PowerPoint presentations are often shared on a projector or display. But sometimes, you might need to create a printed copy for your audience. It's great to have a physical copy of your presentation for reference.
When it comes to printing slides in PowerPoint, there are three key formats that you can print your slides:
- Full-Page Slides. This is basically the same view as the standard view in PowerPoint, simply printing each slide on its own page.
- Notes Pages.If you use the important Speaker Notesfeature to add reminders on what to say, you can print Notes Pages to keep them nearby. Imagine keeping these on the podium while speaking.
- Handouts. You can save paper and ink by printing Handouts,which include many slides on the same page with space to write notes.
You can also print an outline version of your slides. It includes no visual content from the PowerPoint presentation.
In this tutorial, I'll teach you how to print a PowerPoint. When it's crunch time, and you need to create a physical copy of your presentation, use this complete guide.
Why Print Your PowerPoint Slides?
Because PowerPoint often lives in digital format, you might be wondering why you might want to print the slides. Here are some situations when you should consider printing your PowerPoint slides:
- Printing your presentation can help you spot errors or typos in your presentation. I always find something in a printed copy that I miss on-screen.
- Hand out copies of your presentation for the audience to keep after the meeting or to review beforehand.
- Maybe you don't use PowerPoint for sharing presentations on screen. Maybe instead, you use it as a simple tool to design handouts or posters.
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Now, we'll look step-by-step at how to print your PowerPoint slides in a variety of formats and styles, first in a quick tutorial video, then in written format.
How to Quickly Print PowerPoint Slides (Watch & Learn)
Let's jump straight into these tips in the screencast below. I'll walk you through how to print your slides in a variety of styles. I'll show you how to print a PowerPoint presentation in each of the formats discussed above and create PDF versions.
Now, let's dive into a written walkthrough of how to print slides.
The Basics of Printing Your PPT Slides (From Within PowerPoint)
In this tutorial, I'm using macOS and PowerPoint version 16.65. If you're on a different operating system or using a different version of the software, your results may be slightly different.
The tutorial features the Botany PowerPoint Presentation from Envato Elements. This template has over 50 unique slides where you can put your information. Plus, it comes with icons, charts, graphics, and picture placeholders. The modern and stylish design makes the template suitable for any presentation theme.
Before we tackle working with many print formats, let's learn the basic choices you should make before you print any presentation. To get started, go to the File > Printmenu option:
1. Choose Your Printer
Above all, you should choose the printer that you want to send your presentation to. If you work in an office environment with many network printers, always double-check this setting to ensure that the file won't land on a co-worker's desk!
Click on File in the toolbar at the top of your screen. When you click on this option, there's a Print… When you click on this option, a window appears. In the window, click on the Show Details button. Once the Show Details button is selected, you’ll be able to see more options to the right of the window.
At the top right, you’ll see the Printer: field. Click on the arrow in this field to choose a printer.
2. Choose the Pages to Print
You may not want to print every slide in your presentation. The good news is that PowerPoint makes it easy to choose a selection of pages to print.
In the window, you’ll see a Slides: section. In this section, there are different options you can choose to print your slides. The default is the All option.
To choose a specific slide or slides, choose the Custom Range: option and type the slide numbers in the field. When typing the numbers, put a comma in between the slide numbers. For example, you should type the slide numbers like this 2,5,6,7.
3. Choose Orientation and Color Settings
Orientationdescribes the direction that your content prints. You can choose between PortraitandLandscapeorientation. Portrait orientation means the paper is taller than it is wide, while landscape orientation is wide.
The Orientation: section is where you can choose portrait or landscape printing options. There are two buttons in this section. Choose the right one for you.
Output: this is where you can choose what color you want your slide printed in. in this field, there's an arrow. Click on the arrow to get more options.
You may want to learn more about working with PowerPoint multimedia before continuing on:
- What Is Multimedia? +How to Use It in Your PowerPoint PresentationsAndrew Childress30 Aug 2022
Once you've set up those choices, you can move on to other settings for how your printed slides appear. Let's move on from the basics to learn how to print a PowerPoint in many different formats.
How to Print Full-Page PPT Slides in PowerPoint
Have you ever wondered why PowerPoint won't print a full page? This section should help.
Full-page slidesare simply printed copies of your slides, one per page. This is a great choice when you need to review the slide before presenting.
As I mentioned earlier, sometimes, seeing the slide away from your computer can help you catch errors or rethink the content.
This option uses the most paper and ink, so think carefully before choosing it.
Print PowerPoint Slide Handouts
What are handouts in PowerPoint?Slide handoutsare an ideal choice for printed copies. It's a great way to fit many slides on the same page and conserve paper in the process.
Use PowerPoint slide handouts for reference copies to keep your place in the presentation or to review your PowerPoint for typos and misspellings.
There's a Layout: field in the print window, and there are arrows. Click on the arrows. When you click on the arrows, you’ll see many options. Choose the right option for you. In this menu, you’ll see the Notes option. Select this option to print your notes with your slides.
How to Print Your PowerPoint as a PDF
One of the most popular questions for exporting and "virtually printing" a presentation is to print a presentation as a PDF.
Here's a crucial tip when someone else is helping you print, and they don't have PowerPoint installed. For example, if you're taking your presentation to a print shop, a PDF on a thumb drive is more likely to work and print properly.
To save your PowerPoint as a PDF, click on the File option in the toolbar at the very top of your screen. When you click on File, a menu drops down. Choose the Save As… option.
After clicking on this option, a window appears. Next, in the File Format: field, choose the PDF option. Finally, click on the Export option to save.
Recap and Learn More PowerPoint Skills
This tutorial can serve as your reference guide when it's time to take your presentation from screen to hard copy. Whether it's notes pages, handouts, or another view, printing your slides is a necessary skill for many presentations.
If you were interested in this tutorial, don't miss out on these other tutorials to help you build your PowerPoint skills:
- How to Lock a PowerPoint Presentation (+Video)Andrew Childress23 Jan 2024
- How to Start Using SmartArt in PowerPoint in 60 SecondsAndrew Childress08 Sep 2017
- How to Make a Timeline in PowerPoint With Templates (w/Video)Andrew Childress23 Dec 2022
Or download one of our professional PowerPoint templates to help you design a great presentation quickly:
- 35 Best PowerPoint Template Designs (For 2023 Presentations)Alejandra (Lex) Soto Cruz02 Sep 2023
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After reading this guide on how to print PowerPoint slides, try following it for your next presentation. Also, consider saving time using a premium Envato Elements template when working on your next project.
Editorial note: This post was originally published in October of 2017. The written content has been comprehensively updated by Sarah Joy.
