A Timeline chart is a graphical representation of a series of events, for instance, the main events of a person’s life or milestone in a project. After creating your Timeline, you can add and move dates, add different styles and layouts and change the color of the Timeline. In this post, we show you how to create a Timeline in Microsoft PowerPoint using SmartArt or Timeline template.
How can I create a Timeline?
To create a Timeline, you have to know what your Timeline depicts and have a title identifying the events; you should decide the Timeline segment you want to illustrate and determine the scale of the Timeline, then add events and visuals.
Is there a Timeline template in PowerPoint?
Yes, there are timeline templates offered in Microsoft PowerPoint, where individuals can download the template to their document where they can make changes to the template to their desire to make their work faster and easier.
How to create a Timeline in PowerPoint
The steps involved in creating a Timeline in PowerPoint, are as follows:
- Create a Timeline using SmartArt
- Add more dates to Timeline
- Move a date in your Timeline
- Change to a different Timeline layout
- Change the color of your Timeline
- Apply a SmartArt Style to your Timeline
- Download a Timeline template in PowerPoint
1] Create a Timeline using SmartArt
Launch PowerPoint.
Change the layout of your slide to a blank layout.
Add a Text box.
Click the Insert tab and click the SmartArt button in the Illustration group.
A Choose a SmartArt Graphic dialog box will pop up.
Click Process on the left tab and select Basic Timeline or Circle Accent Timeline. In this tutorial, we chose Basic Timeline.
Then click OK.
A Timeline diagram will appear on your slide.
Enter text In the dialog box opposite the diagram or click Text on the diagram and enter your text.
2] Add more dates to Timeline
To add more dates to your Timeline, right-click the shape in the diagram and hover the cursor over Add Shape, and select Add Shape After or Add Shape Before.
The other method is to click the shape.
Then click Add Shape in the Create Graphic group on the SmartArt Design tab and select Add Shape After or Add Shape Before from the drop-down menu.
Then add the extra date you want to add.
3] Move a date in your Timeline
Click the date you want to move in the Timeline.
On the SmartArt tab in the Create Graphic group, click the Move up or Move down button.
The Move up button is to move the current selection forward in the sequence.
The Move down button is to move the current selection backward in the sequence.
4] Change to a different Timeline layout
To change your diagram to a different Timeline layout, follow the steps below.
Click the Timeline diagram.
On the SmartArt Design tab, click the More button in the Layout group and select a layout from the list.
5] Change the color of your Timeline
To change the color of your Timeline, follow the steps below.
Click the Timeline diagram and click the Color button in the SmartArt Styles group.
Select a color from the list.
6] Apply a SmartArt Style to your Timeline
Click the Timeline diagram.
Select the style you want in the styles box in the SmartArt style group.
7] Download a Timeline template in PowerPoint
Click the File tab
On the backstage view on the Home page, click More themes.
On the New page, type Timeline in the search box and press enter.
Select a Timeline from the list.
A dialog box will pop up; click Create.
The timeline template is downloaded to the slide for editing.
We hope this tutorial helps you understand how to create a Timeline in PowerPoint.
