Rulers in PowerPoint 2010 for Windows

Rulers in PowerPoint are typically located on the top and left parts of the active slide, and by default they might not be visible at all. However, it is a great idea to make them visible because not only do they provide you with a visual cue about where you are placing slide objects, they also let you use other PowerPoint features like the grid and guides more useable.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to show/hide these rulers in PowerPoint 2010 for Windows. You will also explore some of the settings that influence the measurement units in the rulers.

1. Launch PowerPoint, and open a Blank Presentation, as shown in Figure 1, below. Note that there are no Rulers visible by default.
2. 
   Figure 1: Default PowerPoint interface with no Rulers visible
2. To make the rulers visible, select the View tab of the Ribbon, locate the Show group and within this group select the Ruler check-box, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 2, below.
3. 
   Figure 2: Ruler check-box within View tab selected

Shortcuts for Using Rulers

To turn on the visibility of the rulers, you can use the keyboard shortcut Alt + Shift + F9. Use the same shortcut key to toggle it away.


PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts

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3. This action will turn on the visibility of both horizontal and vertical rulers in the Slide Area, as shown in Figure 3, below. If you want to hide them again, uncheck the Ruler option, as shown in Figure 2, above.
4. 
   Figure 3: Rulers made visible
4. If you see only the horizontal ruler, and no vertical ruler, as shown in Figure 4, below, you need to make sure that the vertical ruler's visibility has not been turned off.
5. 
   Figure 4: PowerPoint interface with only horizontal Ruler visible
5. To check these preferences, select the File tab of the Ribbon, and select Options within the resultant Backstage view, as shown in Figure 5, below.
6. 
   Figure 5: Options selected within File tab
6. Doing so opens the PowerPoint Options dialog box, as shown in Figure 6, below. Make sure that the Advanced tab in this dialog box, as shown in Figure 6, is selected.
7. 
   Figure 6: PowerPoint Options Dialog box
7. Locate the Display group within this tab, and select the Show vertical ruler check box, as shown in highlighted in red within Figure 7, below. Conversely, you can also uncheck this option to turn off the vertical ruler.
8. 
   Figure 7: Show vertical ruler check box selected
9. Now, you will be able to see the vertical ruler, as shown in Figure 3, above.