How to Use the Shift Key and the Cursor to Select Multiple States or Elements in PowerPoint

In this video, we’re going to talk about how you can select multiple objects for customizing. To do this, we use the shift key.

Our maps are easy to customize for your sales, marketing, or educational presentations or projects. Every object in one of our maps is an independent individual object that can be customized. The techniques shown here also work with Google Slides and Apple Keynote.

Very often, we need to select several states or counties to create a region. It is much easier to change the colors of several objects at the same time than to do each one individually. This also applies to text. Maybe we want to change the font or the size for a lot of labels.

When you click on an object like a state or country with your mouse point, you have selected it. You know we selected the object because we will see the eight little handles around the outside. This means we can change its color or move it. If it is text you can edit it.

Selecting Objects in PowerPoint

There are many ways that you can select objects on a PowerPoint slide.

• Select a single object: You can click on it with your mouse pointer.
• Select several objects: You can select several objects with your mouse pointer. Click on the slide near the object. Hold down the button on your mouse and drag the pointer around the objects. This method works great but you don’t always get all the States that you want.
• You can also choose Select All from the Edit pull-down menu. This method might grab too many States.

Using the Shift Key

• Using the Shift Key is my favorite way to select objects. You can select several States or objects at the same time to create a region.
• Look on your keyboard for the Shift key. Holding it down allows you to select multiple objects with our pointer. With the Shift Key down, you can move around the slide and select all the different objects that you need.
• If you select something you don’t want by accident, I can just click it again. It’s like a toggle switch. Select on, Select off.
• Once you have your objects selected, you can go up to the Shape Fill in the Ribbon and choose a color. All of the selected states will change colors. To deselect this group, release your Shift Key and click on the side somewhere. You are now ready for the next region.
• You can also group these elements together while they are selected. This helps keep things organized.