Keynote Basics

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Keynote is Apple's presentation application. Keynote is installed as part of the iWork suite, which also
includes the word processing program Pages. If you are familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint, then you
already know some of the things you can do with Keynote. You can create engaging full screen presen-
tations that include pictures, text animations, and even movies. Keynote can open PowerPoint presen-
tations, and it allows you to export your presentations to a number of formats, including PDF, Quick-
Time, Flash, and PowerPoint (in case you want to share your presentation with someone who does not
have iWork installed). Keynote 3 (included with iLife 06) adds 3D charts, tables with calculations, new
image editing and drawing tools, and more.

Creating a New Presentation choose a different theme using the Theme

When you open Keynote (or select File > Chooser.
New), it opens up the Theme Chooser, which • To change the theme for individual slides,
lets you select a theme (or template) and slide select the slides you want to modify and
size for your new presentation. choose a theme using the Themes button in
the toolbar at the top of the Keynote win-
dow.

Importing From Powerpoint

To import a Powerpoint presentation:
1. Choose File > Open (or click on Open an
Existing File in the Theme Chooser).
2. Navigate to the location where you have
saved your PowerPoint presentation.
3. Click on Open. Keynote will then import
the PowerPoint presentation. Note that
there may be some formatting issues with
PowerPoint presentations imported into
Keynote.

Keynote Views
Keynote supports four different views:
• Navigator: displays a slide organizer area
To create a new presentation using the with slide thumbnails on the left. The cur-
Theme Chooser: rently selected slide is displayed on the right
1. Select a theme by clicking on its thumb- side.
nail in the Chooser window. • Outline: same as Navigator view, but dis-
2. Choose a slide size using the pulldown plays an outline of the title and body text on
menu. Keynote 3 supports five different each slide instead of slide thumbnails.
sizes, ranging from 800 X 600 to 1920 X • Light Table: displays larger thumbnails of
1080. the slides without the slide organizer area.
3. Click on the Choose button. This view is useful for rearranging slides.
4. Save your presentation by selecting File > • Slide Only: displays the current slide without
Save As, entering a file name, and click- slide organizer area on the left.
ing on Save.
To change the view,
You can change the theme for an entire pres- click on the Views but-
entation or for selected slides after you have ton in the toolbar and
created it: select the view you
• To change the theme for an entire presenta- want to use (or select
tion, select File > Choose Theme and one of the views from
the View menu).
Keynote also allows you to enter presenter Customizing Slides
notes for each slide. These notes are only Keynote provides you with many ways to
visible to the person giving the presentation change the appearance of your slides. Most
when a second display is used. To add notes of these editing features are accessible via
to a slide: the Inspector button on the toolbar.
1. Click View in the toolbar and choose One of the things you can do is
Show Presenter Notes (or select View > change the background of selected
Show Presenter Notes). slides as follows:
2. Enter the note text in the area below the
slide. 1. Select the slide you want to modify.
3. Select a different slide using the slide or- 2. Click on the Inspector button or choose
ganizer on the left and repeat the previ- View > Show Inspector.
ous steps to add another note. 3. Click the Slide Inspector button (second
from the left), then click Appearance and
Adding Slides choose a background type from the
To add a slide to your presentation, Background pulldown menu.
click on the New (+) button in the tool-
bar or select Slide > New Slide . The
new slide will inherit the theme and layout of
the previous slide. To change the layout of 4. Set the options for the background type
the new slide, click on the Masters button and you selected. For a solid color back-
choose a different layout. ground, click on the color well and choose
a color for your background. For a gradi-
You can also create new slides quickly by du- ent fill, select two colors using each color
plicating slides. An easy way to do this is by well and then set the angle of the gradient
using the Navigator view (choose View > using the Angle wheel. For an image fill,
Navigator). To create a duplicate of an exist- click on the Choose button and locate an
ing slide: image on your hard drive.
• Select the slide in the slide organizer, and
press the Return key on your keyboard, or You can also change the bullets used in your
• Hold down the Option key and drag the slides by opening the Inspector and choosing
slide until you see a blue triangle. When the Text Inspector. To change the bullet type:
your release the mouse, a duplicate slide 1. Select the text box containing the bullets
will be created. you want to change.
2. Click on Inspector in the toolbar, then se-
Using the slide organizer, you can change the lect the Text Inspector by clicking on the
order of slides by dragging and dropping. button with the T on it (fourth from the
You can also organize your slides into groups left).
by using indentation.

