Use PowerPoint’s laser pointer to catch attention and add excitement

Beginning with PowerPoint 2010, you can turn your mouse pointer into a laser pointer. It’s an eye-catching feature that can add a bit of visual appeal to a specific slide or your entire presentation. To turn on the laser pointer, do the following:

1. Start the show. In this case, just press [F5].
2. In the resulting slide, hold down the [Ctrl] key and the left mouse button to turn on the laser pointer.
3. Drag the mouse (while holding down both the [Ctrl] and the left mouse button) to point to specific objects and text on the slide.

In the following figure, you can see the laser pointer (the red dot) on the far-right bar. You can also use the laser pointer in Reading view. (This feature loses a bit of its appeal when transferred to a small figure.)

To change the color to green or blue, do the following:

1. Click the Slide Show tab.
2. In the Set Up group, click the Set Up Slide Show option.
3. In the resulting dialog, choose a new color from the Laser Pointer dropdown in the Show Options section.
4. Click OK.

PowerPoint will display the laser pointer in the selected color until you change it again.