Transitions are special effects inserted between slides to indicate a change of topic. They take on a variety of styles and can be effective if used properly.

To apply transitions, go to Slide Sorter view. You can choose either to apply a transition to specific slides or to all of the slides within a presentation. To apply a transition to all of the slides, click on Edit in the menu bar and then on Select All (if you were applying a transition to specific slides, hold the Shift key as you click on the desired slides). Click on the Slide Transition button located on the top left of the window, and a Slide Transition dialog box will appear.

Choose the desired transition by clicking on the down arrow beneath the picture of the dog. A list of styles will appear. As you click on the various styles, a preview of the effect can be seen as the dog transitions to a key and vice versa.

After the style has been selected, choose the speed of the transition. Always choose Fast or Medium when selecting a speed because the audience should be paying attention to you and not the "fascinating" effect on the screen.

In the Advance option, choose On mouse click so that you will have control over the flow.

If you want sound, select the Sound option and choose the desired sound. It is not recommended to incorporate sound just for the reason stated above. You are the center of attention, not the presentation.

Click the Apply to All button and the transition will be applied to the entire presentation. Otherwise, the transition will only apply to the slide(s) highlighted.