To indent a set of slides:

1. Select the slide where you want to begin 3. Click on Bullets.
indentation. 4. Use the pulldown menu to select a type of
2. Press the Tab key on your keyboard. bullet (no bullets, text bullets, image bul-
3. Use the blue down arrow that appears lets, custom image, or numbers). De-
next to the slide above your indented pending on the type you select, you will
slides to collapse and expand the group see different options below the pull down
of indented slides. menu.
5. If you choose Custom Image, you can use
This is useful when you have large presenta- the Choose button to navigate your hard
tions open and wish to hide some slides while drive so you can select any picture to use
you work. as your bullet type.

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Adding Text 3. Choose an option from the Link To pop-up
Most slide layouts will include body text with menu (Slide, Webpage, Keynote File,
bullets. To add text without bullets, you can Email Message, or Exit Slideshow).
create a free text box. A free text box will ex- 4. Set the options for the link type selected
pand or contract depending on the text inside in step 3. For links to slides, choose the
of it, however the text included in it will no slide you want to link to by clicking on one
show up in outline view. of the radio buttons. For links to web
pages, enter the address of the web page
To add a free text box: in the URL field.
1. Choose Insert > Text or click the
Text button in the toolbar. Adding Images
2. In the text box that appears on the There are several ways to add images to a
slide canvas, double-click the word Text Keynote presentation:
and begin typing. • Drag and drop an image from a Finder win-
3. Drag the text box where you want it. dow.
4. Drag the handles on the text box to • Choose Insert > Choose to navigate to the
change its width. location where the picture is stored on your
hard drive.
You can change the appearance of text • Click on the Media button in the tool-
using the Text tab of the Text Inspector. bar, select iPhoto from the pulldown
In this window, you can use a set of sliders to menu, and choose an image from
change the character and line spacing, and a your iPhoto library or from one of your
set of buttons at the top to change alignment iPhoto albums.
options. You can also click on the color well
to change the color of your text.

To change the font used in your free text

box, click on the Fonts button in the
toolbar and select a font family, font
typeface, and size using the different col-
umns. The buttons at the top of this window
will allow you to add underlining, a shadow, or
other styling to your text.

Adding Links
You can add hyperlinks that you can
click during a presentation to jump to
another slide, exit the slideshow, or open
another Keynote document, an email
message, or a URL on the Internet.

To add a hyperlink:
1. Select the text, shape, image, or movie Once you have added the image, you can
you want to turn into a hyperlink. drag it to a different location or use the han-
2. Click the Hyperlink Inspector button, and dles that appear around it to resize it (hold
select "Enable as a hyperlink". down the Shift key before you resize an image
to constrain its proportions).

The Graphics Inspector can be used to cus-

tomize the appearance of an image:

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• Check the box next to Shadow to add a work with the shadows or highlights indi-
drop shadow. Use the controls to change vidually, use the markers below the histo-
the angle, offset, and set other options for gram. Drag in from the left to make the
the drop shadow. shadows more pronounced (and make
• Check the box next to Reflection to create a the image darker), or from the right to
reflection effect. Use the slider to change bring out the highlights (and make the
the opacity of the reflection. image brighter).
• Use the opacity slider to increase the level 4. To perform an automatic adjustment, click
of transparency in the image. on the Auto Levels button. If you’re not
happy with the results, click on Reset Im-
The Metrics Inspector also has options that age to start over.
apply to images:
Adding Movies and Audio Files
You can add movies and music to your
presentations as well:
1. Click on the Media button in the toolbar.
• Use the flip buttons to flip the image verti- 2. To add a movie, select Movies from the
cally or horizontally. pulldown menu at the top of the dialog
• Use the Angle wheel to rotate your image. box. To add an audio file, select iTunes
from the pulldown menu.
3. The area below the pulldown menu will
show different collections you can click on
Keynote 3 allows you to edit your images to see files saved on your computer.
without having to open iPhoto: Once you select a collection, you will see
1. Select the image you want to edit and a list of the files it contains. Movies will
click on the Adjust button in the toolbar to display as thumbnails, while audio files
open the Adjust window. will be listed with additional information
such as the duration and artist name.
4. To preview any of the files, click on the
Play button at the bottom of the window.
5. Once you find the file you want to use,
drag it into the slide canvas until you see
a green plus sign and release your mouse
to add it to the presentation.
6. Use the handles to resize the preview if
you’re adding a movie, or drag to move it
to a different location on the canvas. If
you are adding a sound file, you will see a
speaker icon you can move anywhere on
the canvas.
7. Open the Quicktime Inspector (last button
on the right when you open the Inspector)
to set additional options.

