The black lines are the DEFAULT tabs. They are not straightforward to remove! Not even sure if this is the correct method but it works for me.

View > Slide Master
Select the text for level 1 in the large master (not the smaller layouts)
In Paragraph > Tabs set the Default tab Stop to a value greater than the slide width and OK out.





You should then be able add your own tabs.

__________________
Microsoft PowerPoint MVP 2007-2023
Free Advanced PowerPoint Tips and Tutorials

Hi, thanks again. Good to know they are default stops and good to know others find them hard to get rid of!

I tried your suggestion and have been able to clear them, which is great for new docs but not ideal for the completed presentation I'm working on, as I just wanted to a clear a single stop which was causing a line break.

Anyway, now I know how to monkey around with Slide Master to remove, so I'll see what I can do from there.... thanks v much for the multiple assists.