Hi John!

Confused, but maybe not as confused as I sounded :-) You were the one who answered my question about a year ago about color themes and getting the xml file to other users.

Let me say, I rarely, rarely do templates, and I don't do the design themes either. I'm just a heavy-duty user who was assigned to show our group how to use a design created by our graphics artist. All of us must use it. He did not send us a potx, nor a design theme. Just a regular pptx file for us to "use." He didn't know where the xml file was until you helped out last year! (It was a custom color set.)

Last time, I made a potx out of the file he sent us. There is no content or slide order that stays the same from any one presentation to the next. Just the logos, their placement, and the colors/background. I had the users install the template in the correct place (per Microsoft), and I also had them create the design theme on their computers because they had to update old presentations to the new look. What I noticed was that the custom colors were not resident. That's when you gave me the helpful advice about how to do that.

This time, I was trying to avoid having to make a potx file and having users install it. They rarely use the "my templates" to do anything.(I'd say never, but I can't be sure!) Usually they take an existing presentation, strip it of content, and reuse the file. The template seems like an extra step that they didn't need. If they had the custom xml file for colors, and downloaded the file I'm going to send them (not yet a potx), opened it, and just saved it as a design theme. that seemed simpler. I just wasn't sure if there was something I was missing between doing it that way vs. a template.

I was able to read the first section or two of the Chapter 2 you recommended, and have come to the conclusion that I can get away with the xml file and the design theme. I think it's better for them to save the design than for me to send them the design theme and tell them where to install it, but I have to give that a little more thought. Several are good with technology; several are not, and we aren't co-located. I have to think about which is simpler and less prone to error. (Now I'm thinking I should send the design theme and xml, with the locations of where to save. Then it will show up in the right place and be uniform for everyone.)

Hopefully, I don't sound quite as confused now :-) I'm going to test it first, just to be sure it will do what I think. If you see any faulty logic, feel free to let me know!

Many thanks for your help.

JPB