2. Use the sliders to change the overall 8. The slider at the top can be used to
brightness and contrast, or fix the colors change the poster frame (the preview im-
in your image. age displayed before the movie plays in
3. The histogram at the bottom of the win- your presentation). A slider for adjusting
dow displays tonal information for your the volume is also available.
image. Use the Exposure slider to
change the midtones in your image. To

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The media file will play only when its slide is Guides
displayed. To add a soundtrack (the file will You can use guides to help you align images,
play throughout the presentation): shapes, and other elements on the canvas.
1. Open the Document Inspector. To create guides:
2. Click on iTunes Library at the bottom and 1. Choose View > Show Rulers.
drag a song from the list to the Audio well. 2. Place the pointer on a ruler and drag into
the slide canvas. A yellow guide will be
displayed as you drag.
3. Drag the yellow guide to where you want
it. If you drag away from the top ruler you
will create a vertical guide, while if you
drag away from the left ruler you will cre-
3. Use the slider to adjust the volume level. ate a horizontal guide. To remove a
4. Click on the pulldown menu above the guide, drag it off the edge of the slide
iTunes library button and select Loop to canvas.
have the soundtrack repeat as long as the
presentation is playing. You can also use smart guides, which will only
be displayed whenever an image or other ob-
Working with Shapes ject aligns with the center or edge of another
Keynote has a number of shapes that can be object. To enable smart guides:
used in presentations, including lines, geo- 1. Select Keynote > Preferences.
metric shapes, and freeform curves. 2. Click on the Rulers tab.
3. Check the boxes next to “Show guides at
To add a shape: object center” and “Show guides at ojbect
1. Click on the Shapes button in the edges.” You can also use the color well to
toolbar and select a shape type. change the color of your guides from the
2. Once the shape has been added, default, which is yellow.
click on it once to select it and move it
where you want it to appear in your pres- Guides will not be visible when you play your
entation. presentation.
3. Use the handles to resize the shape (hold
down the Shift key as you resize a shape Using Masks
to constrain its proportions). Masks allow you to perform non-destructive
4. To duplicate a shape, hold down the Op- editing on an image (the part of the image
tion key on your keyboard as you drag it. covered by the mask is only hidden, not de-
5. Some shapes allow you to add text. To leted).
add text to a shape, double-click inside of
it and begin typing. You can use the Text To add a mask to an image:
Inspector and the Fonts button to change 1. Click on the image to select it.
the appearance of your text. 2. Select Format > Mask. The grayed out
area outside the square will not be dis-
To draw a freeform shape, select the Freeform played when you play the presentation.
shape tool and click on the canvas to add in- Move the square around and use the
dividual points. To close your shape, click on handles to resize it and modify the mask.
the first point. To add a curve between two 3. Press Enter to set your mask. If you need
points, click and drag on one of the points. to start over, select Format > Unmask.
Click and drag in the opposite direction of the
curve. You can create more complex masks using
shapes:
Shapes can be modified further using the con- 1. Place the shape over the image you want
trols in the Graphics and Metrics Inspectors to mask.
(see the section on Adding Images). 2. Shift click on the image and the shape
until both are selected.
3. Select Format > Mask with Shape.

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4. Adjust the mask by moving the shape and mula. A label will appear next to each row
resizing it with the handles. and column when the editor opens.
5. Press Return to set the mask. 4. To create a formula, begin by typing in =,
then enter each cell and the operators
Tables you want to use. To reference a cell, use
Tables are useful for organizing and summa- the column letter followed by the row
rizing information. Keynote 3 adds support for number. For example, A1 refers to the
formulas in tables. first column in the first row, B2 refers to
the second column in the second row, and
To add a table in Keynote: so on.
1. Click Table in the toolbar (or 5. Click on the check mark button to process
choose Insert > Table). the formula.
2. Use the handles to resize the ta-
ble.
3. Drag the table to position it where you
want it on the slide. Charts
4. Double-click on a table cell and start typ- Keynote 3 allows you to add 3D charts. To
ing. Press tab or use the arrow keys to add a chart:
move to other cells. 1. Click on Chart in the toolbar or se-
lect Insert > Chart.
Another way to add a table is by drawing it on 2. Use the handles to resize the chart
the slide canvas. To draw a table: or drag on it to reposition it on the slide
1. Press the Option key as you click on Ta- canvas.
ble in the toolbar. The pointer changes to 3. Open the Chart Inspector and click on
crosshairs. Edit Data to open the Chart Data Editor.
2. Drag on the slide canvas while holding
down your mouse to draw the table.
3. Use the Table button in the Table Inspec-
tor to change the number of rows and
columns.

