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Text, shapes, images and tables on slides

Add text boxes, shapes, lines and arrows, pictures, tables, charts and live desk widgets to a slide, and edit what they say.

All plansUpdated

Everything on a slide is an element you can select, move and resize: text boxes, shapes, lines, pictures, tables, charts and widgets from your desks. This guide covers adding each kind and filling it in. To style and position elements, see Format elements with the inspector.

Before you start

  • Adding elements works on every plan.
  • Open a deck in PlexiiSlides, or click inside a Slides widget on a desk, and click the slide you want to add to. See PlexiiSlides overview.

New elements go on the slide you are on and are selected straight away, ready to move or style.

Text

Add a text box

Click Text in the toolbar, or choose Insert > Text box. A text box that says "Text" appears on the slide, in the theme's body font.

Type in a text box

  1. Double-click the text box. An editing box opens over it.
  2. Type your text. Press Return or Enter to start a new line. Each line becomes its own paragraph, so in a bulleted text box each line is a bullet.
  3. Click anywhere outside the box to keep your changes, or press Esc to leave without them.

This works the same for text boxes from a layout or starter slide, such as a title.

Shapes, lines and arrows

Click Shape in the toolbar and choose Rectangle, Rounded, Ellipse, Triangle or Line / arrow. On the Insert menu, the shapes are under Shape, where the rounded one is called Rounded rectangle, and Line is listed on its own.

  • A shape is filled with the theme's accent colour.
  • A line runs left to right in the accent colour, with an arrowhead at its end. Turn the arrowhead off in the inspector with Toggle arrow.

To put words in a shape, add a text box and place it over the shape.

Pictures

  1. Click Image in the toolbar, or choose Insert > Image.
  2. In the Insert image window, choose a picture: .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .webp or .svg.

The picture goes in the middle of the slide at its own proportions. It is saved inside the deck, so it stays even if you move or delete the file on your computer.

Give every picture a short description in Alt text in the inspector, so people using a screen reader know what it shows. View > Check accessibility lists pictures that have none. To crop a picture or change how it fills its frame, see Format elements with the inspector.

Tables

Choose Insert > Table. A table of three columns and three rows appears, with a header row reading "Column 1", "Column 2" and "Column 3".

To fill it in, select the table. The Table section of the inspector shows a box for every cell, laid out like the table. Type in the boxes and the table on the slide updates as you type.

In the same section:

  • The + Row and + Col buttons (Add row and Add column) add a row at the bottom or a column on the right.
  • The − Row and − Col buttons (Remove last row and Remove last column) take away the last row or column. A table keeps at least one of each.
  • Header row turns the bold, coloured first row on or off.

Charts

Choose Insert > Chart. A bar chart appears with sample figures and the title "Chart (sample data — link a sheet)", so it cannot be mistaken for real data. Select it and click Link a sheet range… in the inspector to chart figures from one of your spreadsheets. See Charts linked to a spreadsheet.

Widgets from a desk

Choose Insert > Widget from a desk. In the Widget from a desk window, search with Search widgets or desks… or browse your desks, and click a widget.

The widget appears on the slide as a live card that keeps up with the widget on its desk. See Embed desk widgets and other files in a document.

Other ways to add elements

With a deck open, open the command palette with ⌘ K on a Mac or Ctrl K on Windows and type insert. It lists Insert text box, Insert shape, Insert ellipse, Insert image, Insert line, Insert widget from a desk, Insert chart and Insert table.

Common questions

Double-clicking a shape does not let me type. Only text boxes hold text. Add a text box with Text and place it on top of the shape.

How do I edit a table on the slide? Select the table and type in the cell boxes in the inspector. The table on the slide changes as you type.

My picture is distorted. Select it and click Reset proportions in the inspector, and turn on Lock aspect ratio so it keeps its shape when you resize it. See Format elements with the inspector.

How do I remove an element? Select it and press Delete or Backspace, or click the bin button under Arrange in the inspector.

Still need help? Contact support at [email protected].