Take Control of Keynote

Book description

Give better presentations with this handy guide covering Keynote for the Mac!

Need to give a presentation, but worried about how you'll do? Steve Jobs relied on Keynote for his famous keynote presentations, and while using Keynote won't guarantee Jobs-level success, Joe Kissell's advice in Take Control of Keynote will get you closer.

Drawing on years of speaking experience, Joe suggests you start by figuring out what you want to say -- and he explains exactly how to accomplish this task, even though you won't do it in Keynote. He then helps you work in Keynote with the right theme, and explains how to create slides by filling in placeholders, adding objects (images, movies, sounds, tables, and charts), and inserting and styling text. You'll also learn how to add build effects to slides and transitions between slides, as well as how to make self-playing presentations designed for kiosks, and presentations with recorded narration or a soundtrack.

Finally, Joe offers real-world advice about delivering presentations, including tips on what to bring, making presenter notes and customizing the presenter display, setting up your display, and controlling your presentation.

"As someone whose life (and income) is doing training presentations, this ebook is the most useful I have ever bought. I know Keynote well and have used it since its first release; however, Joe's ebook has both challenged me to think about the way I structure my presentations and has taught me stuff about Keynote I didn't know." -Michael Durrant, Psychologist ... mental health & corporate trainer (Sydney, Australia)

You'll learn how to use the features that go into making a great slide deck:

  • Making master slides with carefully positioned placeholders
  • Adjusting the slide order
  • Viewing more than one slide at once
  • Using all the fancy layout features to position objects on a slide
  • Applying cool visual effects to photos, such as masking and Instant Alpha
  • Sorting out builds gone wild with the Build Order palette
  • Hiding particular slides from an audience without deleting them
  • Taking control of text boxes and Keynote's many text styling options
  • Creating a presentation that requires clicks in specific places to advance
  • Commenting on slides while collaborating on your presentation

Additional advice helps you prep for a successful delivery and avoid technical glitches:

  • What to consider in advance, with respect to the screen(s) you'll be using
  • Practicing the mechanics of delivering from Keynote
  • Viewing presenter notes while you speak
  • Playing a sound or movie from a slide during your presentation
  • Evaluating the many options for remote control instead of a mouse or trackpad
  • Packing your bag with the right set of cables and gadgets
  • Setting up once you're at the speaking venue

You'll find even more assistance with answers to questions like:

  • Should I store my presentation on iCloud Drive?
  • What are my options if I want to print my presentation?
  • What's the best way to turn my slide deck into a PDF?

The bulk of the book documents Keynote for the Mac, but an appendix explains what's similar and different about Keynote for iOS and Keynote for iCloud.

Publisher resources

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Table of contents

  1. Read Me First
    1. Updates and More
    2. Basics
  2. Introduction
  3. Keynote Quick Start
  4. Learn Keynote Basics
    1. Views
    2. Toolbar
    3. Inspectors
    4. Master Slides and Themes
    5. Objects
  5. Plan Your Presentation
    1. Use the Right Format for the Job
    2. Figure Out What to Say
    3. Decide on a Visual Approach
    4. Launch Keynote
  6. Create a Presentation
    1. Choose a Theme
    2. Add Slides
    3. Organize Slides
    4. Skip Slides
    5. Use Outline View
  7. Lay Out a Slide
    1. Fill In Placeholders
    2. Add More Objects
    3. Move or Resize an Object
    4. Adjust Alignment
    5. Use Rulers and Guides
    6. Group, Ungroup, and Lock Objects
    7. Use Layers
    8. Add Presenter Notes
    9. Add Comments
  8. Work with Media Objects
    1. Add Media
    2. Modify Images
    3. Work with Movies and Sounds
    4. Work with Shapes and Text Boxes
    5. Add Links
  9. Work with Text
    1. Understand Text Formatting Scope
    2. Modify Text Formatting
    3. Modify Text Layout
  10. Add Tables and Charts
    1. Add a Table
    2. Format a Table
    3. Work with Formulas and Calculations
    4. Add a Chart
    5. Edit Chart Values
    6. Adjust Chart Attributes
  11. Define and Use Styles
    1. Understand How Styles Work
    2. Use Object Styles
    3. Use Text Styles
  12. Work with Animation
    1. Add Slide Transitions
    2. Use Magic Move
    3. Animate Objects with Build Effects
  13. Customize a Theme
    1. Modify Master Slides
    2. Reapply Master Slides
    3. Save a Custom Theme
  14. Deliver a Live Presentation
    1. Customize the Presenter Display
    2. Rehearse a Presentation
    3. Set Up Your Display(s)
    4. Give a Live Presentation
    5. Give a Remote Keynote Presentation
  15. Create a Canned Presentation
    1. Create a Links-only Presentation
    2. Create a Self-playing Presentation
    3. Record a Slideshow with Narration
    4. Add a Soundtrack
  16. Manage Document Details
    1. Choose Local or iCloud Storage
    2. Set a Password
    3. Share a Presentation
    4. Print a Presentation
    5. Export a Presentation
  17. Appendix A: iOS and Web Versions of Keynote
    1. Keynote for iOS
    2. Keynote for iCloud
  18. About This Book
    1. Ebook Extras
    2. About the Author
    3. About the Publisher
  19. Copyright and Fine Print

Product information

  • Title: Take Control of Keynote
  • Author(s): Joe Kissell
  • Release date: August 2015
  • Publisher(s): Take Control Books
  • ISBN: 9781615424573