How to Add a Text Box in PowerPoint Live During Presentation (Is It Possible?)

When presenting, it’s not uncommon to find the need to capture a spontaneous idea, jot down audience feedback, or emphasize a new point. But “how to add a text box in PowerPoint during your presentation“, you ask? If you’ve tried, you might have found PowerPoint’s native features a bit limiting. However, with the right tools and techniques, it’s not just possible—it’s seamless.

In this blog, we’ll explore how you can add text to your slides during a presentation and how tools like ClassPoint can transform your PowerPoint into a dynamic and interactive experience.

Can You Add a Text Box in PowerPoint During a Presentation?

PowerPoint’s native tools offer some basic annotation features, such as Pen or Highlight tools, but they don’t provide the flexibility to add structured text while in slideshow mode. Adding a text box requires exiting the presentation, editing the slide, and resuming—disrupting the flow and momentum of your presentation.

This is where ClassPoint comes in. As an advanced PowerPoint add-in, ClassPoint enables you to add text boxes, annotations, and other interactive elements directly to your slides during a live presentation—without ever leaving slideshow mode.

Key Benefits of ClassPoint:

ClassPoint simplifies and enhances live presentations, offering numerous benefits and ways to engage audiences for educators, corporate trainers, and professionals:

Works Directly in PowerPoint: No need to learn a new tool; ClassPoint integrates seamlessly with your existing PowerPoint setup.

Keeps Presentations Interactive: Engage your audience with live text, drawing tools, and interactive annotations.

Saves Time: Automatically save all annotations and edits for future use.

Customizable Annotations: Choose colors, fonts, and even background colors for your live text.

Effortless Sharing: Export your annotated slides as a PDF to ensure participants leave with all the key points.

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How to Add Text Boxes in PowerPoint with ClassPoint

ClassPoint is an interactive PowerPoint add-in that revolutionizes live presentations. It provides tools that make it easy to add live text, engage your audience, and keep your presentation running smoothly.

Once ClassPoint is downloaded and installed for free, you can access the annotation and text tools on the toolbar that appears when you enter your slideshow presentation.

To add the text on your slide, click on the Text Box icon on the toolbar.

Place the cursor anywhere on the slide to begin typing. This text will be visible to your audience on your shared screen or projector screen in real-time. You can change the color or change to a background color for your text. Then, resize and move to the right placement!

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Moving, Resizing and Deleting Text Boxes in PowerPoint

To move your text boxes, click and drag to move to the right space.

Plus, you can pull or push on the corners to resize the box to the correct size.

To remove any text, just select the text box and hit delete on your keyboard.

Adding Other Annotations

ClassPoint doesn’t just stop at text boxes. It also allows you to enhance your slides with other annotation features.

Draw on your slide with pens and highlighters by clicking the tool, choosing your color and thickness, and beginning drawing on your slide.

You can also add shapes to draw or point out information on your slide, too! Click on the shape icon, select your shape, fill or no fill, and the color, and click and drag on your slide to add the shape.

Saving Text Boxes on Your Slide

The great news? All text boxes are saved automatically on your slides. You can move forwards and backwards in your presentation and your text will be saved to the slide that it was added to.

Any annotations that are added with the pen, highlighter, and shapes will be saved, too!

When you exit your presentation, the annotations are saved within your PowerPoint file.

Easily share these annotated slides with your audience using the Share PDF feature! This will transform your PowerPoint to a shareable PDF accessible via a scannable QR code.

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Practical Scenarios for Adding Text During Presentations

Adding live text isn’t just about convenience; it’s about enhancing audience engagement and delivering dynamic presentations. Here are a few ways to use this feature effectively:

1. Educators: Summarize Student Responses or Key Points

Real-Time Class Discussions: During a class discussion, educators can jot down student responses directly onto a slide, helping to consolidate ideas and emphasize important contributions.

Interactive Q&A Sessions: Teachers can record student questions or highlight answers on-screen, creating a collaborative learning environment.

Concept Mapping: While explaining a topic, educators can build a visual concept map by adding text live, and connecting ideas in real-time.

2. Corporate Trainers: Capture Feedback or Ideas

Brainstorming Workshops: Capture feedback from team members directly on the presentation, keeping everyone aligned and engaged.

Project Planning Sessions: Trainers can use live text to note action items or summarize key takeaways during meetings or planning sessions.

Interactive Problem-Solving: Engage participants by recording proposed solutions or ideas on the slide as they’re shared.

3. Workshop Leaders: Jot Down Audience Suggestions

Collaborative Ideation: In creative workshops, leaders can write down ideas shared by participants, ensuring no contributions are missed while maintaining a clear record for follow-up.

Real-Time Summaries: Summarize points discussed during breakout sessions to share with the group, reinforcing key ideas visually.

Interactive Activities: Use live text to keep track of audience inputs during group activities, like brainstorming or live voting sessions.

Tips for Using Live Text Features Effectively

To get the most out of live text capabilities, keep these tips in mind:

Practice Beforehand: Familiarize yourself with the tools to ensure a smooth experience.

Keep It Minimal: Avoid overloading slides with too much text. Use this feature strategically to highlight key points.

Engage Your Audience: Use live text to involve your audience, noting their thoughts and making them feel heard and valued.

FAQs

Can I add a text box directly in PowerPoint during a presentation?

Yes, but it requires exiting slideshow mode, which can disrupt your flow. Using tools like ClassPoint lets you add text seamlessly without interruptions.

What tools work best for live annotations in PowerPoint?

ClassPoint is a powerful add-in that integrates with PowerPoint to offer live annotation features, including text addition, drawing tools, and interactive elements. And, it’s free!

Can I save the text I add during a presentation?

With ClassPoint, all live annotations, including text, are automatically saved, so you can review or share them later.

Food for Thought

ClassPoint takes PowerPoint presentations to the next level by enabling features that PowerPoint alone cannot provide. From seamless text addition to interactive engagement tools, it’s designed for educators, professionals, and anyone who values polished and impactful presentations.

Annotation Toolbar: Write, draw, or type directly on your slides without exiting slideshow mode.

Auto-Save Functionality: Save all your live edits and annotations for post-presentation use.

Easy Sharing: Share annotations and slides with your audience so that no information is missed.

Adding text during a PowerPoint presentation is possible but often impractical with native features. With ClassPoint, presenters can add text boxes or notes effortlessly, keeping the presentation interactive and professional. Try ClassPoint today and transform how you present.

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