presentation powerpoint or pdf

Presentation Guru

Powerpoint vs. pdf: which is the best way to deliver your presentation.

[This article contains affiliate links. For more information, see our disclosures  here .]

Giving a presentation is a daily occurrence for many of us. From travelling sales people pitching in high pressure environments, to teachers imparting knowledge in a fun way to children, presentations are vital to communication. Millions are taking place each day.

Although PowerPoint might immediately spring to your mind when a presentation needs to be created, it isn’t the only way to tell your story. Many business people and speakers prefer to go down the PDF route, creating their slides in a programme like PowerPoint, but then ditching it before the presentation begins.

For years, clients and colleagues of all the PowerPoint presentation design agencies I’ve been involved with have been asking for my opinion on what is the best method to use when standing up to present; PowerPoint or PDF?

Although I’m very much in the PowerPoint camp when it comes to designing a winning presentation, I thought it would be helpful to weigh up the benefits each method possesses over the other in terms of presenting.

The benefits of presenting with PowerPoint

Not a word I use lightly. PowerPoint trumps PDF delivery in all aspects of attention-grabbing. With PowerPoint, animations can be added within slides, 3D models can come alive, and morphing techniques can be applied between different slides to add a lot of visual interest.

Transitions

PowerPoint allows smooth and customisable transitions between slides . Not only do they add a touch of motion and visual flair to your presentations, speakers can get creative and use a transition which compliments their presentation’s theme or style. Transitions also allow on-screen content to appear at different times, creating a sense of depth and layers.

A video can be added to a PowerPoint presentation as easily as an image. Video can be used in many ways and, if used right, can be extremely powerful and engaging. PowerPoint can not only play a video clip, but also allow the presenter to include looping video backgrounds which are slick and engaging.

By running your presentation deck on the software in which it was created, the user has a greater degree of control when it comes to presenting. PowerPoint files can be saved in ‘show mode’ meaning they open automatically at slide one, in full screen. Features like ‘ Zoom ’ can also be employed to create a non-linear presentation, so the speaker can jump from section to section at will, being more flexible.

Just as with control, if your editing programme is already up and running, as PowerPoint would be if you were using it, you can fix things there and then. Say you notice a spelling error at the last minute or feel that your audience would benefit from seeing more images or stats: hop in, make your changes, and hit save. You’re good to go.

The benefits of presenting with PDF

Not everyone has powerpoint.

Let’s face it, PowerPoint might be a tool that most business professionals have access to, but it is still a paid-for service. If you find yourself having to present on someone else’s hardware, and they don’t have PowerPoint installed, PDF works brilliantly as the file format will open in just about anything; imaging software, Acrobat, and web browsers.

If your presentation contains sensitive data that is intended for certain eyes only, you might want to consider protecting it with a password. PDF files can be encrypted very securely, and they can also be set to expire after a certain amount of time, with account logins providing extra peace of mind.

Font and layout preservation

Getting creative in PowerPoint might involve employing unique fonts for your slides. However, if you must email your presentation to someone who doesn’t have those fonts installed, it’ll look, well… bad. PDFs overcome this issue by preserving exactly what you intended in the original design, and no matter how they are opened, all the elements will be there waiting for you.

The more complex a PowerPoint presentation, the larger the overall file will be. This isn’t usually a problem, if the file is running on a modern machine with plenty of processing power. However, attempt to run your massive presentation on an older, slower computer and there could be issues. PDFs eliminate that problem via the compression they go through when being created, resulting in a smooth-running slideshow.

Emergencies

No matter how you’ve built your presentation, or how you intend to present it, having the deck backed-up as a PDF is a great idea… just in case. Knowing you have your presentation sitting on a flash drive on your keychain will be reassuring, just in case everything goes wrong – from lack of PowerPoint software, to old, troublesome machines. Plug it in and you’re off.

So… which is it?

PowerPoint, definitely.

Well, kind of. Look, as someone who has both built and given presentations in PowerPoint for more than 20 years now, I can attest to the software’s versatility and power. Personally, I’d be heart-broken if all that hard work and effort I had put into my slide deck, adding transitions and animations, building layers of content, was lost in a PDF file.

I can appreciate that not all presentations require that level of creative involvement. However, creative elements, no matter how small, demonstrate a level of investment and commitment to the story being told that the overall effect will be more impressive. PDF really can’t convey that, not in my opinion.

