Apple Keynote Tips and Tricks

Shape Masks

You can use shapes created in Keynote to mask your image similar to a layer mask in Photoshop. First, create your shape, then using the Media Browser, drag the image onto the shape. You can then change the mask (scale, rotation, etc.) using the "Edit Mask" function. When finished, click outside your photo or on "Edit Mask" button to apply the mask.

Custom Keynote Themes

Online resources, such as keynoteuser.com, offer great custom themes for the beginner. Advanced users can create their own from scratch. Keep in mind that there is one trick. Never build your theme on a slide. Instead build your theme on a master slide. To see all your master slides, drag the divider down under the "Themes" window. This will reveal all the masters. Click one and go nuts. 

Importing Photoshop?

YES! In keynote, I am amazed at the diverse file formats that Keynote can accept, including layered, unflattened, wonderful Photoshop files. I use these to build my own custom theme backgrounds (see above). 

Audio files

One thing I am always asked when it comes to Keynote is how to create a continuous soundtrack for a presentation, or a looped track. Here's how:

In the Inspector panel, click the document inspector button, then choose "audio". Then either choose a track from itunes or drag an audio file from the finder into the audio panel. Here is the crux of the soundtrack - to make the audio file play through repeatedly while the presentation is running, choose "loop" from the pop-out drawer in the audio panel. 

The other issue to keep in mind is that this is a linked file, therefore it must go with your slideshow or it wont play. Here's a simple remedy - when saving your document, make sure to select “copy audio and movies into document” in the Save dialog box . This will embed your audio files and movies.