PowerPoint Animation Easing: Smooth Start and Smooth End Setup

When you add an animation to an object in PowerPoint, the motion often begins and ends abruptly. This sudden stop or start makes the animation feel mechanical and unprofessional. The cause is the default linear timing curve, which applies constant speed throughout the animation. This article explains how to use the Smooth Start and Smooth End easing options to create natural, polished motion in your slides.

What Smooth Start and Smooth End Do in PowerPoint Animations

Smooth Start and Smooth End are easing parameters that modify the speed curve of an animation. By default, PowerPoint applies a linear timing curve, meaning the object moves at a constant speed from frame one to the last frame. Linear motion appears artificial because real-world objects accelerate and decelerate due to inertia.

Smooth Start adds a brief acceleration phase at the beginning of the animation. The object starts moving slowly, then speeds up to its maximum rate. Smooth End adds a deceleration phase at the end, where the object slows down before stopping. Both parameters are measured in seconds, ranging from 0 to 5. A value of 0 means no easing — the animation stays linear. Higher values create longer ramp-up or ramp-down periods.

These settings work on all standard animation categories: entrance, emphasis, exit, and motion paths. They do not apply to transitions between slides. For best results, use Smooth Start and Smooth End together with a small value, such as 0.3 to 0.5 seconds, to create subtle, natural motion.

Steps to Set Smooth Start and Smooth End on an Animation

The following steps apply to PowerPoint 2019, PowerPoint 2021, and Microsoft 365 versions on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

1. Select the animated object
   Click the text box, shape, picture, or chart that already has an animation applied. If no animation exists, add one first from the Animations tab by selecting an effect from the gallery.
2. Open the Animation Pane
   On the Animations tab, in the Advanced Animation group, click Animation Pane. The pane appears on the right side of the window.
3. Open Effect Options for the animation
   In the Animation Pane, click the arrow next to the animation entry, then select Effect Options from the drop-down menu. The Effect Options dialog box opens.
4. Switch to the Timing tab
   In the Effect Options dialog, click the Timing tab. This tab contains the easing controls.
5. Adjust the Smooth Start slider
   Under the Easing section, locate the Smooth Start slider. Drag the slider to the right to increase the acceleration time. A value of 0.5 seconds works well for most animations. You can type a number directly in the box next to the slider.
6. Adjust the Smooth End slider
   Still on the Timing tab, locate the Smooth End slider. Drag it to the right to add deceleration at the end of the animation. For consistency, use the same value as Smooth Start, such as 0.5 seconds.
7. Preview the animation
   Click OK to close the dialog. Then click the Play button at the top of the Animation Pane to see the eased motion. Repeat steps 5 and 6 if the easing feels too fast or too slow.

Common Mistakes When Using Smooth Start and Smooth End

Setting Values Too High for Short Animations

If your animation duration is 1 second or less, setting Smooth Start or Smooth End to 1 second or more consumes the entire animation time. The object may appear to barely move. As a rule, keep each easing value under half the total animation duration. For a 1-second animation, use easing values no higher than 0.4 seconds.

Using Easing on Exit Animations

Smooth Start and Smooth End work on exit animations, but the effect may look reversed. On an exit animation, Smooth Start makes the object fade or move slowly at the beginning of its disappearance. This can look unnatural if the object is meant to vanish quickly. Test the preview before applying easing to exit effects.

Applying Easing to Motion Paths With Sharp Turns

When a motion path has a sharp angle, adding Smooth End can cause the object to slow down and then speed up around the corner. This creates a rubber-band effect. To fix this, edit the motion path to add a curved vertex at the turn, or reduce the Smooth End value to 0.2 seconds or less.

Forgetting to Match Easing Values Across Multiple Objects

If you animate several objects to move together, such as a group of icons sliding in, each object should use the same Smooth Start and Smooth End values. Inconsistent easing makes the group look uncoordinated. Select all animations in the Animation Pane while holding Ctrl, then open Effect Options and set the values once for all selected animations.

Linear vs Smooth Start/Smooth End: Animation Behavior Comparison

Item	Linear (Default)	Smooth Start + Smooth End
Speed at start	Constant from first frame	Starts at zero, accelerates gradually
Speed at end	Constant until last frame	Decelerates gradually to zero
Visual feel	Mechanical, robotic	Natural, fluid
Best use case	Simple reveals with no motion	Motion paths, fly-in entrances, and moving emphasis
Duration impact	No extra time added	Effective animation time decreases slightly because easing uses part of the duration

You can now apply Smooth Start and Smooth End to any PowerPoint animation to produce professional, realistic motion. After setting the easing values, experiment with the Bounce End or Bounce Start options in the same Timing tab for playful effects. For advanced presentations, combine easing with the Trigger feature to start animations on click of a specific object.