How to Annotate in Google Slides While You Present

Google added a pen tool to fto a presenter adhd marks connected Google Slides; the pen joins the laser pointer enactment arsenic a mode to gully attraction to parts of your presentation. While laser pointer lines vanish soon aft you gully them, pen marks persist portion you contiguous and spell distant erstwhile you exit the slideshow.

The pen and laser pointer tools assistance you nonstop attraction oregon stress a point; however, lone the pen instrumentality makes it imaginable to gully connected your slides arsenic you present. And, since the annotations stay connected the slides lone for the duration of your presentation, you whitethorn usage the pen to adhd accusation that you mightiness not privation to different permanently spot connected a slide.

This tutorial covers however to usage the pen instrumentality successful Google Slides erstwhile you contiguous from the web oregon Apple mobile devices. If you privation to present a drawing-centric presumption utilizing different Google tool, Jamboard is worthy exploring.

Jump to:

• How to usage the pen successful Google Slides
• How to alteration the pen colour successful Google Slides
• How to erase pen annotations successful Google Slides
• How to gully connected Google Slides successful the mobile apps
• Want to sphere annotation oregon collaboration? Explore Jamboard

How to usage the pen successful Google Slides

Initially, research the methodical mode to entree the pen erstwhile you present. This series exposes a assortment of different Google Slides controls, specified arsenic entree to talker notes, captioning and auto-play options.

1. Open your presumption with Google Slides successful a web browser.
2. Select the Slideshow fastener successful the upper-right area.
3. Select the 3 dot fastener to entree the options paper successful the lower-left, adjacent to the descent beforehand indicator.
4. Select the Turn On The Pen enactment (Figure A).

Figure A

While presenting a slideshow, crook connected the pen. Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic

With the pen enabled, you whitethorn click-and-hold to gully with a rodent oregon touchpad, oregon with a stylus connected a touchscreen device. The full screen, speech from the power country successful the lower-left, tin service arsenic your canvas. In the lawsuit your slides don’t capable the screen, specified arsenic erstwhile you contiguous 4:3 format slides connected a 16:9 screen, you whitethorn marque marks successful the margins. Just marque definite to usage a colour that contrasts with the show inheritance — a achromatic pen connected a achromatic inheritance won’t permission a disposable mark.

Later, larn the keyboard shortcut to toggle the pen: Shift+L. One representation assistance for this is to callback that the L cardinal toggles the laser (starts with L) pointer portion presenting with Google Slides. So the pen toggle is the laser cardinal positive Shift.

How to alteration the pen colour successful Google Slides

The presumption pen is reddish by default, but you whitethorn power it to black, bluish oregon greenish astatine immoderate time. To bash so, travel these steps.

1. Move the rodent into the little near country area. The presumption controls volition display.
2. Select the pen icon to entree the pen menu.
3. Select immoderate of the 4 disposable colors: Red, Black, Blue oregon Green (Figure B). The paper besides offers a Turn Off option.

Figure B

Select immoderate of the 4 colour options. Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic

4. Return to drafting connected your slides arsenic desired.

How to erase pen annotations successful Google Slides

Your annotations lone stay connected your slides erstwhile you present; if you exit the presentation, they’ll automatically beryllium removed. Alternatively, you whitethorn region each annotations by pressing Shift+A astatine immoderate time.

If the pen is active, you whitethorn besides entree the eraser icon from the pen paper by pursuing these steps.

1. Move the rodent into the little near country area. The presumption controls volition display.
2. Select the eraser icon to entree the erase menu.
3. Select Erase All (Figure C). All of the pen marks you person made passim your presumption volition beryllium erased.

Figure C

While presenting, prime Erase All to region each annotations from each slides. Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic

How to gully connected Google Slides successful the mobile apps

When you contiguous from Google Slides to Google Meet with the mobile apps connected iPhone oregon iPad, a pen icon displays astatine the apical of the show (Figure D, top). Select it and you whitethorn gully successful reddish connected the slide. Tap the Clear drafting fastener astatine the bottommost (Figure D, bottom) to region your annotations.

Figure D

While presenting from Google Slides to Google Meet, arsenic shown here, activate the pen to annotate a slide. Google Slides for iPhone connected near and iPad connected right. Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic

Unlike erstwhile you contiguous from the web, your annotations bash not persist arsenic you determination betwixt slides; they vanish arsenic soon arsenic you determination to different slide. (The gully diagnostic is not disposable erstwhile presenting from Google Slides to Google Meet connected Android.)

Want to sphere annotation oregon collaboration? Explore Jamboard

Google Jamboard allows you to springiness thing person to an old-school chalk talk, which is simply a speech delivered by a presenter accompanied lone by substance oregon illustrations drawn connected a chalkboard, without prepared slides. You technically could springiness this benignant of speech with a blank descent successful Google Slides and the pen tool, but Jamboard offers a much robust acceptable of tools for drawing.

SEE: How to usage 5 Jamboard features to create, exemplify and collaborate (TechRepublic)

To get started, entree the Whiteboarding instrumentality successful Google Meet by going to Activities | Whiteboarding oregon spell to https://jam.new successful a modern browser. Jamboard lets much radical gully simultaneously (up to 50, alternatively than conscionable the presenter successful Google Slides), with much pen options (four, alternatively than 1 successful Slides) and much pen colors (six, alternatively than 4 successful Google Slides) (Figure E). The Jamboard eraser lets you erase lines, not conscionable each annotations arsenic successful Google Slides. Jamboard besides lets you rapidly adhd shapes, images and notes.

Figure E

For further drafting tools erstwhile you present, Jamboard provides much pen types, colors and collaboration options.

However, beryllium alert that Google has announced that Jamboard volition upwind down successful precocious 2024, truthful you volition request to question an alternate earlier then.

Mention oregon connection maine (@awolber) connected Mastodon to fto maine cognize however you usage the pen and laser pointer successful Google Slides to annotate your presentations oregon however good Jamboard serves your drawing-centric presumption needs.