How to Make a Banner in PowerPoint

Banners are very useful. You can use them for advertisements, sections on websites, or even email signatures. Whatever you need it for, the important question is: how do you make one?

You might think you need expensive software to create a banner, but that's not true. At Slide Egg, we know a lot about presentations and PowerPoint. In fact, PowerPoint is all you need to create your own design! Keep reading to find out how.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Banner in PowerPoint

Start PowerPoint and Open a Blank Presentation

First, open PowerPoint and create a new, blank presentation. The default slide size is not suitable for a banner, so you’ll need to change it.

Change the Slide Size

To adjust the size, go to the Design tab at the top of the screen. Then, click on Slide Size in the Customize group. A menu will drop down. Select Custom Slide Size from this menu.

Set the Banner Dimensions

A dialog box will pop up where you can set the size of your banner. Instead of guessing the right size, use a quick trick. In the Slides sized for dropdown menu, select Banner. This preset gives you the perfect size for a banner. Click OK.

Choose to Scale or Not

After setting the size, another dialog box will appear. It will ask if you want to scale any existing content to fit the new size. It’s best to choose Ensure Fit to make sure everything fits nicely.

Format the Background

Now you have a blank banner. The next step is to change the background from plain white. Right-click on the slide and select Format Background.

You have several options for your background:

Solid Fill: This option lets you choose a single color for the background. You can also adjust the transparency.

Gradient Fill: This lets you apply a gradient, which is a smooth transition between colors. You can choose the colors, the type of gradient, the direction, and the angle.

Picture or Texture Fill: This option allows you to use an image or texture as the background. You can select from preset textures or upload your own image.

Pattern Fill: This fills the background with a pattern. You can choose a pattern and select the foreground and background colors.

Add an Image Background (Example)

For this example, we’ll add an image from the computer. Choose Picture or Texture Fill, then click the Insert button and select From a File. Find your image and click Open.

Add Text to Your Banner

Now that your background is set, it’s time to add some text. Go to the Insert tab and click Text Box. Click anywhere on the banner and drag to create a text box. Type your text into this box.

Customize the Text

After typing your text, you can customize it. Highlight the text to change the font, size, color, and alignment from the options in the Home tab.

Save Your Banner

Once you’re happy with your banner, you need to save it. Go to the File tab and click Save As. Choose the location where you want to save your banner, enter a name for the file, select JPG or PNG in the Save as type dropdown menu, and click Save.

Additional Tips

We’ve shown you the basic steps, but there’s much more you can do. You can further customize your banner by adding shapes, icons, or animations. PowerPoint offers a wide range of tools to enhance your design. If you want to explore more, check out our Free PowerPoint Templates for inspiration and advanced tips.

Creating a banner in PowerPoint is simple and doesn’t require any expensive software. With these steps, you can create professional-looking banners for any purpose.