When creating a slideshow on Google Slides, there are two crucial components you shouldn’t overlook: Transitions and animations. Not only do they make sure your slides flow smoothly, but they also add flair to your presentation, making them more interesting.
To add transitions in Google Slides, go to “Slide” > “Transition.” From there, pick a transition and apply it to your selected slide.
In this post, we’ll give you the lowdown on how to add Google Slides transitions, allowing you to enhance the visual appeal of your work. We’ll also explore how to add animations to your slideshow while providing examples for you to take inspiration from.
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How To Add Google Slides Transitions
Integrating transitions into Google Slides is straightforward, thanks to its user-friendly interface. With a couple of clicks, you can ensure seamless transitions from slide to slide, making your work easier on the eyes. Here’s how to make transitions on Google Slides:
- Open your Google Slides presentation and select the slide where you want to add a transition.
- On the menu bar, click on “Slide” and then choose “Transition.”
- Alternatively, you can right-click on the desired slide and select “Transition.”
- This will open the “Motion” pane. Under “Slide Transition,” select the drop-down menu.
- Choose a transition effect from the options available to apply it to the current slide.
- Adjust the speed of the Google Slides transition by moving the “Duration” slider.
- Optional: If you want to apply the selected transition to all slides in your presentation, click on “Apply to All Slides.”
- To preview your transition, click on the “Play” button. Keep in mind that transitions applied to skipped slides won’t play during the preview.
- To stop playing the preview, click on the “Stop” button.
Pro Tip: You can configure your presentation to play automatically using Google Slides’ automatic transitions. That way, when you’re presenting, you no longer have to press the spacebar or click on the screen to trigger the next slide.
Related: How To Make Google Slides Play Automatically
How To Add Animations on Google Slides
Along with transitions for Google Slides, you can enhance the visual appeal of your slideshow by incorporating animations — effects that make your slide’s elements move. They can be applied to almost every object on your slide, such as images, text, tables, bullet points, and more.
To add animations to your slides, simply follow the steps outlined below:
- Select the slide containing the object to be animated.
- Right-click on the object and go to “Animate.” Alternatively, you can click on “Animate” on the toolbar.
- The “Motion” pane will appear. Go to “Object Animations” — you’ll notice that the “Animation Type” for your selected object is set to “Appear.” This is the animation type applied to all objects by default.
- Select an “Animation Type.”
Here are a few examples of animations you can apply to enhance your professional presentation:
- Fade in: This transition introduces the object to the slide by gradually fading it in.
- Fly in from left/right or top/bottom: The object flies into the slide from one side.
- Zoom in: In this transition, the object starts small and slowly increases in size.
- Under “Animation Type,” you’ll see the “Start Condition” drop-down. Open it to select whether the animation should play upon clicking a slide, with the previous animation, or after the previous animation.
Note: The start conditions “With Previous” and “After Previous” will only work if there is another animated object immediately before the object you’ve currently selected.
- Set the speed of the animation by moving the slider.
- Optional: To add more animations to your object, select “Add Animation.” Set the type and speed of the additional animation. In this example, we set the start condition to “After Previous” to start the next animation once the previous animation ends:
- Click on the “Play” button to preview your animation(s).
- Click on the “Stop” button to end the preview and continue working on your slideshow.
Related: Google Slides vs. PowerPoint: Which Program Is Better?
Pro Tips on Using Google Slides Animations
Now that you know how to add animations, here are a few expert tips on incorporating them into your slides. Follow these tips to take your presentation-making skills to the next level:
Add Motion to Diagrams
One effective way to utilize animations is by adding them to diagrams. By doing so, you can show the relationship between data or explain steps and processes more clearly. And if creating diagrams intimidates you, don’t worry; you don’t need to make one from scratch.
You can simply incorporate the ready-to-use diagrams that come with Google Slides. Here’s how:
- Go to the “Insert” option in the menu bar and select “Diagram.”
- Choose the type of diagram you want to animate. For this example, we’re going with the “Timeline” diagram.
- The “Timeline” pane will appear. Browse through the available templates and click on the one that suits your needs. Add it to your slide.
- When adding a diagram via Google Slides, its “parts” will already be grouped. Select the first group, right-click on it, and go to “Animate.” This action will open the “Motion” pane.
- Set the animation type, start condition, and speed for each group within the diagram.
Here’s an example of what a Google Slides diagram looks like with animations:
Animate Lists
To avoid overwhelming your audience with a lot of information at once, consider adding Google Slides animations to your list. This allows you to gradually introduce your ideas and keep your audience engaged. Here’s how you can do it:
- Select the text box that contains your list.
- Right-click on the text box and choose “Animate.”
- In the “Motion” pane, select an “Animation Type” and “Start Condition.”
- You may want to tick the “By Paragraph” box — that way, your bullet points will appear on your slide one by one, as shown below. If you want to apply the animation to the whole text box, untick the “By Paragraph” box.
Group Items with the Same Animation
Although you can set individual animations and change each of their Start Conditions to “With Previous” to sync their start times, this method can clutter your “Motion” pane.
So why not group your objects? That way, you can simply apply one animation to the entire group instead of applying it to each object. Here’s how:
- Hold down the “Ctrl” or “Command” button on your keyboard while clicking on the objects you want to group.
- Right-click on any of the selected objects and choose “Group.” Alternatively, you can use keyboard shortcut “Ctrl” + “Alt” + “G” on Windows (“Command” + “Alt+ “G” on Mac).
- Again, right-click on your grouped objects and go to “Animate.”
- Set the desired “Animation Type” and “Start Condition” for the grouped objects.
As shown below, grouped objects that share an Animation Type will appear on the slide at the same time:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There a Difference Between a Google Slides Transition and an Animation?
Although both transitions and animations add motion to your slideshow, they don’t mean the same thing.
In Google Slides, transitions focus on the overall movement and flow between slides, ensuring a smooth and seamless transition from one slide to the next. They affect the entire slide and control how it enters or exits the screen, adding visual interest during slide transitions.
Animations, on the other hand, allow you to bring individual elements within a slide to life. With animations, you can apply movement, effects, and timing to specific objects, text, or images on the slide. This helps in emphasizing key points, illustrating processes, or creating engaging visual effects within a slide.
How Many Transitions Are Available in Google Slides?
As of this writing, Google Slides offers seven built-in transitions. If you’re wondering how to get more transitions on Google Slides, you can only choose from the transitions provided within the Google Slides application. There is no option to add or download additional transitions.
However, you can still make effective use of the available options to enhance the visual appeal and flow of your presentation. Experimenting with different transitions and combining them with animations can help create a dynamic and engaging slideshow.
Keep in mind that Google frequently updates its applications, so it’s possible that new transitions may be added in the future. Stay tuned to Google’s official updates and announcements to discover any additions or improvements to the transitions feature in Google Slides.
Final Thoughts
Google Slides transitions and animations are what tie your slideshow together. By integrating these features into your slides, you can capture and maintain your audience’s attention while showcasing your imaginative flair.
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