How to Add a Second Title or Subtitle Placeholder in PowerPoint
Question details
The user wants to add an additional title or a subtitle placeholder to their PowerPoint presentation, but the default Slide Master only allows one dedicated title placeholder per layout.
- Product
- PowerPoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Creating custom slide layouts that require both a main title and a subtitle placeholder for consistent formatting across the presentation.
- Observed behavior
- PowerPoint's Slide Master restricts users to a single dedicated title placeholder per layout, preventing the direct addition of a second title placeholder.
Open your presentation and navigate to the Slide Master view to edit your slide layouts. Decide beforehand which specific layouts require a subtitle to keep your master template clean and organized.
Insert a Custom Text Placeholder in Slide Master
Since PowerPoint restricts layouts to a single official Title placeholder, using a standard Text placeholder and formatting it as a subtitle is the most effective workaround.
By utilizing a standard text placeholder, you can mimic the behavior of a title placeholder. You can preset its font, size, and position so that every time you use that slide layout, the subtitle will be perfectly formatted.
Go to the 'View' tab on the ribbon and click on 'Slide Master' to access the presentation layouts.
In the left thumbnail pane, select the specific slide layout where you want to add the second title or subtitle.
Under the 'Slide Master' tab, click the 'Insert Placeholder' drop-down arrow and select 'Text'.
Click and drag on the slide to draw the placeholder box. Delete the default bullet points and adjust the font size, style, and color to distinguish it as a subtitle.
Click 'Close Master View' on the ribbon. When you insert a new slide with this layout, your new subtitle placeholder will be ready to use.
Create Custom Layouts with WPS Presentation
WPS Presentation offers robust Slide Master tools, allowing you to easily insert customized text placeholders for subtitles and alternative titles. It is fully compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint formats, making template editing seamless.
- 1. Open Slide Master: Launch WPS Presentation, navigate to the 'View' tab, and select 'Slide Master'.
- 2. Insert a Placeholder: Click 'Insert Placeholder' located in the Slide Master ribbon, then choose 'Text'.
- 3. Format as Subtitle: Draw the placeholder on the layout, adjust the text formatting to suit your subtitle design, and exit Slide Master view.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Title placeholder option grayed out in Slide Master?
PowerPoint restricts each slide layout to a single designated Title placeholder by design. If a layout already has a Title placeholder, the option to add another one becomes disabled. You must use a standard Text placeholder instead.
Will my custom subtitle appear in the Outline view?
No, text entered into a standard Text placeholder will not appear as a slide title in the Outline view. Only the text placed in the primary, official Title placeholder is indexed as the slide's heading.
Can I add the subtitle placeholder to all slide layouts at once?
Yes. If you insert the Text placeholder on the top 'Master' slide (the largest thumbnail in the left pane), the placeholder will trickle down and appear on all subordinate slide layouts.
How do I remove the bullet points from my new subtitle placeholder?
In the Slide Master view, click inside the Text placeholder, highlight the sample text, go to the 'Home' tab, and click the Bullet icon to toggle the bullet formatting off.
