Getting Started with LibreOffice Impress: Creating Presentations

Welcome to the next part of our LibreOffice series! In this post, we’ll introduce you to LibreOffice Impress, the presentation application in the LibreOffice suite. Whether you’re preparing a business presentation, a school project, or a creative slideshow, Impress provides all the tools you need to design professional, visually appealing presentations.

By the end of this post, you’ll know how to create slides, add text and images, use transitions and animations, and export your presentation for sharing.

Step 1: Opening LibreOffice Impress

Before we start building your presentation, let’s open LibreOffice Impress:

1. Launch LibreOffice:
   • Open LibreOffice from your desktop or applications menu.
2. Open Impress:
   • In the Start Centre, click on Presentation to create a new slideshow. Alternatively, you can launch Impress directly from your system’s application menu.
3. Choose a Template (Optional):
   • Impress offers several built-in templates for you to use. If you want a pre-designed layout, click Choose a Template and select one from the list. You can also start with a blank presentation.

Step 2: Exploring the Impress Interface

Impress has a straightforward interface that makes designing slides simple and intuitive. Let’s take a quick tour:

1. Slides Pane:
   • On the left, you’ll see the Slides Pane. This shows thumbnails of all the slides in your presentation. You can click on any slide to jump to it or drag to rearrange the slides.
2. Main Editing Area:
   • The centre of the screen is the Main Editing Area, where you design your slides. This is where you’ll add and format text, images, charts, and more.
3. Sidebar:
   • The Sidebar on the right contains panels for Properties, Master Pages, Custom Animation, and Slide Transitions. This is where you’ll find options to customise the appearance of your slides.
4. Toolbars:
   • At the top, you’ll find toolbars with icons for common tasks like New Slide, Bold, Align, and more. You’ll use these to format text and objects on your slides.

Step 3: Creating Your First Slide

Let’s create a simple slide to get started. The first slide in most presentations is usually the title slide.

Step-by-Step: Adding a Title Slide

1. Insert a Title Slide:
   • When you open a new presentation, Impress automatically starts with a title slide layout. If you want to add another slide later, click Slide > New Slide or use the toolbar icon.
2. Add a Title:
   • Click on the text box that says Click to add title, then type your title (e.g., My First Presentation).
3. Add a Subtitle:
   • Click on the text box that says Click to add subtitle and type a subtitle or your name (e.g., John Doe).
4. Change Font and Style:
   • Highlight the text, then use the toolbar at the top to change the font, size, and color of the text.

Step 4: Adding More Slides

Now that your title slide is ready, it’s time to add more slides with different layouts and content.

Step-by-Step: Adding a New Slide

1. Insert a Slide:
   • Go to Slide > New Slide or click the New Slide icon on the toolbar.
2. Choose a Layout:
   • A new slide will be added, and you can choose from various Slide Layouts in the Sidebar (e.g., Title and Content, Title Only, Two Content, etc.).
3. Add Content:
   • Click on the placeholders to add text, images, charts, or tables.
   • For example, in a Title and Content layout, you can enter a title at the top and add bullet points or other content below.

Step 5: Inserting and Formatting Text

Let’s add some text to your slides and learn how to format it for a professional look.

Adding and Formatting Text

1. Click to Add Text:
   • Click on any text box or placeholder to start typing. You can also insert a text box by going to Insert > Text Box.
2. Format Text:
   • Highlight the text and use the toolbar to change the font, size, bold, italic, or color.
   • You can also align the text (left, centre, right) using the alignment options in the toolbar.
3. Create Bullet Points or Numbered Lists:
   • To create a list, click the Bullets or Numbering icons in the toolbar. Type each item and press Enter to add a new bullet point.

Step 6: Inserting Images, Shapes, and Charts

Impress allows you to insert various types of visual elements to enhance your presentation.

Inserting an Image

1. Insert an Image:
   • Go to Insert > Image, then browse to find the image file on your computer.
2. Resize and Position the Image:
   • Click and drag the corners of the image to resize it. You can move the image around the slide by clicking and dragging it to the desired location.

Inserting Shapes

1. Insert a Shape:
   • Go to Insert > Shape, and choose from a variety of shapes (e.g., rectangles, circles, arrows).
2. Draw the Shape:
   • Click and drag on the slide to draw the shape.
3. Format the Shape:
   • Use the Sidebar to adjust the fill color, border, and other properties of the shape.

Inserting a Chart

1. Insert a Chart:
   • Go to Insert > Chart.
2. Customise the Chart:
   • The Chart Wizard will open, allowing you to choose the chart type (e.g., bar, pie, line) and input data. You can modify the data directly in the spreadsheet that opens.

Step 7: Adding Transitions and Animations

Transitions and animations help you create dynamic presentations by controlling how slides change and how objects appear on the slides.

Adding Slide Transitions

1. Open Slide Transition Panel:
   • In the Sidebar, click on Slide Transition.
2. Choose a Transition Effect:
   • Select the slide you want to add a transition to, then choose a transition effect (e.g., Fade, Wipe, Slide).
3. Set Transition Speed and Timing:
   • Adjust the Duration to control how long the transition takes. You can also set whether the slide changes on click or after a set amount of time.
4. Apply to All Slides:
   • If you want to apply the same transition to all slides, click Apply to All Slides.

Adding Animations to Objects

1. Select the Object:
   • Click on the text box, image, or shape that you want to animate.
2. Open Custom Animation Panel:
   • In the Sidebar, click on Custom Animation.
3. Add Animation:
   • Click Add and choose the animation effect (e.g., Appear, Fly In, Fade). You can control how the object enters, exits, or emphasizes on the slide.
4. Set Timing and Order:
   • Use the Start options to decide when the animation begins (e.g., On Click, With Previous). You can also adjust the order of animations for multiple objects on the same slide.

Step 8: Saving and Exporting Your Presentation

Once your presentation is ready, it’s time to save and export it for sharing or presenting.

Saving Your Presentation

1. Save the File:
   • Go to File > Save As.
   • Choose a file name and location, then select the format (e.g., ODP for LibreOffice, or PPTX for compatibility with Microsoft PowerPoint).

Exporting to PDF

1. Export as PDF:
   • Go to File > Export As > Export as PDF.
2. Customise Export Settings:
   • In the PDF export dialog, you can adjust settings such as the page range, compression, and export options. Click Export to save the file as a PDF.

Running the Presentation

1. Start the Slideshow:
   • To run your presentation, go to Slide Show > Start from First Slide, or press F5.

Final Thoughts

LibreOffice Impress makes it easy to create stunning, professional presentations. With its array of tools for adding slides, formatting content, and incorporating images and animations, you’re now equipped to design and deliver your own presentations with confidence.

In the next post, we’ll explore LibreOffice Base, where you’ll learn how to create and manage databases, design forms, and generate reports.

Stay tuned for more!