PowerPoint offers various ways for you to format your objects. In this article, we will concentrate mainly on text. With text formatting, you get to several options such as Fills (Solid, gradient, picture or texture and pattern fill), outline, shadow, reflections, and the list goes on. If you choose not to meddle with these options, you can also leverage on WordArt which provides a list of pre-configured formatting for you to use. While formatting offers wide variety of features for you to play around with, there is still a limitation to it, which would be that you are only able to apply a form of fill, thus restricting complexity and give you the ‘this and nothing else’ option.
A solution to this is to make use of multiple layering technique, which is simple yet opening up more complexities and choices when making a text design of your preference. It also allows you to separate your formats to allow easier customizations. For instance, pattern fill provides multiple patterns from strikes to checker board. However, you will not be able to create gradient effects on the patterns. By overlaying a duplicated text with gradient fill, then set the transparency to your preference, you will then be able to achieve such effect. A sample text effect below demonstrates how multiple layered formatting can achieve effects that single layered formatting are not able to. Download the ppt file for more samples.