This past fall, Microsoft released their latest version of their Office suite. And, as one might expect, there were some changes made to the Office 365 PowerPoint 2019 tools and functions. Yes, some things stayed the same as its predecessor PowerPoint 2016 but it is the updates we are most interested in. Of course, keep in mind that if you are using Office 365, then you will always have the most updated version of PowerPoint 2019!

What’s New in PowerPoint 2019 for Office?

Morph in Office 365 PowerPoint

Morph is a transition. It is designed to recognize an object that is copied from one slide to the nest, and to identify when that object has been changed-be it in size, rotation, position or color. Better yet, PowerPoint
2019 is designed to make the transition seamlessly because it is a transition and not an animation. Morph allows you to select an object and make it bigger or smaller from the background.

What is morph?

Morph can be found on the PowerPoint 2019. Ribbon by going to the Transitions tab. It is located between Normal effect and before Fade, making it easy to locate. To use Morph, you will need to

  • Duplicate the slide being morphed
  • Select the Transitions tab
  • Apply Morph to the duplicate slide or object
  •  Click Preview to determine if you like the
    changes

PowerPoint 2019 Zoom

While Zoom is not new to PowerPoint in Office 365, it has been updated. The new version in PowerPoint 2019 helps you place special emphasis on a single slide or on all of your slides so that you can choose a specific element you wish to discuss. The purpose of Zoom in PowerPoint for Office 365 is for the speaker to be able to jump around in the presentation based on their needs. Zoom for PowerPoint 2019 also allows you to move from a section or to another slide and has three commands that let you create various effects. These Zoom commands are the Summary, the Slide, and the Section.

Remove Image Background in PowerPoint in Office 365

This too is not necessarily a new feature in PowerPoint 2019, however, Microsoft 365 has made it easier to remove image backgrounds. PowerPoint 2019 automatically detects the background area of a picture without being “told”. Should you wish to exclude elements of the background, the pencil can be used to select which areas to keep or remove.

PowerPoint Text Highlighter

As an Office 365 user, one is already familiar with the highlighting option. Now, it is in PowerPoint 2019. The highlighter tool lets you emphasize text and can be found from Home > Fonts.

3D Models for PowerPoint 2019

3D model for PowerPoint 2019

Adding a 3D element to a  PowerPoint 2019 is a great way to engage your audience. This new feature allows you to animate your presentation by combining it with Morph. PowerPoint 2019 includes custom animations you can select from or you can pull images from 3DS Max or Maya. To use the 3D feature, click on Insert > From a File. After you have the image, it can be manipulated these ways:

  •  Use Morph transition to rotate or zoom the 3D model
  •  Pan and zoom the model so it fits in the frame
  •  Align the model on the side of the page
  •  Rotate the image
  •  Change the size of the image
  •  Tilt the image in any position or direction

Beyond the ways 3D models can be manipulated in PowerPoint 2019, you can also add Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) images. These images can be edited for color, textures, cropped, zoom, shadows, glow, rotate and several other options.

PowerPoint 2019 and Online Videos

PowerPoint 2019 and online Videos

If you are a Mac user, then you can now use PowerPoint 2019 to add an online video directly to your slides, without needing to leave your presentation. Even better, you can easily remove parts of the video and trim audio files to better fit your PowerPoint 2019 presentation. How to use videos with PowerPoint 2019:

  • Go to Vimeo or YouTube and choose the video.
  •  Under the video frame click Share >Embed > Copy the iFrame code
  •  Go back to your PowerPoint 2019 presentation.
  •  Click the slide you are adding the video to.
  •  Click Insert > Video > Online video
  •  In “From a Video Embed Code box” paste the iFrame code then click the arrow.
  •  You will then see a video rectangle that you can resize or move.
  •  Be sure to preview the video!

If you are a Mac user, then you can now use PowerPoint 2019 to add an online video directly to your slides, without needing to leave your presentation. Even better, you can easily remove parts of the video and trim audio files to better fit your PowerPoint 2019 presentation. How to use videos with PowerPoint 2019:

  • Go to Vimeo or YouTube and choose the video.
  •  Under the video frame click Share > Embed >Copy the iFrame code
  •  Go back to your PowerPoint 2019 presentation.
  •  Click the slide you are adding the video to.
  •  Click Insert > Video > Online video
  •  In “From a Video Embed Code box” paste the iFrame code then click the arrow.
  •  You will then see a video rectangle that you can resize or move.
  •  Be sure to preview the video!

Use SVGs in PowerPoint 2019

Spice up your PowerPoint 2019 presentations with Scalable Vector Graphics (SVGs) to them. To do insert an SVG file into your PowerPoint 2019 slides, do this – Insert >pictures. However, there are several other optionsfor customizing your SVG:

  • Change Graphic – Select a different image to swap with an existing
  • Graphics Styles – Choose from a collection of pre-defined styles to convert your image to a different
    look
  • Graphics Fill – Add more color or change the color of your graphic
  •  Graphics Outline – Change or move the lines of your SVG to make your PowerPoint 2019 presentation
    look sharper

These are accessed in Office 365 PowerPoint 2019 by clicking on your SVG image and selecting the contextual Graphic Format tab from the Ribbon.

PowerPoint in Office 365 has certainly made many updates and additions that make it more useful than ever. These are but a few of the new PowerPoint 2019 features. There are others that make PowerPoint 2019 more useful than ever. Be sure to check it out and see how you can incorporate using Microsoft PowerPoint for Office 365 into your work projects.

Additional Resources:
Our Top 5 Tips and Tricks for PowerPoint In Office 365
PowerPoint 2019 is Here! What’s New?
5 time-saving tips for PowerPoint in Office 365
Microsoft PowerPoint for Office 365 Review
What’s New in PowerPoint 2019?