Master slides define background and common objects such as logos, headers, and footers for your slides. They provide a uniform appearance for your entire project.

All the artefacts on a master slide, such as, objects and placeholders reflect on the slide that is linked with the master slide.

A group of master slides make up a theme. For more information on themes, see Themes.

When you create a blank project or a project from template, Adobe Captivate uses the default (Blank) theme. A theme contains the following types of master slides:

The main master slide is the first slide in the Master Slide panel. The name of this slide is the same as the name of the theme. Objects and background color of this master slide appear on all other master slides. Each theme has one main master slide.

Contains layouts and objects that you can use for content slides, for example, a Title master slide can be used for the title of the project. A theme can contain one or more content master slides.

Each theme contains a separate master slide for the following question types:

• Matching

• Hot spot

• Likert

• Other question types: multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, true-false question, short answer, and sequence questions

• Result slide

Each question master slide contains placeholder questions, answers, and captions with the style related to the theme.

Each slide, except main master slide, contains placeholders for different objects such as text caption, images, or a generic content placeholder. A content placeholder lets you insert any of the following:

• Text caption

• Text animation

• Image

• FLV or F4V video (event video)

• SWF animation

You can insert new quiz and content master slides or edit an exiting slide to suit your requirements.

Master slide panel

The Master slide panel displays all master slides your project has. Unless you have added additional master slides, the Master Slide panel displays the slides associated with the current theme of the project.

Timeline

There is no timing information for master slides. The timeline for a master slide helps only to order, lock, or hide the objects added to it.

Adding a master slide

To add additional master slides, do one of the following actions:

• Insert > Quiz Master Slide and then choose the required type of slide

• Insert > Content Master Slide

Though a project contains multiple master slides, you can link a slide to only one master slide.

Use the Property Inspector (Window > Properties) to:

• Label the master slide: Specify a unique label in the text box.

• Provide background color: Deselect Project Background and then select a color from Stage.

• Insert background images: Click the Browse icon to select a background image.

Add objects to master slides

You can insert the following standard objects to a master slide:

• Text Caption
• Rollover Caption
• Rollover Image
• Highlight Box
• Smart shapes

All other standard objects are disabled.

You can also insert the following:

• Text Animation

• Widget

• Image

• Animation

• FLV/F4V files (event video)

You can add placeholder objects on a master slide. While authoring, you can double-click the placeholders on the slides based on the master slide and insert appropriate content.

To add objects to a master slide,

Using master slides

When you work on your project slides, use the Property Inspector (Window > Properties) to:

• Link to a different master slide: In the Master Slide drop-down list, make appropriate selection. You can also apply a Master Slide to a group of slides.

• Display master slide objects on top of the objects in your slide: Check Master Slide Object on Top.

Master slide maintains its own timeline. Therefore, master slide objects are not shown on the timeline of the linked slide. You cannot adjust the timeline of master slide objects or change their Z-order on a project slide timeline.

• Use master slide background: Select this option to use background color or background image from master slide.

Editing Master slides

Objects on a master slide can be modified only on the master slide. The objects cannot be selected or edited on the slide that inherits the master slide.

On the slides in the Filmstrip, you can edit or delete the placeholders that are inherited from a master slide.

Reusing Master slides

• Duplicate master slide: Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) and then select duplicate.

• Copying contents: Select the contents and then click copy.

• Import/Export: You cannot import or export master slides, but you can copy and paste them across projects.

• Import/Export to XML/Microsoft Word: Like the content on your project slides, you can import/export the master slide content to XML and Microsoft word.

Designing content Master slides with Fluid Box

Designing quiz Master slides with Fluid Box

Download sample projects

To learn more about Captivate and how you can create engaging learning content, download the following projects:

• Safeguarding-and-PII Compliance
• Picture-Perfect Simulation
• Adobe Captivate Draft
• CloudAir SoftSkills
• Captivate 9 eLearning
• Adobe Lead Generation
• Adobe Captivate 2017 Training