End PowerPoint Presentations with a Black Slide

Max Attenborough/Getty Images
by Wendy Russell
Updated January 15, 2018

How often have you been in the audience for a PowerPoint slide show and suddenly it was over? No indication that the end was here. Just last slide and it's done.

Let your audience know that the slideshow is over by simply ending it with a black slide. You don't even have to create a new slide and make it black. There is a convenient feature in PowerPoint that does this for you. Here is how it is done

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PowerPoint 2003 Options are Found in the Tools Menu

PowerPoint Options dialog box - End with black slide
PowerPoint Options dialog box - End with black slide. © Wendy Russell

For PowerPoint 2007

  1. Choose Tools > Options from the menu.
  2. Click on the View tab at the top of the Options dialog box.
  3. Place a checkmark beside End with black slide
  4. Click OK
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Access the PowerPoint 2007 Options

PowerPoint 2007 Options dialog box - End with black slide
PowerPoint 2007 Options dialog box - End with black slide. © Wendy Russell

For PowerPoint 2003 and Earlier

  1. Click on the Office button.
  2. Click on the PowerPoint Options button at the bottom of the dialog box.
  3. Select Advanced in the list of options on the left.
  4. Scroll down the list of options, until you get to the Slide Show section.
  5. Check the box for End with black slide.
  6. Click OK