Having said that, the pros I offered about presenting with PDF shouldn’t be ignored. They highlight legitimate problems that I and people I know have encountered over the years while using PowerPoint.

Essentially it comes down to this: what control do you have over your presentation?

If you are using your own laptop, screen and/or projector, and you are confident with your tech and your ability to overcome technical problems, PowerPoint all the way. It’s your machine, and it’s probably the computer on which you built the presentation in the first place, so you know it will work fine.

But if you’re in unknown territory, where you aren’t sure how you are expected to present, that final pro from the PDF list will come into play. A decently quick flash drive containing a PDF version of your slide deck (more on that below), plugged into someone else’s computer, will eliminate a lot of awkwardness and faffing about.

Converting from PowerPoint

Creating a PDF from a PowerPoint file is easy. It’s a simple case of ‘Save As…’ and selecting PDF. However, in converting to the PDF format, you will lose all your stylish transitions and animations. That might not matter to many people, especially those who are there to present hard data and stats. But if your presentation has been designed to be artistic and to show off your creativity, consider what changes could be made to the deck before you convert.

If the loss of transitions between slides negatively impacts the overall aesthetic, could something be done? Perhaps the layout and position of objects on each slide could be changed to soften those jarring slide changes that PDFs suffer from.

Don’t just convert to PDF without thinking: test how the finished file will work and play, then create another, edited version of your PowerPoint presentation and convert from that.

And for the love of God, rehearse with the new PDF presentation just as you would with your PowerPoint.

Converting to PowerPoint

If you have a pre-existing presentation saved in PDF format, but you want to convert it to PowerPoint to both edit and present with the software, things are slightly trickier. PowerPoint can’t open a PDF file and conveniently paste each page into a separate slide. However, there are programmes that can.

Adobe Acrobat DC is a solid piece of software that fans and users of PDF files might already own. Converting to PowerPoint is a relatively simple process involving exporting the file as ‘Microsoft PowerPoint’. Once done, you’ll be left with a .ppt file that can be opened in PowerPoint and edited.

A web-based and free solution is smallpdf.com . This site allows you to upload a PDF, both from your computer or from the cloud, to be immediately converted to PowerPoint. You then simply download the resulting .ppt file and open it. Despite being a free online tool, Smallpdf will preserve the editability of text and images, so you can very quickly make changes. A very similar site, and one to also try, is ilovepdf.com .

Another option to consider is Able2Extract . Although this is a paid-for piece of software, the trial version gives you enough time to convert your PDF file to PowerPoint in a similar manner to Acrobat. This link also takes you to their free online tool which is completely anonymous, without limits, quick and easy to use. That way you can try Able2Extract’s PDF to PowerPoint  without even downloading the free trial of the software. Open the PDF, export to .ppt, and once the file is ready, fire up PowerPoint. Then you can begin editing and adding some of that razzmatazz I mentioned earlier.

PowerPoint might be the most powerful and versatile way to present a story, but it’s important to remember that the presenter is as unique and as individual as the stories being told. Each of us needs to find our own way of presenting. As much as I champion it, I’m glad that there are options other than PowerPoint when it comes to sharing our ideas. Find the one that suits you best.

• Latest Posts

Lyndon Nicholson

Latest posts by lyndon nicholson ( see all ).

• 5 Presentation Tasks You Really Should Outsource to the Experts - 28th June 2019
• PowerPoint vs. PDF: Which Is the Best Way to Deliver Your Presentation? - 15th January 2019

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow The Guru

Join our Mailing List

Join our mailing list to get monthly updates and your FREE copy of A Guide for Everyday Business Presentations

The Only PowerPoint Templates You’ll Ever Need

Anyone who has a story to tell follows the same three-act story structure to...

Powerpoint Zoom Summary for interactive presentations – everything you need to know

In this article I’ll be showing you how you can use Powerpoint Zoom to...

How to get over ‘Impostor Syndrome’ when you’re presenting

Everybody with a soul feels like an impostor sometimes. Even really confident and experienced...

How-To Geek

How to save microsoft powerpoint presentations as pdf files.

If your client can't view your presentation because they don't have PowerPoint, send it to them as a PDF.

Quick Links

Save powerpoint files as pdfs.

