You have been tasked with creating a brochure for a project or event that is coming up. Unfortunately, you have no idea how to create such a document, considering the fact that you only have PowerPoint and you’ve never been a “wizard” at using it. Don’t worry: in this guide you’ll find all the information you need to make brochures with PowerPoint.
Over the next few lines, I’ll show you not only how to create a brochure with PowerPoint on your PC, but also on your smartphone/tablet. Also, if you act from your computer, I’ll explain how to use both the classic desktop version of PowerPoint and its Web version, which is free, although with some limitations. In any case, I’ll explain how to act either by taking advantage of one of the predefined templates available in the Office online database or by creating a brochure from scratch.
At this point, I would say get started immediately without wasting any more time. All you have to do is sit comfortably and pay attention to the tips and procedures I will provide you with in the next chapters. All that’s left is for me to wish you a good read and, most importantly, good work!
Create a brochure with Microsoft PowerPoint
If you want to create a brochure using Microsoft PowerPoint software, available on both Windows and macOS, you can decide to act by creating a template from scratch or by importing a predefined one from the Office online database. You’ll find all procedures in detail in the following chapters.
Import a predefined template
The easiest way to create a brochure with Microsoft PowerPoint is to download one of the predefined Office templates, which you can get from Microsoft’s online database. You have two solutions to carry out this procedure: taking the template directly from PowerPoint or downloading it from the Office site.
In the first case, all you have to do is launch PowerPoint on your PC and select the New item. At this point, use the search bar at the top to type the word “brochure” and you’ll see several search results, which you can filter by selecting the Brochures category among the items displayed on the right. When you have found the template you like best, click on it and then press the Create button to download it and use it in PowerPoint.
As an alternative to the method I have indicated in the previous paragraphs, you can also act directly from the Web, through the appropriate section of Microsoft’s website. After reaching the link I have provided, scroll down the screen and locate the template you like, taking care to select the one with the tag PowerPoint.
When you’ve found the template you want to use for your brochure, click on it and, on the page to which you are directed, press the Download button to download the file to your PC. At this point, all you have to do is access the folder where you downloaded the presentation file and double-click on it to open it with PowerPoint.
The default Office template already contains most of the elements you need to use. The only thing you have to do is to customize it with information about the project you need to carry out.
Therefore, you only need to replace the sample text and images to reflect the work you need to do. To edit the text, you must click on it: you will then be able to delete its content, replace it and format it correctly using all the tools you can find on the Home tab or the Format tab at the top.
For images, on the other hand, once selected, delete them using the appropriate key on the keyboard (Delete or Backspace) and add new ones using the Images button, located on the Insert tab, also located at the top. Within this tab you will also find the Shapes button, which can help you add other decorative elements, such as colored rectangles to be used as separators or any other element that can help you beautify your brochure.
When you’ve completed your work, click on the File tab at the top and select Save from it, to save the changes you’ve made to the file; or press Print, to immediately make a test print. If you’d like to make more customization changes to the template first, I recommend checking out the tips you’ll find in the next chapter.
Create a new brochure
If the default Office templates don’t suit your taste, you can try making a project from scratch via. After launching PowerPoint, select the New item and press the New Presentation button.
Now, the first thing you need to do is to go to the View tab, at the top, and activate the Ruler and Grid boxes. These features will allow you to place the elements of the project in an orderly manner, without risking inaccuracies.
After that, go to the Design tab and select Slide Size > Custom Slide Size. In the panel that is shown to you, you can then choose the size of the brochure, the dimensions in terms of width and height and the orientation of the slide itself: this is important to set up the design correctly, especially if you will be printing the brochure.
After setting up the basis of the project, it is time to separate the elements of the sheet, considering the different sections it will have to have. In other words, it will be necessary to divide the slide into equal pages to later insert all the information that the brochure should contain.
To do this, select the Insert tab at the top and, using the Shapes button, choose a simple line and draw it vertically on the slide, using the ruler and the grid. Once you have drawn all the lines and, therefore, all the sections of the brochure, it’s time to duplicate the slide.
This procedure is essential to avoid creating sections manually on each slide and, therefore, making mistakes. Duplicating the slide will give you the basis for filling in all the information that will be available on the back of the brochure. Right-click on the brochure thumbnail in the sidebar and select Duplicate Slide from the context menu.
Now that you have created the structure of your project, it’s time to insert all the decorative elements, text and images that will contain your brochure. You can access all these elements through the Insert tab: the Images button lets you insert images from your PC; the Shapes button lets you insert rectangles, lines and any other colorful shapes to use as decoration, while the Text Box button gives you the option to create text areas.
Each time you add one of these elements to the slide, the Format tab will be available, through which you can customize the selected elements. For example, in the case of geometric shapes, you can change their colors or their arrangement on the slide. When typing text in the text area, you can use the tools on the Home tab to change the formatting.
