How To Use Google Slide Animations And Transitions

Transitions and animations in Google Slides add movement to a presentation. Transitions are applied to slides and animations are applied to elements on a slide. Learn how to do animations in Google Slides and apply Google Slides transitions to create interesting presentations.

Understanding Google Slides Animations and Transitions

Transitions occur when you move from one slide to the next during a presentation. Google Slides contains transitions that dissolve, fade, slide, flip, turn on a cube, and bounce in a gallery.

This tutorial uses the Science project template from Google Sheets, which contains several text and image elements that would look even cooler with transition and animation effects. To create this presentation and follow along with the tutorial, go to Google Drive and select New > Google Sheets > From a template. Scroll to the bottom of the list and select Science project.

Animations highlight text and images on a slide. Animations help with eye flow by directing where your audience should look during the presentation. Google Slides contains animations that appear, disappear, fade, fly, zoom, and spin.

Play around with different transitions and animations and choose those that match the tone of your presentation.

You can even take your presentation design a step further by collaborating with others or adding audio to your Google Slides presentation, since Google Slides is a web-based, fully-powered presentation creation app.

Less is better when using transitions and animations in Google Slides. You want your audience to be drawn in by your cool graphical moves, but you don’t want them distracted by a constantly moving presentation. Limit the use of transitions and animations to keep the audience focused on you and the topic of your presentation.

Here are a few more guidelines:

• Don’t overdo it: Think about your audience, the purpose of your presentation, and the image you want to project. Then, choose your transitions and animations wisely.Avoid twirling and bouncing slides: Choose subtle animations and transitions that fade and dissolve. Complex movements can be distracting.Automate animations as much as possible: Set up animations so they automatically start with or after a previous animation. If you’re focused on initiating the next animation, you’re not focused on your audience.Use animations to keep your audience focused: Create animations to help your audience focus on the content of your presentation. Use animations to highlight important points, ideas, and concepts.

How to Create Google Slides Transitions

In a Google Slides presentation using the default slide transition, slides just appear and disappear as you move through your slideshow. Give your presentation some visual interest by changing the transition.

• Go to Slide and select Transition.
• Select the Transition type down arrow and choose a transition. For example, choose Slide from right to scroll the slideshow across the screen.
• Select and drag the Duration slider to change the length of the transition. For example, drag the slider from Fast to Medium.
• Select Play to see what the transition looks like in the slideshow.
• Select Stop when the transition is over.
• If you don’t like the animation, choose a different Transition type and Play it.
• When you’ve found a transition you like, select Apply to all slides to use it in your entire presentation.

How to Animate Text and Images

Animations in Google Slides are easy and straightforward. For simple animations, add a single effect to text or an image. If you want to add more emphasis to a slide element, add multiple animations to it.

You have the option to use the same transition on all slides or to use a different transition on each slide. In most cases, a single slide transition in a presentation works best.

Go to Slide and select Transition.

Select the Transition type down arrow and choose a transition. For example, choose Slide from right to scroll the slideshow across the screen.

Select and drag the Duration slider to change the length of the transition. For example, drag the slider from Fast to Medium.

Select Play to see what the transition looks like in the slideshow.

Select Stop when the transition is over.

If you don’t like the animation, choose a different Transition type and Play it.

When you’ve found a transition you like, select Apply to all slides to use it in your entire presentation.

To add multiple animations to a slide element:

• Go to the slide where you want to add an animation and select the text or image element. For example, choose a section heading text box to add a text animation that introduces the topic.
• In the Animations pane, select Add animation.
• If the Animations pane is not displayed, go to Insert and select Animation.
• In the Animation type list, choose an animation. For example, select Fade in to make the text fade into the slide.
• In the Start Condition list, choose when the animation will start. For example, select After previous to make the text fade in after the slide has stopped.
• Select and drag the Duration slider to change the speed.
• To add a second animation to the element, select Add animation.
• Select an Animation type. For example, select Spin to make the text rotate after it fades in.
• Select a Start Condition. For example, select After previous so the text automatically spins after it appears on the slide.
• Select and drag the Duration slider to change the speed.
• Select Play to see how the animation works.
• Animations play in the order they appear in the Animations pane. To change the order in which animations play, drag an animation to a different location in the list.
• Select Stop when the animation is finished playing.