If you want to share your presentation with someone that doesn’t have Microsoft PowerPoint, you can save and share the file as a PDF. You can also adjust the way the slides appear on the PDF. Here's how.

When you save a PowerPoint presentation as a PDF file, the layout, format, fonts, and images of the presentation will remain the same. This lets users without access to PowerPoint view the presentation (though they are unable to edit it).

First, open the PowerPoint presentation to be saved as a PDF. Select the “File” tab and then click the “Export” option in the left-hand pane.

You’ll then be at the “Create PDF/XPS Document” tab. Here, select “Create PDF/XPS.”

Related: What Is an XPS File and Why Does Windows Want Me to Print to One?

Window’s File Explorer will appear. Select the location in which you would like to save your new file. You can see that the “Save as type” is now PDF. You can also rename the file as you like.

You may also notice the “Optimize for” options at the bottom-right of the window:

• Standard: This is a high-quality version of the document, ideal for when you only plan to publish it online or print it out.
• Minimum Size: This is a lower-quality version of the document. It’s also suitable for publishing online, but ideal for when you need to send the document as an email attachment, as it reduces the size of the file .

You can also set specific options to adjust how the file appears. To do this, click the “Options” button underneath.

The “Options” window will appear, and you have several options to choose from. Here’s a brief overview of what’s available:

• Range: Export all slides, the current slide, or a selection of slides from your presentation.
• Publish Options: You can choose to export only comments, handouts, or outline view here by selecting the “Publish What” option. You’re also able to dictate how many slides appear on each page, flip the slides horizontally or vertically, or give the slides a frame.
• Include Non-printing Information: Include document properties or structure tags.
• PDF Options: Make the document PDF/_A compliant.

Once you’ve adjusted the options, click “OK.”

Finally, back at Windows File Explorer, click “Publish.”

Your PDF is now ready to share.

How to Convert a PowerPoint Presentation (PPT) to PDF: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

If you want to make it easier to share and store your PowerPoint presentation, convert it to a PDF file. Here's how.

You may want to convert your PowerPoint (PPT) presentation to a PDF file for many reasons. Maybe you need to share your slides with others who don't have PowerPoint installed on their devices, or you want to ensure that your presentation retains its structure and formatting across the board.

Or perhaps you're looking for a way to protect your content and control who can access or edit it. Whatever your reason, converting a PowerPoint presentation to a PDF without needing a third-party app is easy. Let's dive in!

1. The Export Option

First, click on the File tab in the main menu.

Then click Export on the left sidebar, ensure Create PDF/XPS Document is selected, then click Create PDF/XPS .

In the pop-up box that appears, you can click Options to customize the appearance of the final PDF document.

The Range section of the Options box lets you set the specific slides you want to add to the PDF file. By default, All is selected to include all the slides in the PDF document.

You can change this to Current slide to only save your current slide view, Slides to specify a range of slides, or Selection to save specific slides you've selected.

To save specific slides, you can also hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard and select the slides you want to add (from the slide thumbnails in the left bar) before navigating to the Export option.

The Publish options let you choose the appearance of your slides in the PDF file. You can choose to publish as:

• Slides (Default): Each slide appears as a page on its own.
• Handouts: Place multiple slides on one page.
• Notes pages: Include the text in the notes section under each slide.
• Outline view: Extract text in the slides and present them in an outline.

You can also include hidden slides, frame all slides, and include comments in your PDF document. When you're done, click OK .

You can choose to Optimize for standard (higher quality and larger file size) or minimum size (slightly lower quality and smaller size). Then specify the location (e.g., Desktop) to save the PDF file, enter a File name and click Publish .

2. The Save As Option

Instead of using the export option, you can use the Save As command. First, navigate to the File tab. Then select Save As from the left sidebar, enter your file name, select PDF as the file type, and click Browse to choose a location to save the file.

In the dialog box that appears, you can configure the PDF settings using the Options box (as we did previously in the Exports section).

Instead of navigating to the Save As section, you can hit Ctrl+Shift+S on your keyboard to directly open the Save As dialog box.

3. The Print Option

Another way to save your PPT as a PDF is to use the Print option. Navigate to the File tab and select Print from the left sidebar. Alternatively, you can just hit Ctrl+P on your keyboard.

