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My Master Slide in Impress

From The Document Foundation Wiki

Foreword

This description refers to the Component Impress in LibreOffice versions. The video "My master slide in Impress" shows how to create your own master slide in Impress and links to this page here, which contains further information. You can find more detailed information in Chapter 2 - Master slides, format templates, document templates of the Impress guide.

Link to the video

Link to the video (in German [DE]): Meine Masterfolie in Impress - LibreOffice

Why do I need a Master Slide and how does it work?

In the master slide you can define everything that should be visible on all slides and be the same on all slides. This can be a background image, a logo, the date and the page number.

Note:
If you want to use different background images on each slide, you can insert them directly on the slides.

Short description - How does it work?

  • Select Master View
  • Click on "New Master"
  • Customize the master for your purposes
  • You can rename the Master Slide
  • Select Close Master View

You can now select which master slide you want to use for each slide in the sidebar.

Open Impress

The "Select a Template" dialog appears when starting Impress. If this is not the case, select Tools ▸ Options ▸ LibreOffice Impress ▸ General in the menu and check the box “Start with Template Selection” and click OK button.

"Select a Template" dialog

The dialog offers ready layouts for a presentation. Click on Close to get the simple default template. You can now create your own master slide from the standard template and save it as a template.

In the sidebar at "Properties|Master Slide" the Screen format is set to 16:9 in Landscape mode.

Master Slide"

This corresponds to today's templates and the widely used screen standard. If a different screen format is selected, the existing fields on the slide should be adjusted as required.

Select Layout

In the sidebar, you can choose between different layouts in the normal view. Available Layouts from left to right:

The Layouts
  • Blank Slide
  • Title Slide
  • Title, Content
  • Title and 2 Content

  • Title Only
  • Centered Text
  • Title, 2 Content and Content
  • Title, Content, and 2 Content

  • Title, 2 Content over Content
  • Title, Content over Content
  • Title, 4 Content
  • Title, 6 Content

Leave it at the selected layout "Title Slide" Layout. A selected layout can also be changed later in the slide.

Switch on Master view

In the "Sidebar" at "Properties" there is also the button for the Master View. Click on the Master View button. In the master view you can now adjust the format, such as size, font and font color of all elements, such as headline, text and the fields of the footer, which should be visible on all slides of the template. Now edit these elements.

"Master View" toolbar
"Slide" Context menu

Create a new Master Slide

Click on the Master View button. Click on the "New Master" icon. A new Master Slide "Default 1" will be created. Turn on the slide area, it will be mostly on the left side. There you can see all Master Slides. You can also rename Master Slides.

"Rename Master Slide" dialog

Rename Master

The first step is to select "Rename Master Slide" in the Slide ▸ Rename Slide menu. The "Rename Master Slide" dialog displays "Default" as the Master Slide name. Now you can enter an appropriate name, for example "Master Slide LibreOffice" and click OK. The renaming is not necessarily required, you can also simply reconfigure the Master Slide "Default". However, if multiple Master Slides are used, a distinction in the name is important.

Customizing the "LibreOffice" Master Slide

"Information" Dialog

In the Master View, you will see the title, a text field, and fields for the date/time, footer, and page number at the bottom (see below the image: “Default” Master view). The title and text field cannot be removed, but their size can be changed and their format adjusted.
If you try to remove a title or text field, you will receive an information message.

Customize the “Title” style

in The Master View place the cursor in the heading or select the text. Then the "Title" Style is marked in the Sidebar under Presentation Styles. Right-click on the Style and select Edit Style. In the "Titel" dialog, click the "Font" tab. Now select the font size 40 pt at "Size". In the "Title" dialog in tab "Font Effects" select 1C71D0 for the "Font Colour|Custom Colour" ("Hex #:" = hexadecimal).

Change the size of the “Title” text box

Click on OK. Mark the frame of the heading field and remove the checkmark for "Keep aspect ratio" in the sidebar at "Properties|Position and Size". Enter the values: "Width" = 8,66 Inch (22,00 cm) and "Height" = 1,06 Inch (2,70 cm).

Note:
The following elements can be changed on a master slide:

  • Background (color, gradient, hatching or bitmap)
  • Background objects (for example a logo or decorative graphics)
  • Size and placement of standard frames for slide titles and content

"202007_LOENHB_Logo Square - LibreOffice.png"

Since the headline field has been shortened, you can now place a logo to the right of it. Choose the Insert ▸ Image menu. In the "Insert Image" dialog, select the image "202007_LOENHB_Logo Square - LibreOffice.png". Click Open. The logo is placed centered on the slide. If the logo is marked, change the dimensions in "Position and Size" in the Sidebar "Properties". "Position-X"= 23,90 cm | "Position-Y" = 0,60 cm | "Width" = 2,70 cm | "Height" = 2,70 cm

Customize fields of the footer

Edit Style

Right-click on <date/time> in the footer and select Edit Style…. In the "Font" tab, for "Liberation Serif", select the "Liberation Sans" Font. In the "Font Effects" tab, select 1C71D0 for the Font Color hexadecimal. Klick on OK. This change affects the other Footer fields <footer> and <number> at the same time.

Finished slide in the Master view

Insert additional field commands

Field commands

You can insert additional field commands in the footer. Choose Insert ▸ Field from the menu. From the drop down menu select the field command you wish to insert.

Close Master View

Click on the "Close Master View" icon or on the Sidebar the Close Master View Button.

"Close Master View" icon

Enter information for Footer

In the Footer, the <date/time>, <footer> and <number> details are not yet visible. Therefore, click Insert ▸ Header and Footer in the menu. In the opening "Header and Footer" dialog you still have to enter the appropriate informations.

"Header and Footer" dialog

Here in the example you enter:

  • For "Date and Time|Fixed", enter the current date, e.g. the "2025/08/20".
  • For footer text, enter, e.g. "Advertising for LibreOffice".
  • For "Slide number" checkmark the box.

Now click on Apply to All.

Save master slide as a template

In the menu, click File ▸ Templates ▸ Save as Template. In the "Save As Template" dialog, enter the template name, for example "202007_Advertising for LibreOffice". Click on Save.

Assign master slide to a presentation slide

If you have created multiple master slides, you can also assign them per slide. Close the master view and select a slide in the slide area. You can now open the drop-down list in the sidebar at "Properties/Slide" in the Master slide field and select an existing master slide. With this, the presentation slide has received the desired master slide.

Further Informations

Slide Area - until a gray frame appears

Docking slide area

There are the following ways to dock the slide area to the left side:

  1. Grab the slide pane with the mouse at the top window frame, click-hold-drag the slide pane to the left until a gray frame appears, and release the mouse button.
  2. Click in the View ▸ Slide Pane menu to hide the Slide Pane. From the View ▸ Slide Pane menu, click so that the Slide Pane is visible and docked.
  3. Ctrl + double-click an empty space, such as the area below the title bar.
  4. Press Ctrl + ⇧ Shift + F10 while the Slide Pane has the input focus.

Work Files

Template: "Advertising for LibreOffice":

202007_Advertising for LibreOffice.otp

Presentation: "My Presentation":

German presentation

(In the presentation, the background images of the slides were removed for the file to be accepted in the wiki system. )

Logo:

202007_LOHB_Logo Square - LibreOffice.png

Web_01:

201907 ENLOHB Web 01.png

Web_02:

201907 ENLOHB Web 02.png

Web_03:

201907 ENLOHB Web 03.png

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