Library

The library is a centralized collection of digital content, including assets from your computer or network, slide templates, images, and icons. Search the library to quickly find the perfect visual for your presentation.

Here's what you can do with the library, directly in PowerPoint:

  • Easily add slide and image assets from your computer or network to your presentation. Search presentation text and file names to find the assets you need. Filter the results by author, date modified, and more.
  • Choose from 250 free, professionally designed slide templates.
  • Access stock image and icon providers.

14.1 Library sources

The library supports the following sources. To add or remove library sources, see . If some of these sources are unavailable, your organization may have its own library settings.

Source name

Content

Free with think-cell

Pexels

Stock images

yes

Unsplash

Stock images

yes

Freepik

Icons

yes

Slide Templates

Slide templates

yes

New folder

Slide and image assets from your computer or network

yes

Brandfolder

Image assets

no

Canto

Requires account URL ending in canto.com

Image assets

no

Getty Images

Requires Premium Access subscription

Stock images

no

14.2 Insert library content into presentations

Find slides, images, and icons to use directly in your PowerPoint presentation.

To insert library content into your presentation, follow these steps:

  1. Open the library: in the PowerPoint ribbon, go to the Insert tab. In the Slides group, select Library library button icon. .
  2. Select a library source from the list.
  3. Enter a search term.
  4. Click a slide, image, or icon thumbnail to insert the content into your presentation.

When browsing search results, change the size of the thumbnails by holding Ctrl and rotating the mouse wheel to zoom in and out. To change the thumbnail size with a touchpad, pinch and stretch.

To add content to the library, see .

The library with a folder of slide assets from the user's computer or their company's network.

14.2.1 Insert slide assets and slide templates into presentations

You can reuse existing slides from your computer or network in your presentations. Filter these slide assets by author, date modified, and more. Your think-cell installation also comes with 250 professionally designed slide templates. These templates automatically adapt to your presentation's color theme and slide master. Slide text and file names are searchable, so it's easy to quickly find the slides you want.

To insert slides into your presentation, follow these steps:

  1. In the think-cell Library, select Slide Templates or a folder from your computer or network that contains slides.
The library sources pane with Slide Templates and a folder of user slides called My Assets.
  1. Enter a search term. Matching text is highlighted on the slide thumbnails. Enter the full term you're searching for; partial words won't return the results you want.
  2. To add a slide to your presentation, click one of the slide thumbnails. The inserted slide appears after your current slide or at your selection between slides. You can insert slides in the Normal, Outline, or Slide Sorter view in PowerPoint.

In the search results, to see a slide's file name and slide number, hover over the slide thumbnail.

The think-cell library dialog with two slide sources: slide templates and a folder of the user's slide assets.

Filter and sort slides from computer or network folders

When searching slides from your computer or network, to refine your results, select Show Filters filter icon. . Apply one or more of the following filters:

  • Date Modified: Enter a start date, an end date, or both. Select Enter.
  • Aspect Ratio: Select one or more slide aspect ratios.
  • Authors: Select one or more authors.
  • Slide Masters: Select one or more slide masters.
  • Layouts: Select one or more slide layouts.

You can also use the following Sort by options:

  • Location: PowerPoint files appear alphabetically by folder name, then alphabetically by file name.
  • Most recent: PowerPoint files appear by last modified date from newest to oldest.
The think-cell library dialog with slide sources and slide search filters.

Open PowerPoint files from the library

If you want to edit a slide before you continue to use it, you can easily open the slide's PowerPoint file from the library. To do so, in the library search results, click the gray bar that contains the file name.

If you open a PowerPoint presentation (.pptx) from the library, PowerPoint opens the original file. If you open a PowerPoint template (.potx)—for example, from Slide Templates—PowerPoint opens a copy of the template as a presentation (.pptx).

Changes to PowerPoint files automatically appear in the library. If you don't see your changes in the library, select F5 to refresh the search results.

Add slide sources to the library

To add slides from your computer or network to the library, see . To add slide templates to the library, see .

14.2.2 Insert images and icons into presentations

Image assets from your computer or network, stock images from Pexels and Unsplash, and icons from Freepik are free to use in the library. If you have a subscription to Brandfolder, Canto, or Getty Images, you can insert images from these sources as well.

To insert an image or icon, follow these steps:

  1. Open the library: in the PowerPoint ribbon, go to the Insert tab. In the Slides ribbon group, select Library library button icon. .
  2. In the think-cell Library, select an image or icon source.
The think-cell library sources pane with 4 image sources. The mouse hovers over image source Pexels.
  1. Enter a search term.
  2. Click the thumbnail of the image or icon you want to insert into your presentation.
  3. If you don't want to insert the image or icon on your current slide, select the slide you want.
  4. On the slide, click where you want to insert the image or icon.

To replace an image or icon in the same position on a slide, double-click the current image or icon to reopen the library, or select the current image or icon and reopen the library. Select a new image or icon.

To position, resize, or crop images and icons, see 18. Images.

The think-cell library dialog with the image source Pexels selected. The search results show images of maps.

Filter and sort images and icons

Freepik, computer and network folders, and Brandfolder have additional options for filtering and sorting search results.

Freepik
  • Color: Select Black, Colors, Gradient, or All.
  • Style: Select Outline, Fill, Lineal color, Hand drawn, or All.
  • Sort by: Select Most relevant or Recent.
Computer and network folders

Select Sort by, then select one of these options:

  • Location: Images appear alphabetically by folder name, then alphabetically by file name.
  • Most recent: Images appear by last modified date from newest to oldest.