Under the Settings group, you can specify the layout of the slides (set to F ull Page Slides by default) and also choose the specific slides to include in the final PDF document (set to Print All Slides by default).

These settings are very similar to the ones available in the Options box we looked at in the previous methods. The only difference is that this method gives you a preview of the final output.

Set the printer to Microsoft Print to PDF and click Print .

In the dialog box that appears, enter the file name, specify the location to save it, and click Save .

4. Email as an Attachment

This final method lets you directly email your PPT as a PDF with a single click. But first, we need to add this command to the Quick Access toolbar.

So click on the down arrow of your Quick Access toolbar and select More Commands from the drop-down menu.

Ensure All Commands is selected. Then select E-mail as PDF Attachment from the list of commands, click Add , then OK .

Now that you have the E-mail as PDF Attachment command in your Quick Access toolbar, you only need to click on it to attach your PPT as a PDF in a new email.

Your Outlook account automatically opens with the attached PDF version of your slide deck. Now all you need to do is add the addresses to which you want to send the file, add a message, and hit Send .

The Limitations of Converting a PPT File to a PDF

Converting PPT to PDF doubles as one way to reduce your PowerPoint Presentation's file size . However, it comes with its limitations.

All the transitions and cool animations you've added to your presentation will not be applied to the PDF document. In addition, any content that is outside a slide's frame will not appear in the final PDF document. So ensure that all relevant content that you want to have in the PDF is in the slide frame.

Convert From PPT to PDF Like a Pro

If you've made it to this point, you should be able to easily and confidently convert your PPT files into PDFs. Whether you need to collaborate with colleagues, distribute your slides to clients, or archive your work for future reference, the PDF format ensures compatibility and accessibility across different platforms and devices.

You can also convert your PowerPoint presentation to Google Slides to get the best of both worlds.

Enter your email address below and we'll send you password reset instructions.

• Audio Converter
• Video Converter
• Image Converter
• Document Converter
• Archive Converter
• Presentation Converter
• Font Converter
• Ebook Converter

PPT to PDF Converter

Convert your ppt files to pdf online & free.

• Presentation

Microsoft PowerPoint 97/2000/XP

Portable document format, how to convert ppt to pdf, upload ppt-file(s).

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

Choose "to pdf"

Choose pdf or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

Download your pdf

Let the file convert and you can download your pdf file right afterwards

PPT to PDF Quality Rating

• Compress PDF
• PDF Converter
• PDF Scanner
• Delete PDF Pages
• Extract PDF Pages
• Number Pages
• AI PDF Summarizer
• PDF to Word
• PDF to Excel
• Word to PDF
• Excel to PDF
• Protect PDF
• Flatten PDF
• › PDF to PPT

PDF to PPT Converter

Add PDF , image , Word , Excel , and PowerPoint files

Supported formats:

Convert your PDFs to PowerPoint presentations—free and easy to use. No watermarks, just converting PDF to PPT in seconds.

• Online conversion without software
• Free, fast, and secure conversion
• Simple drag & drop interface

How To Convert PDF to PowerPoint Online:

• Drag & drop your file into the toolbox above.
• Smallpdf will process your PDF file right away.
• Once the conversion is done, download your PPT.

PDF to PPT Blog Articles

• Billing Plan
• Payment Method
• Notifications
• OCR Converter
• Video Converter
• Audio Converter
• E-book Converter
• Image Converter
• Archive Converter
• Vector Converter
• Document Converter
• Video to MP3
• PDF Converter
• Image to PDF
• Image to Word
• Unit Converter
• Time Converter
• Video Compressor
• Image Compressor
• GIF Compressor
• MP3 Compressor
• WAV Compressor
• Compress PDF
• Compress JPEG
• Compress PNG
• Video to GIF
• WEBM to GIF
• APNG to GIF
• GIF to APNG
• Video Trimmer
• API Job Builder
• API Documentation
• File Conversion API
• Image Conversion API
• Audio Conversion API
• Document Conversion API
• PDF Conversion API
• MP4 Conversion API
• Video Conversion API
• JPG to PDF API
• Video to MP3 API
• HEIC to JPG API
• PDF to JPG API
• Webp to PNG API
• PDF to WORD API
• MP4 to MP3 API
• Webp to JPG API
• WORD to PDF API
• HTML to PDF API
• Website Screenshot API
• Video Compression API
• Compress PDF API
• Image Compression API

PPT to PDF Converter

Convert PPT to PDF online, for free.

