How to Display a Black or White Slide in PowerPoint
Improve audience focus and minimize distraction
When speaking during a presentation, the content of a slide can sometimes distract your audience. Blanking out a slide can help the audience focus on you or your speech/explanation. You might also need to blank a slide during a break, question-and-answer (Q&A) interaction, or when speaking on something unrelated to what’s on-screen.
In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to display a black or white slide in a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. You’ll also learn to end yourPowerPoint slideshowwith a black screen/slide.
Display a Black or White Slide Using Keyboard Shortcuts
PowerPoint allows you to blank a slide with a single keystroke during a presentation. You have the option to display either a black or white screen using keyboard shortcuts.
Pressing theW keyorComma (,) keyon your keyboard displays a white slide on your screen. Press theW keyorComma (,) keyagain to return to the slide where you left off. You can also dismiss the white screen by pressing any key on your keyboard.
If you prefer to display a black screen, press theB keyorPeriod (.) keyon your keyboard instead. Press theB keyorPeriod (.) keyagain to resume where you left off. Pressing any key on your keyboard also dismisses the black screen.
Display a Black Slide from the Presentation Menu
Microsoft PowerPointhas a black/white screen option in the presentation menu. Start your presentation and follow the steps below to access the black/white screen option.
Alternatively, right-click anywhere on the current slide, selectScreen, and chooseBlack ScreenorWhite Screen.
If your computer has a touchscreen, tap anywhere on the current slide, and tap theBlack/White Screen iconin the bottom-left corner.
That’ll blank the screen with a black slide. Press any key on your keyboard or tap theBlack/White Screen iconagain to dismiss the black screen.
Display a Black or White Slide Using Presenter Controls
If you’representing a slide show in Presenter View, you can display a black slide at the click of a button.
End Slide Show with Black Screen
PowerPoint also allows you to use a black screen to indicate the end of a slide show or presentation. If you don’t have time todesign a closing slide, configure PowerPoint to display a black screen after the last slide in your slide show. Open the PowerPoint file and follow the steps below.
PowerPoint will display a black screen with an “End of slide show, click to exit” message when you move past the final slide in a presentation.
Improve Audience Focus and Minimize Distraction
Concealing slides using a black or white screen willkeep your audience focused and engaged, especially during an interactive session. Use any of the methods above to display a white or black slide when presenting a PowerPoint slide show.
Sodiq has written thousands of tutorials, guides, and explainers over the past 4 years to help people solve problems with Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows devices. He also enjoys reviewing consumer tech products (smartphones, smart home devices, accessories, etc.) and binge-watching comedy series in his spare time.Read Sodiq’s Full Bio
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