If you want to learn more about how to use PowerPoint to better customize your brochure, I recommend reading my guide on how to use this software. As explained in the previous chapter, when you’ve completed your project, all you have to do is select the File tab (top left) and press Save from the menu that opens, to save your project, or Print, to make a test print.
Create a brochure with PowerPoint Online
If you don’t own Microsoft PowerPoint in the desktop version, you can also use the Web version of PowerPoint to create your own brochure. In the next few chapters, I’ll then walk you through how to import a default Office template and how to create a new design from scratch using PowerPoint Online, which you can use at no cost by logging in with any Microsoft account.
If you want to speed up the work of creating the brochure with PowerPoint Online, what you need to do is to choose one of the templates available in the Office database.
In order to do this, go to the section of Microsoft’s website about brochure templates that you can consult. Among all the examples that are shown to you, find the ones that have the PowerPoint tag and choose the one you like the most by clicking on it.
On the new page you are shown, press the Edit button in your browser to launch PowerPoint Online. If you haven’t signed in with your Microsoft account yet, type your email address and password in the appropriate boxes. If, on the other hand, you don’t have an account yet, you can easily create one by following the instructions I have provided in this guide.
At this point, you’ll be shown a warning on the screen and you’ll have to press the Continue button, in order to import the template to your OneDrive cloud (Microsoft’s cloud storage service, which Office online services rely on to store data) and start editing it. PowerPoint Online is very similar to its desktop counterpart: although the Web version lacks several features, you’ll be able to use all the ones I’ve already shown you in this chapter of the tutorial to delete or replace images and texts with those that your brochure will have to contain.
All the elements to be inserted can be found within the Insert tab: the Images, Shapes and Text Box buttons allow you to add images, geometric shapes and text areas, respectively, with the purpose of inserting all the useful information for the creation of the brochure.
When you’re done working on the project, know that you don’t need to save it, as every change is automatically saved to OneDrive. In case you want to print the brochure, select File > Print from the top menu, while if you want to download a copy of the project to your computer, reach File > Save Copy and press the Save Copy button.
If you want to make a new brochure from scratch in PowerPoint Online, click the New Blank Slideshow button on the main screen of the service and wait for the project to load. You will be shown a blank slide where you can add all the information related to your brochure.
First, set the slide size by selecting Design > Slide Size > Custom Slide Size from the menu at the top. In the box that is shown to you, then set the page size and orientation.
After that, you’ll have to insert separation lines (Insert > Shapes > Lines) for the different sections of the brochure. Unfortunately, the Web version does not have the ruler and grid I told you about in the chapter on desktop software, so you will have to go by eye. PowerPoint Online has guided positioning of elements only to locate the center of the slide.
After that, add new text and image captions and new decorative elements, such as geometric shapes or icons, using all the buttons on the Insert tab at the top. When you select an element, you can change some of its parameters through the Shape tab. You can also use the buttons on the Home tab to format the words you type in the text boxes.
The project does not require any saving, as this is done automatically on OneDrive. However, you can export a copy to your PC by selecting File > Save Copy at the top of the page and pressing the Save Copy button. To print it, select File > Print.
Create a brochure with PowerPoint from smartphones and tablets
If you want to create a brochure using the PowerPoint app, which is available on Android and iOS/iPadOS, be advised that although this operation is somewhat feasible, you will have compared to those on PC.
You should also know that the app is free on devices with display sizes of 10.1 inches or less, while on larger ones a subscription to Office 365 is required, with costs starting at 7 euros/month or 69 euros/year, which also adds new features, such as the ability to customize the colors of geometric shapes or add WordArt elements.
In general, the functionality of the PowerPoint app is similar to that of the Web version (which is already limited compared to the desktop software), but it has additional limitations that hinder the creation of a brochure. That being said, let’s take action.
After downloading the PowerPoint app on your smartphone or tablet, you can decide whether to import a default template from the Web or create one from scratch. My advice is to operate on a ready-made template, for the reasons I explained above.
To import a template from the Office database, I suggest you follow the same directions I gave you in the previous chapter of the tutorial. After you download the file to your device, open it, using the PowerPoint app. The project will open in read mode, but you can edit it by clicking on the pencil icon at the top.
All the tools you need to make your project are in the Insert tab, located at the top (on tablets) or in the drop-down menu at the bottom (on smartphones). So you can add images, text boxes and geometric shapes, as well as edit and replace content already in the template, by tapping on them and selecting the tools you find in the appropriate tabs. For
Customize your brochure, you can refer to what I have already explained in this chapter. As with the Web platform, the PowerPoint app automatically saves data. You can also share files on other platforms, such as WhatsApp or an email client, using the share button at the top of the page. Does it get any easier than this?