• From Device
• From Dropbox
• From Google Drive

Drop any files here!

• Apply from Preset
• Save as Preset

How to Convert PPT to PDF?

• Click the “Choose Files” button to select your PPT files.
• Click the “Convert to PDF” button to start the conversion.
• When the status change to “Done” click the “Download PDF” button

Easy to Use

Simply upload your PPT files and click the convert button. You can also batch convert PPT to PDF format. There is no software to install, it works on any web browser. Plus, no annoying registration requirements!

Best Quality

Our tool uses Microsoft Office software to render and convert your files in the highest quality. We preserve your original file layout during the conversion process so that your output file looks the same as the input file.

Free & Secure

Our PPT to PDF Converter is free and works on any web browser. We guarantee file security and privacy. Files are protected with 256-bit SSL encryption and automatically delete after a few hours.

What is a PDF (Portable Document Format) file?

The Portable Document Format (PDF) is a universal file format that comprises characteristics of both text documents and graphic images which makes it one of the most commonly used file types today. The reason PDF is so widely popular is that it can preserve original document formatting. PDF files always look identical on any device or operating system.

How to open a PDF file?

Most people head right to Adobe Acrobat Reader when they need to open a PDF. Adobe created the PDF standard and its program is certainly the most popular free PDF reader out there. It's completely fine to use, but I find it to be a somewhat bloated program with lots of features that you may never need or want to use.

Most web browsers, like both Chrome and Firefox, can open PDFs themselves. You may or may not need an add-on or extension to do it, but it's pretty handy to have one open automatically when you click a PDF link online. I highly recommend SumatraPDF or MuPDF if you're after something a bit more. Both are free.

Developed by: ISO

Initial Release: 15 June 1993

Useful links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_Document_Format

https://acrobat.adobe.com/us/en/why-adobe/about-adobe-pdf.html

Convert other files to PDF format

FreeConvert.com can convert your other files to PDF format:

• JPEG to PDF
• DJVU to PDF
• JFIF to PDF
• HEIF to PDF
• AVIF to PDF
• HEIC to PDF
• TIFF to PDF
• WebP to PDF
• Leica RAW to PDF
• Canon RAW to PDF
• Sigma RAW to PDF
• Panasonic RAW to PDF
• Samsung RAW to PDF
• Nikon RAW to PDF
• Sony RAW to PDF
• Kodak RAW to PDF
• Pentax RAW to PDF
• ORF (Olympus Raw) to PDF
• SVGZ to PDF
• MOBI to PDF
• EPUB to PDF
• AZW3 to PDF
• AZW4 to PDF
• EXCEL to PDF
• PPTX to PDF
• HTML to PDF
• DOCX to PDF
• WORD to PDF
• TEXT to PDF
• XLSX to PDF
• POTX to PDF
• PPTM to PDF
• PAGES to PDF
• XLSM to PDF
• DOTX to PDF
• Webpage to PDF
• DOCM to PDF
• VSDX to PDF
• PPSX to PDF

Convert Your PPT files to other formats

FreeConvert.com can convert your PPT files to these other formats:

• PPT Converter
• PPT to WORD
• PPT to DOCX
• PPT to JPEG
• PPT to PPTX

Related Tools

FreeConvert.com can convert your files to these related formats:

Want to convert large files without a queue or Ads?

Upgrade Now

• MP4 Converter
• MP3 Converter
• HEIC to JPG

Document & Ebook

• PDF to Word
• EPUB to Mobi

Archive & Time

• Pound to KG
• KG to Pound
• Feet to Meter
• Collage Maker
• Image Resizer
• Color Picker

Mobile Apps

• Collage Maker Android
• Collage Maker iOS
• Image Converter Android
• Image Converter iOS

© FreeConvert.com v2.23 All rights reserved (2024)

Turn your PPT or PPTX files into a PDF document instantly.

Select converter:, how to convert ppt to pdf free.

• Select your PowerPoint from your computer.
• Our online PPT to PDF converter will turn your PPT or PPTX into a PDF in seconds.
• Download your new PDF and save it to your computer. When the conversion is done, your PPT, PPTX, and PDF files will be automatically deleted.