How to Animate a Bulleted List

When you want the items in your bulleted list to appear on the slide one at a time, animate the list.

Go to the slide where you want to add an animation and select the text or image element. For example, choose a section heading text box to add a text animation that introduces the topic.

In the Animations pane, select Add animation.

If the Animations pane is not displayed, go to Insert and select Animation.

In the Animation type list, choose an animation. For example, select Fade in to make the text fade into the slide.

In the Start Condition list, choose when the animation will start. For example, select After previous to make the text fade in after the slide has stopped.

Select and drag the Duration slider to change the speed.

To add a second animation to the element, select Add animation.

Select an Animation type. For example, select Spin to make the text rotate after it fades in.

Select a Start Condition. For example, select After previous so the text automatically spins after it appears on the slide.

Select Play to see how the animation works.

Animations play in the order they appear in the Animations pane. To change the order in which animations play, drag an animation to a different location in the list.

Select Stop when the animation is finished playing.

• Select the bulleted list.
• In the Animation pane, select Add animation.
• Select an Animation type. For example, select Fly in from right to match this animation with the Slide from right transition.
• Select a Start condition. For example, select On click to display each bullet point when you click on the screen.
• Select By Paragraph.
• Drag the Duration slider to choose a speed for the animation.
• Select Play to see the animation in action.
• To start the animation, select the slide. Then, select again to see the first bullet point. Keep clicking until you get to the end of the list.
• Select Stop when you’re done.

How Apply the Same Animation to Multiple Elements on a Slide

Another cool effect is to make two or more objects appear on the slide at the same time using the same animation.

Select the bulleted list.

In the Animation pane, select Add animation.

Select an Animation type. For example, select Fly in from right to match this animation with the Slide from right transition.

Select a Start condition. For example, select On click to display each bullet point when you click on the screen. 

Select By Paragraph.

Drag the Duration slider to choose a speed for the animation.

Select Play to see the animation in action.

To start the animation, select the slide. Then, select again to see the first bullet point. Keep clicking until you get to the end of the list.

Select Stop when you’re done.

To apply the same animation to multiple elements:

• Select two or more elements. For example, choose two images that will appear on the slide at the same time.
• In the Animation pane, select Add animation.
• Select an Animation type. For example, select Fade in so the images go from transparent to opaque.
• Select a Start condition. For example, select After previous so the animation starts after the slide transition has finished.
• Select and drag the Duration slider to change the animation speed.

How to Delete Google Slides Animations and Transitions

Sometimes transitions and animations need to disappear. When you no longer want to use a transition or animation in your presentation, delete it.

Select two or more elements. For example, choose two images that will appear on the slide at the same time.

Select an Animation type. For example, select Fade in so the images go from transparent to opaque.

Select a Start condition. For example, select After previous so the animation starts after the slide transition has finished.

Select and drag the Duration slider to change the animation speed.

• Go to the slide containing the transition.
• In the Animations pane, select the transition.
• Select the Transition type down arrow and select No transition.
• If the transition appears on all slides, select Apply to all slides to remove the animation from the entire presentation.
• To delete an animation, go to the slide containing the animation.
• In the Animations pane, select the animation you want to delete.
• Select Delete.

Preview Google Slides Transitions and Animations

After you’ve applied transitions to your slides and created animations for important elements of your presentation, preview the entire presentation before you deliver it in front of a live audience. Select Present to open your presentation in a browser window, then use the controls to see the transition from slide to slide and to watch the animations move across your screen.

Go to the slide containing the transition.

In the Animations pane, select the transition.

Select the Transition type down arrow and select No transition.

If the transition appears on all slides, select Apply to all slides to remove the animation from the entire presentation.

To delete an animation, go to the slide containing the animation.

In the Animations pane, select the animation you want to delete.

Select Delete.

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