Highlighting Tool Does Not Work

Question

I have added the highlighting tool to my menu bar.  But, it is greyed out and does not work.  Why is that?

Answer 1

It's not like Word's highlighting tool that you can highlight text with....

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Which is a shame!

If you want proper highlighted text here's a little trick: Create some highlighted text in word and copy. In PowerPoint 2007 insert a text box and paste in  with keep source format - text should still be highlighted

Now use the format painter or pickup / apply tools to apply to any other text. You will probably need to adjust the font size.

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Microsoft® MVP PowerPoint® since 2007.

Web Page: PowerPoint Alchemy Hints and Tips

Answer 2

The highlighting tool in PowerPoint only works in slide show view -- like, you "write" on the screen with it. It's not like Word's highlighting tool that you can highlight text with....

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-- Echo [MS PPT MVP] http://www.echosvoice.com

Answer 3

Yet another answer, at least for PPT 2010, is to add the Pens tab to the Ribbon. These are actually Tablet tools, but there is a highlight tool, you can use it in Editing view, and it does give you a highlight object right on the slide.

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-- Echo [MS PPT MVP] http://www.echosvoice.com

Answer 4

There was a 1/2 answer to this.  Not sure why Microsoft decided to remove this feature.  But the best work around I have found is to put the slide in slideshow mode, then use the highlighting pen to highlight the areas you want highlighted.  ESC from slideshow and it will ask if you want to save your ink annotations, click on "keep"  You now have highlights.  It is a very easy process and you can delete the highlights later if you wish (they are actually transparent objects in your PPT).