Simultaneously Multiple Graphics on a PowerPoint Slide

On a complex PowerPoint slide, you will often can have several objects (e.g. clipart, pictures, textboxes) carefully placed so they appear just where you want them. They could be next to each other, overlapping, partially overlapping etc.

If you want to change the location of several objects, moving them one at a time is a pain because it takes multiple moves to move them individually and all your careful spacing is lost and will have to be set-up again as you move each item.

Next time you need to move multiple objects on a PowerPoint slide, remember this handy trick – it allows you to simultaneously move multiple objects.

Go to Normal view and move to the slide you want to edit. Move your cursor to the top left of an imaginary box that surrounds the objects you want to move. Using your left mouse button (click and hold it), drag out a square around the objects that you want to move. You have to make sure all four corners of every object you want to move is within the square. Release the mouse button when the square encloses all the objects you want to move. All the items within the square will now be selected. Drag and drop one of the objects you selected to a new location and the rest will move as well, and the exact spacing will be maintained.

If you don’t want something to move, just make sure you don’t select all four corners – if you catch only three corners within the square it won’t be selected. This can be handy when you want to leave some objects exactly where they are.

And another neat trick – you can resize all the selected objects by dragging the corner or side of one of them.

Remember these tricks next time you want to move multiple objects on a PowerPoint slide.

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