The Best PPT to PDF Converter

Our free PDF converter is the best solution for converting PowerPoint to PDF files. With our easy-to-use PowerPoint to PDF converter, you can quickly convert your PowerPoint presentations to PDF format while preserving the precise formatting and layout of your slides.

A suite of useful tools

Our easy-to-use tools make it possible to merge PDFs, split PDFs, compress PDFs, and even delete PDF pages. With several helpful online tools ready for you to use, editing your files has never been easier.

Consider a membership

You can continue to use our online PowerPoint to PDF converter for free, or sign up for a paid subscription for instant and limitless access to our full suite of tools. Added benefits include converting multiple PPT or PPTX files at the same time and unlimited file sizes.

Easy online access

As long as you can access the Internet, you can turn PPT and PPTX files to PDF whenever you need them, and you can access our other file conversion tools, too. Additionally, our PowerPoint to PDF converter works on any device or OS, like Mac or Windows, that can upload and download files.

All PPT, PPTX, and PDF files uploaded to our server will be encrypted using 256-bit SSL Encryption at the time of download. This is done to help combat against anyone who may want to view your data. Additionally, we will not share or sell your data to anyone else.

Automatic file deletion

After your PowerPoint file has been successfully converted, our PPT to PDF converter automatically deletes any remaining PPT, PPTX, or PDF documents, just in case you forgot to delete them manually to ensure your data remains secure.

• Faster conversions
• Unlimited conversions
• Unlimited file size
• Advanced features

Please wait or sign up to convert the next file.

You need the PRO version to use the full functionality of the PDF Converter.

How to Present a PDF like a PowerPoint

With Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can present a regular PDF in similar fashion to a PowerPoint presentation.

Format presentation

• Under the "Edit" tab, click "Preferences".
• Under the "Full Screen Navigation" Section, you can loop the presentation by checking the "Loop after last page" option.
• You can also set the "speed" of the presentation with the "Advance every [ ] seconds" option.
• It is recommended to leave the "Escape key exits" option checked in order to quit the presentation early.

Present PDF

• Under the "View" tab, click "Full Screen Mode". This will start the presentation.
• In order to end the presentation before it's finished, press Esc .

Share This Post

• Create a presentation Article
• Add and format Article
• Design a presentation Article
• Share and collaborate Article
• Give a presentation Article
• Set up your mobile apps Article
• Learn more Article

Create a presentation

Create a presentation in powerpoint for the web.

With PowerPoint for the web running in your web browser, you can:

Create presentations that include images, videos, transitions, and animations.

Get to your presentations from your computer, tablet, or phone.

Share and work with others, wherever they are.

If you're using the desktop version of PowerPoint on a Windows PC, see the PowerPoint Quick Start .

If you're using the desktop version of PowerPoint on a Mac, see Office for Mac Quick Start Guides and PowerPoint for Mac Help .

Create, open, and name a presentation

Go to powerpoint.office.com .

Select New blank presentation , open a Recent file, select one of the themes , or start with a presentation template .

To name the presentation, select the title at the top and type a name.

If you need to rename the presentation, select the title and retype the name.

Add a slide

Select the slide you want your new slide to follow.

Select Home > New Slide .

Select Layout and the you type want from the drop-down.

When working in PowerPoint for the web, your work is saved every few seconds. You can select File > Save a Copy to create a duplicate copy in another location.

Or choose File > Download As to save a copy to your device.

When you're online, AutoSave is always on and saves your changes as you work. If at any time you lose your Internet connection or turn it off, any pending changes will sync as soon as you’re back online.

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

Top searches

Trending searches

solar eclipse

25 templates

55 templates

8 templates

44 templates

22 templates

Create your presentation

Writing tone, number of slides.

AI presentation maker

When lack of inspiration or time constraints are something you’re worried about, it’s a good idea to seek help. Slidesgo comes to the rescue with its latest functionality—the AI presentation maker! With a few clicks, you’ll have wonderful slideshows that suit your own needs . And it’s totally free!

Generate presentations in minutes

We humans make the world move, but we need to sleep, rest and so on. What if there were someone available 24/7 for you? It’s time to get out of your comfort zone and ask the AI presentation maker to give you a hand. The possibilities are endless : you choose the topic, the tone and the style, and the AI will do the rest. Now we’re talking!

