Get-Set Actions Overview

Get-Set actions are the secret to lightning-fast PowerPoint productivity. These tools let you copy any property from one shape and instantly apply it to dozens of others—what would take minutes of manual formatting happens in seconds.

How Get-Set Works

Get-Set follows a simple two-step pattern:

Step 1: GET

Select a shape with the property you want and click a GET action:

Get Size
Get Position
Get Color
Get Outline
Get Text Formatting
Get Text Margin

Offgen remembers that property.

Step 2: SET

Select the shapes you want to update and click the matching SET action:

Set Size
Set Position
Set Color
Set Outline
Set Text Formatting
Set Text Margin

All selected shapes update instantly.

Pro Tip: You can GET once and SET multiple times. The property stays in memory until you GET a new one.

Why Use Get-Set?

Speed

Manual way:

1. Note size of shape 1
2. Select shape 2
3. Open Format pane
4. Enter width and height
5. Repeat for shapes 3, 4, 5...
Time: 2-3 minutes

Get-Set way:

1. Select shape 1, Get Size
2. Select shapes 2-10, Set Size
Time: 5 seconds

Consistency

Get-Set guarantees pixel-perfect consistency:

Exact same colors (no eyeballing)
Precise dimensions (no rounding errors)
Identical formatting (no missed properties)

Flexibility

Get-Set lets you:

Copy one property without affecting others
Mix and match properties from different shapes
Apply properties across slides
Update dozens of shapes at once

Get-Set Categories

Size & Position

Control dimensions and placement:

Get/Set Size: Copy width and height
Get/Set Position: Copy X and Y coordinates

Learn more →

Colors & Outline

Copy visual styling:

Get/Set Color: Copy fill color
Get/Set Outline: Copy border properties (color, weight, dash style, transparency)

Learn more →

Text Formatting

Copy text styling:

Get/Set Text Formatting: Copy font, size, color, bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, superscript, subscript, caps
Get/Set Text Margin: Copy text box properties (margins, auto-size, vertical alignment, word wrap)

Learn more →

Common Workflows

Standardizing Shape Sizes

Problem: Shapes are all different sizes
Solution:
1. Select reference shape (perfect size)
2. Get Size
3. Select all other shapes
4. Set Size
Result: All shapes now match reference size

Copying Complete Styling

1. Select styled shape
2. Get Color
3. Get Outline
4. Get Text Formatting
5. Select unstyled shapes
6. Set Color
7. Set Outline
8. Set Text Formatting
Result: Complete style transfer

Aligning Shapes Across Slides

1. On slide 1: Select positioned shape
2. Get Position
3. Navigate to slide 2
4. Select shape to reposition
5. Set Position
Result: Shapes in exact same position on different slides

Creating Consistent Buttons

1. Design one perfect button
2. Get Size, Get Color, Get Outline, Get Text Formatting
3. Create more button shapes
4. Set Size, Set Color, Set Outline, Set Text Formatting
Result: Perfectly consistent buttons

Get-Set vs. Format Painter

PowerPoint has Format Painter. How is Get-Set different?

Feature	Get-Set	Format Painter
Selective	✅ Copy individual properties	❌ Copies all formatting
Persistent	✅ GET once, SET many times	❌ Must recopy each time
Across slides	✅ Yes	❌ Limited
Size & Position	✅ Yes	❌ No
Precision	✅ Exact properties shown	❌ Not transparent

Use Get-Set when:

You need selective property copying
Working across multiple slides
Copying size/position
Need to SET multiple times

Use Format Painter when:

You want all formatting copied at once
Working on same slide
One-time quick copy

Advanced Techniques

Property Mixing

Combine properties from multiple sources:

1. From shape A: Get Color
2. From shape B: Get Size
3. From shape C: Get Outline
4. Select new shape
5. Set Color, Set Size, Set Outline
Result: New shape combines properties from A, B, and C

Template Creation

Create reusable templates:

1. Design perfect examples of each element type
2. When needed: GET from template, SET to new shapes
3. Keep template slide at end of presentation

Bulk Updates

Update entire presentations:

1. Update master shape with new styling
2. GET all properties
3. Select all instances across slides (use Select All > Select Similar)
4. SET properties
Result: Presentation-wide update in seconds

Incremental Copying

Copy properties step-by-step:

1. Get Size → Set Size → Check
2. Get Color → Set Color → Check
3. Get Outline → Set Outline → Check

Better control than copying everything at once.

Tips & Best Practices

1. GET Reference Shapes First

Best workflow:

1. Create reference shapes with perfect properties
2. GET from references
3. SET to all other shapes

2. Use Descriptive Names

Rename reference shapes:

"Button - Primary Style"
"Heading - Size Reference"
"Card - Standard Dimensions"

Makes it easier to find them later.

3. Keep a Style Guide Slide

Create a slide with:

Reference shapes for each style
Labeled clearly
Hidden at end of presentation

Quick access to GET properties anytime.

4. Combine with Alignment

Powerful combo:

1. Set Size (uniform dimensions)
2. Align Center (align shapes)
3. Distribute Horizontal (even spacing)

5. Test Before Bulk SET

When applying to many shapes:

1. GET property
2. SET on one shape to test
3. If good, SET on all others
4. If not, undo and GET different property

Common Workflows by Task

Creating Icon Rows

1. Get Size from first icon
2. Set Size on other icons (uniform size)
3. Align Top (create row)
4. Distribute Horizontal (even spacing)

Styling Infographic Elements

1. Design one element perfectly
2. Get Color, Get Outline, Get Size
3. Create other elements
4. Set Color, Set Outline, Set Size
5. Arrange as needed

Consistent Headers Across Slides

1. Perfect header on slide 1
2. Get Size, Get Position, Get Text Formatting
3. On each other slide:
   - Select header
   - Set Size, Set Position, Set Text Formatting

Making Shape Families

1. Create base shape
2. Get properties
3. Duplicate shape multiple times
4. Resize each differently
5. Set Color, Set Outline on all (consistent styling despite different sizes)

Keyboard Workflow

While there aren't built-in shortcuts, create a fast workflow:

1. Click shape
2. Click GET button
3. Click next shapes (use Shift+Click for multiple)
4. Click SET button

With practice, this becomes muscle memory.

What's Next?

Size & Position

Master Get/Set Size and Position

Colors & Outline

Copy visual styling

Text Formatting

Transfer text properties

Video Tutorial

See Get-Set in action:

Watch Get-Set Tutorial →

Get-Set Actions Overview

Size & Position

Colors & Outline

Text Formatting

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