Brandfolder
  • Brandfolder: Select a Brandfolder.
  • Collection: Select a Collection in your Brandfolder.
  • Section: Select a Section in your Brandfolder.
  • Sort by: Select Latest updated or Most popular.

Edit folder contents from the library

If you want to update the contents of a folder that contains images, you can easily open the folder from the library. To do so, in the library search results, click the gray bar that contains the folder name.

Changes to folder contents on your computer or network automatically appear in the library. If you don't see your changes in the library, select F5 to refresh the search results.

Add image and icon sources to the library

To add online image and icon providers to the library, see . To add images to the library from your computer or network, see .

14.3 Manage library content

Choose which slide, image, and icon sources appear in the library. You can add assets from your computer or computers on your network, slide templates that come with think-cell, online stock image and icon providers, and digital asset management platforms.

To configure the sources in the library, follow these steps:

  1. In the PowerPoint ribbon, go to the Insert tab, then the Slides ribbon group. Select Library library button icon. .
  2. By default, the library displays the slide template, stock image, and icon sources that are free to use with your think-cell license. To configure the library sources, in the library sources pane, select Configure Library gear icon. .
  3. To add a source, select the plus sign (🞡) beside its label. To remove a source, select the X () beside its label. To reorder sources, drag their labels.
  4. To save your changes, select Save Configuration check mark icon. . To exit the configuration mode without saving your changes, select Cancel Configuration .

For a list of library sources, see . If some of these sources are unavailable, your organization may have its own library settings.

14.3.1 Add slide templates to the library

The library comes with 250 expertly built PowerPoint slide templates. By default, Slide Templates appears in the library source list.

To remove Slide Templates from the library sources, see .

14.3.2 Add image and icon providers to the library

Pexels, Unsplash, and Freepik are free to use with think-cell. If you have a subscription to Brandfolder, Canto, or Getty Images, you can add these sources to the library as well.

Add Pexels, Unsplash, and Freepik

By default, stock image providers Pexels and Unsplash and icon provider Freepik appear in the library sources. You don't need an account with these providers to use them in the library.

To remove these providers from the library sources, see .

Add Brandfolder

Add your Brandfolder account to the library sources.

If you manage your Brandfolder account, follow these steps:

  1. Retrieve your Brandfolder API key: sign in to Brandfolder, go to Integrations, and find your API key.
  2. In the think-cell Library, select Configure Library gear icon. , then add Brandfolder.
  3. Enter the API key and select Connect.
  4. Select Save Configuration check mark icon. .

To switch Brandfolder accounts, select Brandfolder > Configure Library gear icon. . Enter a new API key, then select Connect. When you're finished, select Save Configuration check mark icon. .

If your administrator manages your Brandfolder account, follow these steps:

  1. In the think-cell Library, select Configure Library gear icon. , then add Brandfolder.
  2. Select Save Configuration check mark icon. .

Add Canto

To add your Canto account to the library, follow these steps. Your Canto account URL must end in canto.com.

  1. In the think-cell Library, select Configure Library gear icon. , then add Canto.
  2. In the browser window that opens, select Grant access and provide your account details.
  3. In the library, select Save Configuration check mark icon. .

To switch Canto accounts, in the think-cell Library, select Canto > Change User.

Add Getty Images

To add your Getty Images Premium Access account to the library, follow these steps:

  1. In the think-cell Library, select Configure Library gear icon. , then add Getty Images.
  2. In the browser window that opens, select Grant access and provide your account details.
  3. In the library, select Save Configuration check mark icon. .

To switch Getty Images accounts, in the think-cell Library, select Getty Images > Change User.

14.3.3 Add assets from your computer or network to the library

Add slides and images from your computer or network to the library. Assets added to the library are easily searchable, so you can build presentations more efficiently.

To add assets from your computer or network to the library, follow these steps:

  1. In PowerPoint, select Library > Configure Library gear icon. .
  2. Select New folder.
  3. Add a folder from your computer or network drive that contains images, PowerPoint files, or both. To do so, select Browse , then the folder you want to add, then Select Folder. Alternatively, in Folder Path, enter the path of the folder, then select Enter.
  4. In Label, the folder label automatically matches the folder name on your computer. If you want to, you can enter a new folder label.
  5. When you're finished, select Save Configuration check mark icon. .

If you don't see your assets in the library, press F5 to refresh the search results.

Any subfolders within your folder also appear in the library sources. To expand and collapse the folders, select the arrowheads ( right arrow. and down arrow. ).

If you add, edit, or delete assets in a folder, these changes automatically appear in the library. If you don't see your changes, press F5 to refresh the search results.

For a list of supported slide and image formats, see .

How think-cell protects your data

When you add assets to the library, your data stays where it is: think-cell neither uploads your files to a cloud service nor copies them to another location. If the files are stored locally on your computer, you can access them in the library even when you're offline.

The library also preserves user permissions for files. Users who can't access a file in your company network can't see that file in the library either. Additionally, the index files (.tcidx) and database files (.tcidxdb) that think-cell generates when you add assets to the library have the same user permissions as the files they index.

Supported formats

You can add slides and images with the following formats to the library.

Content type

Supported formats

Slides

.pptx, .ppt, .pptm, .potx, .pot,.potm, .ppsx, .pps, .ppsm

Images

.jpeg, .jpg, .png, .gif, .bmp, .svg, .tiff, .webp, .emf, .wmf, .heic, .heics, .arw, .dng, .cr2, .nef, .nrw, .pef, .raf, .rw2, .srw

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