The difference between a placeholder-inserted object and a manually inserted one is most significant with text boxes. Although you might think that a text box would create consistent results, there are actually some significant differences between placeholder text boxes and manually inserted ones.

Here are some of the characteristics of a text placeholder:

• You cannot create new text placeholder boxes on your own, except in Slide Master view.
• If you delete all of the text from a text placeholder, the placeholder instructions return (in Normal view).
• A text placeholder box has a fixed size on the slide, regardless of the amount or size of text that it contains. You can resize it manually, but if you reapply the layout, the placeholder box snaps back to the original size.
• AutoFit is turned on by default in a text placeholder, so that if you type more text than will fit, or resize the frame so that the existing text no longer fits, the text shrinks in size.
• The text that you type in a text placeholder box appears in the Outline pane.

A manual text box, on the other hand, is one that you create yourself using the Text Box tool on the Insert tab. Here are some characteristics of a manual text box:

• You can create a manual text box anywhere, and you can create as many as you like, regardless of the layout.
• If you delete all of the text from a manual text box, the text box remains empty or disappears completely. No placeholder instructions appear.
• A manual text box starts out small vertically, and expands as you type more text into it.
• A manual text box does not use AutoFit by default; the text box simply becomes larger to make room for more text.
• You cannot resize a manual text box so that the text that it contains no longer fits; PowerPoint refuses to make the text box shorter vertically until you delete some text from it. (However, you can decrease its horizontal width.)
• Text typed in a manual text box does not appear in the Outline pane.

Figure 21-26 shows two text placeholders (one empty) and a text box. Notice that the empty placeholder contains filler text to help you remember that it is there. Notice also that only the text from the placeholder appears in the Outline pane; the text-box text does not. Empty text boxes and placeholders do not show up in Slide Show view, so you do not have to worry about deleting any unneeded ones.

FIGURE 21-26
Two text placeholders and a text box.

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