Customize your AI-generated presentation online

Alright, your robotic pal has generated a presentation for you. But, for the time being, AIs can’t read minds, so it’s likely that you’ll want to modify the slides. Please do! We didn’t forget about those time constraints you’re facing, so thanks to the editing tools provided by one of our sister projects —shoutouts to Wepik — you can make changes on the fly without resorting to other programs or software. Add text, choose your own colors, rearrange elements, it’s up to you! Oh, and since we are a big family, you’ll be able to access many resources from big names, that is, Freepik and Flaticon . That means having a lot of images and icons at your disposal!

How does it work?

Think of your topic.

First things first, you’ll be talking about something in particular, right? A business meeting, a new medical breakthrough, the weather, your favorite songs, a basketball game, a pink elephant you saw last Sunday—you name it. Just type it out and let the AI know what the topic is.

Choose your preferred style and tone

They say that variety is the spice of life. That’s why we let you choose between different design styles, including doodle, simple, abstract, geometric, and elegant . What about the tone? Several of them: fun, creative, casual, professional, and formal. Each one will give you something unique, so which way of impressing your audience will it be this time? Mix and match!

Make any desired changes

You’ve got freshly generated slides. Oh, you wish they were in a different color? That text box would look better if it were placed on the right side? Run the online editor and use the tools to have the slides exactly your way.

Download the final result for free

Yes, just as envisioned those slides deserve to be on your storage device at once! You can export the presentation in .pdf format and download it for free . Can’t wait to show it to your best friend because you think they will love it? Generate a shareable link!

What is an AI-generated presentation?

It’s exactly “what it says on the cover”. AIs, or artificial intelligences, are in constant evolution, and they are now able to generate presentations in a short time, based on inputs from the user. This technology allows you to get a satisfactory presentation much faster by doing a big chunk of the work.

Can I customize the presentation generated by the AI?

Of course! That’s the point! Slidesgo is all for customization since day one, so you’ll be able to make any changes to presentations generated by the AI. We humans are irreplaceable, after all! Thanks to the online editor, you can do whatever modifications you may need, without having to install any software. Colors, text, images, icons, placement, the final decision concerning all of the elements is up to you.

Can I add my own images?

Absolutely. That’s a basic function, and we made sure to have it available. Would it make sense to have a portfolio template generated by an AI without a single picture of your own work? In any case, we also offer the possibility of asking the AI to generate images for you via prompts. Additionally, you can also check out the integrated gallery of images from Freepik and use them. If making an impression is your goal, you’ll have an easy time!

Is this new functionality free? As in “free of charge”? Do you mean it?

Yes, it is, and we mean it. We even asked our buddies at Wepik, who are the ones hosting this AI presentation maker, and they told us “yup, it’s on the house”.

Are there more presentation designs available?

From time to time, we’ll be adding more designs. The cool thing is that you’ll have at your disposal a lot of content from Freepik and Flaticon when using the AI presentation maker. Oh, and just as a reminder, if you feel like you want to do things yourself and don’t want to rely on an AI, you’re on Slidesgo, the leading website when it comes to presentation templates. We have thousands of them, and counting!.

How can I download my presentation?

The easiest way is to click on “Download” to get your presentation in .pdf format. But there are other options! You can click on “Present” to enter the presenter view and start presenting right away! There’s also the “Share” option, which gives you a shareable link. This way, any friend, relative, colleague—anyone, really—will be able to access your presentation in a moment.

Discover more content

This is just the beginning! Slidesgo has thousands of customizable templates for Google Slides and PowerPoint. Our designers have created them with much care and love, and the variety of topics, themes and styles is, how to put it, immense! We also have a blog, in which we post articles for those who want to find inspiration or need to learn a bit more about Google Slides or PowerPoint. Do you have kids? We’ve got a section dedicated to printable coloring pages! Have a look around and make the most of our site!

PDF presentations: How to present a PDF effectively.

Easily include PDF documents in presentations. Learn how to present PDF files and convert them into Microsoft PowerPoint slideshows.

Learn how to present a PDF in a way that can engage your audience and share your ideas effectively, no matter what tools you have available. You may have to share information from a PDF document when you’re getting ready to give a presentation at work or school. But what’s the best way to display a PDF if you want to keep your audience interested? Read on to learn two ways to give an engaging and eye-catching PDF presentation.

