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Old 06-28-2016, 06:15 AM
JPB JPB is offline Difference between applying design theme and creating file from templates Windows 7 32bit Difference between applying design theme and creating file from templates Office 2010 32bit
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Difference between applying design theme and creating file from templates
 
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Default Difference between applying design theme and creating file from templates

Hi,



What is the difference between having a user save a design theme and use that, vs. having them install a potx file with the same design?

My goal is to have all elements present for a user, including the color theme I created displaying as a drop down when they go to edit colors.

My understanding is that the color theme file does not travel with the design theme or template. That is, when you apply the design theme to an existing file, some colors may change, but when you go to insert a shape, for example, the drop down colors are based on the current color theme selected, and not necessarily the theme that was used in the design theme, since the color theme xml is particular to a user's machine.

I want to make it easy for them. A year or two ago, I had them place the design theme and color theme files in the appropriate locations, and I sent a potx file they could call up for each new presentation. This seemed complicated.

I'm trying to avoid having users install the xml file for a color theme, but I don't think I can, otherwise the colors won't appear in the drop down for fills, text, etc. I'm also trying to avoid them having to install the template file. Is the template file really needed, if they just keep a 'clean' version of the file I send them? (The pptx, not the potx.) And, a reason I'm asking is that no one has ever asked *me* to install a color theme before, so I'm wondering why I'm the only one in my group who asked people to use a template and install a color theme (2 years ago).

Thoughts or suggestions? (I really would like to understand the difference between design theme and template, regardless..... Template for new files only?)

Thanks!
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Old 06-29-2016, 07:18 AM
JohnWilson JohnWilson is offline Difference between applying design theme and creating file from templates Windows 7 64bit Difference between applying design theme and creating file from templates Office 2010 32bit
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You sound pretty confused.

If you create templates I suggest buying the book Building PowerPoint Templates by Julie Terberg and Echo Swinford. Chapter 2 explains the difference between themes and templates.

Julie and Echo are both good friends but that's not why I recommend their book. They know what that are talking about! You won't regret it.

Colours do travel with templates although EXTRA color schemes do not BTW.
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Old 06-29-2016, 11:45 AM
JPB JPB is offline Difference between applying design theme and creating file from templates Windows 7 32bit Difference between applying design theme and creating file from templates Office 2010 32bit
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Difference between applying design theme and creating file from templates
 
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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
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