To format any area of the table, first click on it

The Chart Editor will already have some
once so that it has a yellow border around it
placeholder data entered for you. Click
and then select the formatting options you
on each cell to edit it and enter your won
want using the Graphics and Metrics Inspec-
data, or copy and paste data from an-
tors.
other program.
4. To change the chart type, use the pull-
The Numbers section of the Table Inspector
down menu to the right of the Edit Data
can be used to turn your table into a spread-
button.
sheet. The Table Inspector includes buttons
5. To create a 3D chart, select a 3D type and
for sorting your table rows and columns, as
then use the options in the 3D Scene area
well as a formula editor.
to set options such as lighting direction
and chart depth. You can use the arrows
To use a formula:
on the left side to rotate the chart.
1. Select the cell where you want to insert
the formula by clicking on it until it has a
yellow border.
2. Click on the Numbers button of the Table
Inspector.
3. Click on the Formula pulldown menu and
select one of the built-in formulas or se-
lect Formula Editor to enter your own for-

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Transitions and Builds
Transitions and builds (animations) can help 1. Open the Slide Inspector and make sure
bring your presentations to life by adding vari- the Transition button is selected.
ety and visual interest. However, note that 2. Select a transition by making a selection
they should be used in moderation. Using too from the Effect menu.
many different transitions and builds in a 3. Set options for the transition type you se-
slideshow can overwhelm the audience and lected, such as the direction in which the
actually detract from the message you are transition will take place, the duration of
trying to convey. the transition, and how it will be started
(either on a mouse click or automatically
To add a build to a slide: after a period of time).
1. Select an object in your presentation and
open the Builds Inspector. Playing Your Presentation
To play your presentation:
1. Click the Play button or Choose
View > Play. This plays the slide-
2. Click on Build In to set options for how the show starting with the selected slide. To
object will enter into view in your presen- play the slideshow from the beginning no
tation. matter which slide is selected, Option-
3. Select a build type from the Effect pull- click on Play.
down menu. The preview area at the top 2. To advance to the next slide, press the
of the Inspector window will show you space bar, the letter N, or the right arrow
how the effect will display when you play key on your keyboard.
the presentation. 3. To go to the previous slide, press P or the
4. Set the options for the effect you selected. left arrow key.
You can choose a direction, a delivery 4. To quit the slideshow, press Escape or Q.
method (all at once or as a sequence of
individual elements), and duration. Exporting Your Presentation
5. Click on the Build Out button to set op- Keynote will export your presentations to a
tions for how the selected object will exit number of different formats, including: Pow-
from view when you play the presentation. erPoint, PDF, Flash, and QuickTime. To ex-
6. Click on the More Options button at the port your presentation to a different format,
bottom to open a drawer to the left with a choose File > Export, select a format, and
list of all builds and the order in which follow the prompts to select the options for
they will play. the format you have selected.
7. To rearrange the list, click on a build and
drag it to another spot on the list. Useful Sites
8. Select a build from the list and click on the Presentations ETC - This site by the Florida
Start Build menu to select whether the Center for Instructional Technology has many
build will play after a click, automatically themes for Keynote and more than 20,000
with the previous build, automatically after backgrounds. A friendly license allows teach-
the previous build. You can enter a delay ers to use up to 50 items in a single project
if you choose one of the automatic op- without further permission. The site also in-
tions. cludes a resources section where you will find
9. Click on Close Drawer when you’re fin- many links to tutorials, stock photography, and
ished setting your build order and timings. more.

To change the transitions between slides, you Clipart ETC - Another FCIT site with digital
will use the Slide Inspector: resources for educators. This site includes
25,000 pieces of free clipart for use in presen-
tations. The site makes content available un-
der the same license as Presentations ETC.