Add shape with text to "flag" hidden vs unhidden slides

Problem

A presenter uses hidden slides and regular slides in a presentation. The hidden slides are part of a printed guide but not part of the actual presentation.

The presenter wants to print handouts that distinguish which slides are part of the presentation and which are not.

Solution

The following FlagSlides macro will add a colored rectangle in the upper right hand corner of each slide. Its color and text will depend on whether the slide is hidden or not.

You can modify the rectangle position, size, color and text characteristics to suit your needs.

The UnFlagSlides macro will remove the flag shapes that FlagSlides added.

Sub FlagSlides()

Dim oSlides As Slides
Dim oSld As Slide

Set oSlides = ActivePresentation.Slides
For Each oSld In oSlides
    If oSld.SlideShowTransition.Hidden Then
        ' Add a flag shape
        With oSld.Shapes.AddShape(msoShapeRectangle, 564#, 0#, 156#, 78#)
            ' give it a name so we can delete or hide it easily later
            .Name = "HIDDEN"

            ' Change this to whatever you like
            With .TextFrame.TextRange
                .Text = "HIDDEN SLIDE"
                With .Font
                    '.Name = "Times New Roman"
                    .Size = 14
                    .Bold = msoTrue
                    .Color.RGB = RGB(255, 255, 255)
                End With
            End With ' text frame
            .Fill.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(255, 0, 0)
        End With  ' newly added shape
    Else    ' it's NOT hidden so
        ' Add a flag shape
        With oSld.Shapes.AddShape(msoShapeRectangle, 564#, 0#, 156#, 78#)
            ' give it a name so we can delete or hide it easily later
            .Name = "NOT_HIDDEN"

            ' Change this to whatever you like
            With .TextFrame.TextRange
                .Text = "NOT HIDDEN SLIDE"
                With .Font
                    '.Name = "Times New Roman"
                    .Size = 14
                    .Bold = msoFalse
                    .Color.RGB = RGB(255, 255, 255)
                End With
            End With ' text frame
            .Fill.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(0, 0, 255)
            .Fill.Visible = msoTrue
            .Fill.Solid
        End With  ' newly added shape

    End If

Next oSld

End Sub

Sub UNFlagSlides()

Dim oSlides As Slides
Dim oSld As Slide

Set oSlides = ActivePresentation.Slides
On Error Resume Next ' in case user has deleted the "flag" shapes
For Each oSld In oSlides
    If oSld.SlideShowTransition.Hidden Then
        oSld.Shapes("HIDDEN").Delete
    Else    ' it's NOT hidden so
        oSld.Shapes("NOT_HIDDEN").Delete
    End If
Next oSld

End Sub

See How do I use VBA code in PowerPoint? to learn how to use this example code.

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