PowerPoint Smooth End vs Smooth Start: When to Apply Each

When you apply an animation to an object in PowerPoint, you can control how the animation begins and ends. Two timing options often confuse users: Smooth Start and Smooth End. Smooth Start delays the acceleration of an animation at its beginning, making it start slowly and then speed up. Smooth End decelerates the animation near its finish, so it slows down before stopping. This article explains the difference between these two settings and shows you exactly when to use each one.

What Smooth Start and Smooth End Actually Do

Smooth Start and Smooth End are timing modifiers available for most PowerPoint animations. They are not animation types themselves. They change the speed curve of an existing animation effect. By default, most animations run at a constant speed from start to finish. Smooth Start and Smooth End alter that constant speed to mimic real-world motion.

Smooth Start causes the animation to begin slowly and then accelerate to its full speed. The effect is similar to a car pulling away from a stop sign. The object does not jump into motion. It eases into the movement. Smooth End does the opposite. The animation runs at full speed and then decelerates as it approaches the final position or state. This is like a train slowing down as it enters a station. The object does not stop abruptly.

Both settings are measured in seconds. A Smooth Start value of 0.5 seconds means the animation spends the first half-second accelerating. A Smooth End value of 0.3 seconds means the last 0.3 seconds of the animation are spent decelerating. You can set each value independently. You can also use only one or neither.

When to Apply Smooth Start

Smooth Start is best for entrance animations and emphasis animations where the object appears or changes state. It creates a natural feeling of arrival. For example, when a text box flies in from the left, a Smooth Start of 0.3 to 0.5 seconds prevents the text from snapping into view at full speed. The text eases into the slide, which feels less jarring to the audience.

Smooth Start is also useful for motion path animations. If you draw a custom motion path for an object, the object begins moving at the start of the path. Without Smooth Start, the object starts at full speed. With Smooth Start, it accelerates gradually. This is especially important for objects that represent moving entities, such as a car icon moving across a map or a ball bouncing along a curved path.

Use Smooth Start when the animation represents an object that would naturally accelerate in real life. Avoid Smooth Start when you want the object to appear instantly or when the animation duration is very short, such as under 0.2 seconds. In those cases, Smooth Start may make the animation feel sluggish.

When to Apply Smooth End

Smooth End is best for exit animations and motion path animations where the object leaves the slide or stops at a final position. It creates a natural deceleration. For example, when a logo fades out, a Smooth End of 0.3 seconds makes the fade feel smooth rather than abrupt. The logo dims gradually in the final moments.

Smooth End is critical for motion path animations that end at a specific point. Without Smooth End, the object stops instantly at the end of the path. This can look mechanical. With Smooth End, the object slows down as it reaches the destination. This is ideal for animations that simulate a pointer landing on a target or a character walking to a stop.

Use Smooth End when the animation represents an object that would naturally slow down before stopping. Avoid Smooth End when the animation is a quick blink or a brief highlight that should end sharply. Also avoid Smooth End when the animation duration is very short, as the deceleration may consume most of the animation time and make it appear incomplete.

Steps to Set Smooth Start and Smooth End

1. Select the animated object
   Click the object on the slide that already has an animation applied. If no animation exists, add one first by selecting the object and choosing an animation from the Animations tab.
2. Open the Animation Pane
   Go to the Animations tab and click Animation Pane. The pane appears on the right side of the PowerPoint window.
3. Open the Effect Options dialog
   In the Animation Pane, click the arrow next to the animation name and select Effect Options from the dropdown menu.
4. Set Smooth Start and Smooth End values
   In the Effect Options dialog, click the Timing tab. Under Enhancements, you see two fields: Smooth start and Smooth end. Enter a value in seconds. For example, type 0.5 for Smooth start and 0.3 for Smooth end. Click OK to apply the changes.
5. Preview the animation
   Click the Play button in the Animation Pane to see the effect. Adjust the values as needed until the motion looks natural.

Common Mistakes With Smooth Start and Smooth End

Setting both values too high

When both Smooth Start and Smooth End are set to high values like 1 second each, the animation can feel slow and drawn out. The object spends most of its time accelerating and decelerating, leaving little time at full speed. Keep each value under 0.5 seconds for animations shorter than 2 seconds. For longer animations, values up to 1 second can work, but test the result.

Using Smooth Start on exit animations

Smooth Start on an exit animation makes the object begin its exit slowly. This can look odd because the object appears to hesitate before leaving. For exit animations, use Smooth End instead. Smooth End makes the object decelerate as it disappears, which looks more natural.

Using Smooth End on entrance animations

Smooth End on an entrance animation causes the object to slow down as it appears. This can make the entrance feel like the object is struggling to arrive. For entrance animations, use Smooth Start. Smooth Start creates a natural easing into the slide.

Ignoring the animation duration

The duration of the animation affects how Smooth Start and Smooth End behave. If the animation is 0.5 seconds long and you set Smooth Start to 0.4 seconds, the animation spends most of its time accelerating and barely reaches full speed. Match the Smooth Start and Smooth End values to the total duration. A good rule is to keep each value at 20% to 30% of the total duration.

PowerPoint Smooth Start vs Smooth End: Quick Comparison

Item	Smooth Start	Smooth End
Effect on motion	Acceleration at the beginning	Deceleration at the end
Best animation type	Entrance, emphasis, motion path start	Exit, motion path end
Real-world analogy	Car pulling away from stop	Train slowing into station
Typical value range	0.2 to 0.5 seconds	0.2 to 0.5 seconds
Common mistake	Using on exit animations	Using on entrance animations

Now you can apply Smooth Start and Smooth End to your PowerPoint animations with confidence. Use Smooth Start for entrance and motion path start animations to create natural acceleration. Use Smooth End for exit and motion path end animations to create smooth deceleration. For precise control, open the Effect Options dialog and adjust the values in seconds rather than relying on the default settings. Test each animation by playing it in the Animation Pane before presenting.