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By Cameron Chapman
Keynote (part of Apple’s iWork office suite) and PowerPoint (part of Microsoft’s Office suite) are likely the two most commonly used presentation software programs out there. PowerPoint is more likely to be found in the corporate world, whereas Keynote may be more popular in creative fields (due to the proliferation of Macs in the design field). Creating presentations in either program is a similar process, though.
Finding good resources for creating presentations isn’t always easy. There’s a definite lack of quality free presentation templates for both PowerPoint and Keynote, though it’s definitely more pronounced with PowerPoint. The good news is that there’s plenty of premium templates available, many for very low cost. And creating your own templates is as easy as creating a slide (just save it as a template file instead of a regular presentation file).
Free Keynote Templates
Free templates for Keynote abound, though not all are of particularly high quality. Here are some that are:
Green
This Green template would be perfect for an eco-friendly business. It has a simple green and white color scheme with leaf graphics.
Tones of Gray
This is a relatively minimalist template set, with a dark gray, stone-textured background. There are 20 master slides included in the set.
Weathered
This iWork ’08 template has a green, brown, and cream motif that’s very elegant and slightly distressed.
{Silver}
{Silver} has a silver gradient background and angled content areas.
Folded Paper
This template has a folded paper background and brightly-colored typography and accents.
NewWay
This template set has a dark gray background with a compass image, and 36 different master slides.
Sport III
The Sport III template has a striking mountain photo background. There’s one master slide included.
Premium Keynote Templates
There are hundreds of fantastic Keynote templates for sale out there. Here are some of the better ones:
Enterprise ($19)
Enterprise is a corporate-looking blue template, which includes 32 different slide designs.
Glossy Black ($19)
Glossy Black is a black template with a dim spotlight motif in the center. It’s a very professional theme with 32 different slide designs.
Glossy Metal ($19)
Glossy Metal is a gray template set, reminiscent of stainless steel. There are 32 slide designs included in the set.
Sky Blue ($19)
Sky Blue is a template pack with a partially-rounded rectangle on a textured background perfect for fast-paced industries. There are 32 slide designs in the set.
Gabardine ($19)
Gabardine is reminiscent of men’s suiting, with a sophisticated gray and dark red color scheme. There are 32 slide designs included.
Living Space ($19)
Living Space is a real estate theme with a green and white color scheme. 32 slide designs are included.
Elemental ($29.95)
The Elemental template set includes five template designs, based on the four elements (one each for water, wind, and fire, and two for earth).
Galleria ($19.95)
Galleria is a template set specifically for showcasing photo slides. It has a dark, textured background that perfectly complements most images.
Clouds ($5)
This set of slide templates has a cloud motif, with accents that resemble antique paper. The PSD files are also included.
Bubbles
The Bubbles Keynote templates are a warm orange, with a bokeh background image. PSD files are included.
Copenhagen ($24.95 – $49.90)
Copenhagen is a modern, light blue template set, with fractal-inspired jagged edges on slide images.
Elevation ’09 ($24.95 – $49.90)
This template set has a modern, aggressive style, with tonal stripes in the background and striking graphics.
Free PowerPoint Templates
While there are tons of high quality premium PowerPoint templates out there, there’s a real lack of high-quality, professional free templates.
Grunge
This black and white grunge template comes with four different master slide templates.
Atoms
The stylized molecules on this PowerPoint template make it perfect for companies in the scientific industry.
Premium PowerPoint Templates
Like Keynote, there’s a great market for premium PowerPoint templates. Many are available for very reasonable prices (as low as $5), though prices definitely climb quite a bit higher. Here are some of the best ones out there:
iBusiness ($5)
This dark gray and yellow template set has a subtle grid pattern in the background, and some blue and red accents. PSD files are included.
Media Interactive ($5)
Media Interactive is a colorful, glossy PowerPoint template. It has a very Web 2.0-feeling to it. PSD files are included.
Professional Animated Power Point Template ($5)
This template set is very minimalist, with a white, gray and red color scheme. It’s a very clean and modern template, with subtle shadow and 3D effects. PSD files are included.
Diagram III ($6)
The Diagram III template set has a very interesting motif, with a staircase descending from a platform in the clouds. It’s a clean and modern, very professional-looking theme, even if it is a bit whimsical. PSD files are included.
BIGIdea ($6)
The BIGIdea template set comes in three different color schemes: off-white and gray with either yellow, blue, or green. The set has bold typography and a very modern feeling. PSD files are included.
Graph and Chart ($6)
Graph and Chart has a clean, glassy look to it, with tonal stripes and lighting effects. PSD files are included.
Clean, Elegant Presentation ($5)
This template set has a taupe background with spotlighting effects. It’s a very elegant, understated template pack. PSD files are included.
Dots ($5)
The Dots template set consists of a handful of master slide designs in six different colors, all with a half-tone-style dot pattern. PSD files are not included.
About The Pixels ($5)
This template set has a beautiful orange, pixelated background, giving it a very modern look perfect for the tech industry. PSD files are included.
Next Light ($5)
Next Light has a beautiful blue-green background with a subtle lighting effect that looks like a cross between stardust and bokeh. PSD files are included.
Venera Night Sky ($5)
This template set has a purple and black background, with a stardust-like lighting effect reminiscent of the aurora. PSD files are included.
Waves In Colors ($6)
Waves In Colors has a colorful 3D wave motif on a light blue background. It’s a very modern, fun template set. PSD files are included.
Resort Travel ($89)
This template set has a muted color palette with hills and hot air balloon in the background, suitable for travel and other industries. Included are files for both PowerPoint and Keynote.
Business ($89)
The crown motif on this template set is suitable for a variety of industries, and the gray and yellow color scheme gives it a young, modern look. Files for both PowerPoint and Keynote are included.
Craft Fair ($89)
This Craft Fair template set has a soft green and blue color scheme with a vintage-looking design. PowerPoint and Keynote templates are included.
Real Estate ($89)
This urban real estate template has cloud and building motifs, along with a muted color scheme, perfect for real estate or any urban business. Included are PowerPoint and Keynote files.
Alternative Energy
This template would be suitable for any eco-friendly company, not just alternative energy brands. It’s modern and simple, and has a beautiful, subtle color scheme. PowerPoint and Keynote template files are included.
Real Estate
This is a more modern real estate template, with a graphic, pixelated background and upbeat color scheme. Included are both Keynote and PowerPoint template files.
More Keynote and PowerPoint Resources
Here are some additional resources for working with Keynote and PowerPoint.
Knock ‘em Dead with Your Next Keynote Presentation
This how-to article from Mac|Life offers up some great tips for creating Keynote presentations from scratch.
How to Make a Keynote Presentation on a Mac
This tutorial from eHow.com shows the basics of creating Keynote presentations.
Tips for Creating an iPad-Compatible Keynote Presentation
Unfortunately, creating a Keynote presentation you can load or edit on your iPad isn’t as straightforward as one might think. This article covers the things you need to know to make the process go smoothly.
Keynote for iPad: Best Practices for Creating a Presentation on a Mac for Use on an iPad
This is Apple’s official documentation for creating Keynote presentations that will work on your iPad.
Note & Point
Note & Point is a gallery of awesome slide decks. Included are PDF, Keynote and PowerPoint slides, all incredibly creative and inspiring.
How to Create Your Own PowerPoint Templates
This article from O’Reilly Answers covers the basics of creating your own PowerPoint templates.