How to present a PDF.

You have a few options for presenting your PDF slideshow. PDF presentation mode is available on most PDF editing software but not necessarily in a PDF viewer. You can also, of course, convert your PDF to a PowerPoint presentation. The simplest way to present your PDF is to share your screen or project the view of your PDF from a free PDF viewer. Check out the instructions for these various methods below.

Option 1: Use PDF presentation mode.

If you use PDF presentation mode, you won’t have to convert your PDF and worry about formatting issues. You will also have preference options as you learn how to put a PDF in presentation mode. Follow these steps:

• Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat .
• Select File > Preferences > Full Screen View to select options for your presentation.
• Select View > Full Screen.

The options will allow you to decide things like whether you will time your slides and which transitions you want between slides. You can also use a similar process with Preview on your Apple device.

How to present a PDF document

With Adobe Acrobat online services, it’s fast and easy to convert PDFs into PowerPoint presentations. Simply follow these three steps:

• Navigate to Acrobat online services and launch the Convert PDF to PowerPoint tool.
• Drag and drop your PDF file into the converter or click Select A File to locate it.
• Download your presentation once the converter has finished.

You can now open the slideshow as you would any ordinary PowerPoint presentation. And as a bonus, you can edit the text, images, and formatting directly in PowerPoint.

Option 3: Present a PDF using a PDF reader window.

The easiest way to include a PDF file in your presentation is simply by using your PDF reader . Most video call applications let you share your screen and display the PDF to others. If you’re at an in-person meeting, you can also project the PDF reader onto a screen.

To share your screen with your PDF reader in a call, you’ll need to follow these steps:

• Open your PDF in your PDF reader, and leave it open.
• Begin your video call.
• Select the screen-sharing option.
• Select the PDF reader as the screen you’d like to share.

Although letting others see your PDF reader may be easy, it isn’t always the most optimal way to give a presentation. It can be slow to scroll through the pages of the PDF file — plus, depending on the orientation, you may also not be able to display an entire page while keeping text at a legible size.

Why create PDF presentations vs. other methods?

PDF slideshows have several advantages. You might be creating a presentation from a PDF as your original document. In that case, there’s no need to complicate your process and convert your PDF into another format. Unlike other presentation methods like PowerPoint, you can present your PDF on any device. PDF presentations also tend to use less storage. Additionally, since one of the main purposes of a PDF is to retain the formatting, you can trust that your fonts and structure will remain stable for your presentation.

What is PDF presentation mode?

PDF presentation mode is the simplest option for presenting a PDF. It doesn’t require converting your file or downloading extra software. It allows you to present your PDF in full screen and use your keys to toggle between pages. You can create transitions between your pages and even time your slides. One limitation of PDF presentation mode is that it doesn’t support videos.

Can I see my notes in PDF presentation mode?

While putting your PDF in full-screen presentation mode shows your slides neatly, it doesn’t show your presenter notes separately on your personal device. If you need to have notes on hand, you can always print them out or give yourself concise notes as reminders on the slides themselves. If you have converted a PowerPoint presentation to a PDF, your notes won’t be lost. They’ll be available for you to look at under Options > Publish > Notes pages.

Tips to help improve your PDF presentation skills.

Presenting in front of a group, large or small, can sometimes feel daunting. Here are some quick tips to improve your PDF presentation skills:

• Make your slides visually appealing. Color and images help with visual appeal. Visuals will help keep your audience engaged.
• Keep your slides simple. If you stick to one idea per slide, it will be easier for everyone to follow.
• Don’t crowd your slides with text. Offer text only to remind your audience of the key points of your presentation. Avoid using full sentences in the slides. Your audience is there to listen to you, not to read your slides.
• Rehearse your presentation until it feels natural to give it. It will be easier for your audience to learn if you seem comfortable during your presentation.

More resources on PDFs.

PDF is one of the most relied-upon formats in professional settings, so using it directly for a presentation will be very convenient. Now that you’ve learned how to present a PDF effectively, here are more resources to work with PDFs:

• Learn how to get the most out of a presentation appendix .
• Learn how to compress a PowerPoint .
• Learn how to make a PDF interactive .
• You can also convert a PDF to Google Slides and present from there.

Explore what more you can do with Adobe Acrobat online services to easily convert, edit, and sign PDFs - and more.