PowerPoint: Copy objects

As in all Office programs, you can quickly copy objects in PowerPoint and paste them elsewhere or even in other Office documents. We show you how this works in this guide.

The classic way: copy objects via the clipboard

If you want to use individual objects in PowerPoint in other slides or even in other office programs, we recommend using the clipboard. To do this, follow the steps below.

• Select the object to be copied by clicking on it with the mouse. Now use the key combination Ctrl + C to copy the object to the clipboard. With the key combination Ctrl + V you can insert the object anywhere in your presentation or in other Office documents.
• If you want to copy several objects, click on these objects one after the other while holding down the Shift key. You can display the contents of the clipboard on the "Start" tab.
• Go to the "Clipboard" sub-group in the menu bar and click on the small arrow in the lower left corner. In the opened clipboard, all you have to do is click to select the object to paste it elsewhere.

PowerPoint: The Duplicate function

If you want to quickly position the same objects at exactly the same intervals on a slide, you should use the "Duplicate" function.

• Select one or more objects as described above. With the key combination Ctrl + D the objects are duplicated. Position the duplicates at the desired distance from the first objects by dragging the object to the correct position while holding down the left mouse button.
• If you then use the key combination Ctrl + D again, the third object and all subsequent ones are inserted at exactly the same distance.
• Tip: If you don't care about exact distances or want to check them manually, PowerPoint offers an express way to duplicate objects. Select an object while holding down the Ctrl key so that a small plus sign appears on the object. You can now insert any number of copies of the object on your slide while holding down the Ctrl key. This also works for several marked objects.

This practical tip is based on PowerPoint 2013. It often makes sense to keep certain objects and graphics at a fixed distance from each other. We will show you how this works in the next practical tip.