How to Fade the Last Slide in PowerPoint (3 Steps)

By Pierce Smith

PowerPoint runs on PC and Mac, providing professional presentation tools to all users.
i presentation image by Cindy Haggerty from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>

PowerPoint slide transitions add production value and a professional look to presentations when used appropriately. The PowerPoint software includes a number of slide transitions. A "fade through black" is one of the simplest, yet most popular transitions. When used tactfully, transitions can engage an audience. However, when transitions are used excessively, audiences tend to become distracted from the content of the presentation. Although fades cannot technically be assigned to the end of the last slide, there is a way to fade out the end of a presentation.

Step 1

Go to the "Insert" menu at the top of the screen, and click on "New Slide." Put the new slide at the end of the presentation. The slide order can be viewed in the "Slide Sorter" window, normally located on the left side of your screen. Within this window, click and drag slides to change the order.

Step 2

Right click on the final slide, and click on "Background." A window will pop up with a drop-down selection for slide color. Click on black.

Step 3

Click once on the final slide. Go to the "Slide Show" menu at the top of the screen, and select "Slide Transition." A window will pop up with all the transitions PowerPoint offers. Select the "Fade Through Black" option, and select "Slow" within that same window.

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