When used wisely, animation adds emphasis and visual appeal to PowerPoint presentations. It can transform a dull presentation into a lively and engaging one. However, you should be careful not to overdo it.

Too much animation can be distracting, reduce comprehension, and make a presentation appear flimsy. In this article, we'll see how you can add free animation to your PowerPoint presentations.

PowerPoint Animation Basics

It is useful to understand the four basic types of free animations for PowerPoint:

  • Entrance: used to introduce animated objects on a slide.
  • Emphasis: used for emphasizing elements already present on a slide.
  • Exit: how objects move off the slide.
  • Motion Paths: move objects in a specified path on the slide.
PowerPoint animation types

Use Preset Animation for Text or Objects in PowerPoint

To animate any object and make your PowerPoint presentation more engaging, go through the following steps:

  1. Select the object you wish to animate.
  2. On the ribbon, select the Animations tab.
  3. Choose an animation from the Animation menu or head to the Advanced animation menu and click Add animation.
PowerPoint animations menu

Use Custom Animation for Text or Objects in PowerPoint

If you want to change the default settings for your animations, select the animated object and head to the Advanced animation pane. You can adjust the trigger or add another animation to the same object. Also, use the Timing menu to adjust when the animation should start, its duration, and delay.

For more options, click open the Animation pane. There, you can readjust the order of the animations with the re-order buttons at the top and preview them individually. For additional options, click the More icon next to the animation. If you click Effect options, you can change the animation direction, add sound effects, or rewind it when done playing, among other options.

PowerPoint animation pane

Add Motion Path Animation in PowerPoint

To make a graphic object move in a certain path on the slide, use Motion Path animation. This works best for graphic images with transparent backgrounds, as the graphic moves across other elements on the slide. To add Motion Path animation to an object, do the following:

  1. Drag the object you wish to animate to its starting position.
  2. Click to select the object.
  3. Open the Add animation menu and select open of the options from Motion Paths.
  4. Edit the object trajectory by clicking the path.
PowerPoint motion path animations

If you double-click on the animation, you can adjust more of its settings.

PowerPoint motion path animation

To create a custom path for your animated object, go to Add animation > Motion Paths > Custom paths. PowerPoint will allow you to draw a custom trajectory. To set the end point of the trajectory, double-click.

PowerPoint custom path animation

How to Delete an Animation From Your Slides in PowerPoint

If you want to remove one of the animations, select the slide containing it and click Animation Pane. There, open the drop-down menu next to the animation and select Remove. Or, you can choose the animation and press Del.

Add Transitions Between Slides in PowerPoint

Animations between two slides are called Transitions. To add a transition effect to your PowerPoint presentation, open the Transitions tab and choose one of the options. Keep in mind, PowerPoint will add a transition only to the selected slide.

You can add a different effect to different slides, but if you want to have the same transition throughout your entire presentation, select all the slides before adding a transition effect. This way, you don’t have to set the transition effect for each slide, so you can save time while working in PowerPoint.

PowerPoint transitions between slides

Go to the Timing menu to configure the transition settings. You can add a sound, change the duration, and choose if it should start on mouse click or after a specified time.

If you have selected different transition effects for different slides, click the Apply to all button to have a uniform-looking PowerPoint presentation. If you want to remove the transition for a certain slide, open the Animations tab and select None from the available transitions.

Add Animated Clip Art

You can check out free animated clip art graphics on the web. This way, you can get some cool free animations that are ready to be added to your presentations. Also, you can include free animated PowerPoint templates in your presentation.

Quickly Animate PowerPoint Objects

With the above tips, you can now insert and configure animations and transitions into your slides. Before doing so, make sure you don’t have to replace any of the objects that you want to animate.

Now that you’ve gotten the PowerPoint animation basics, there are a few tips you could use to take your presentation to the next level.