can I do the same thing with the background? That will really jazz things up!

Changing your background color In PowerPoint it's easy to change the background color of the slide you are working on. Let's say you want to change the color of the slide to light blue. Here's what to do: 1. Click the Format menu, then click Background. The Background dialog box will appear. 2. In the Background fill section, click the arrow on the list box to open it. 3. Click More colors to open the Colors dialog box. 4. In the Colors section, click a light shade of blue. 5. Click OK to close the Colors dialog box. 6. In the Background dialog box, click the Preview button to see a preview of the slide color. 7. If you like what you see, click the Apply button. The background color of the slide is now light blue.

Okay, now my teleprompter is telling me to ask about background patterns. What do you have to say about that?

Well, it's an easy way to add some texture to a presentation. Polka Dots. Plaids. Stripes...

It sounds like Jim's golfing outfit.

Ouch...

Changing your background pattern 1. Click the Format menu, then click Background. The Background dialog box appears. 2. Click the Background Fill list box, then click Fill Effects. The Fill Effects dialog box will appear. 3. Click the Pattern tab, and then click the pattern you want in the Pattern box. A preview of the pattern will appear in the Sample box. 4. If you want to change the background and foreground colors of the pattern, select them from the Background and Foreground drop down lists. 5. Click OK to close the Fill Effects dialog box. 6. In the Background dialog box, click the Apply button.