PowerPoint presentations should be fun. But that’s a completely different story if the audience can’t see what’s in front of them. So, in this article, we will discuss how to change the default slide size in Powerpoint.
This comes in handy so you can expand your slides to the size of the projector or monitor you will be using and enhance your presentation.
Choose a single slide size first
PowerPoint allows you to resize your slide at any time, but it is recommended that you select the correct size before you start creating your presentation.
If you decide to resize later, PowerPoint will do its best to provide you with options for how to move the elements, but this will most likely result in the need to completely redesign the slides.
This is especially true if you are switching from a widescreen slide to a smaller standard 4: 3 slide.
If you decide to zoom out, PowerPoint will try to fit everything it can into a smaller slide. If you choose Do Not Scale, items that do not fit the standard will simply not appear in the window. Then you will need to decide whether to remove these elements or move them back to the slide.
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Change Slide Size in PowerPoint
Once you know what size would be ideal for your output device, you can adjust the slide size in PowerPoint.
First open PowerPoint and select a slide.
This guide works for most modern ribbon versions of PowerPoint, including the Office 365 version.
Next, go to the Design tab. Here you can find options that allow you to customize your presentation design.
There, go to the far right end – there you can find the Customize section. Then select “Slide Size”.
Clicking on this option will open a menu. It allows you to select the desired slide size. You can choose from Standard, Widescreen and Custom Slide Size .
Let’s take a look at each of the options. This way you will better understand your options. It will also help you adjust the slide size as needed – the size that works best for your projector or TV.
If you choose the standard size, you get a 4: 3 aspect ratio. This is a safe choice because it works for familiar devices such as older low-resolution screens.
For old-school presenters, Standard slide size is recommended. This means those who will be using legacy projectors and SlideShare or other legacy online presentation platforms .
If you choose the widescreen format, you get a 16: 9 aspect ratio. This is the perfect choice for you if you are dealing with new devices and platforms for online presentations.
Do you have a Microsoft Surface device or HD projector? Better to choose Widescreen . The same is true if you are presenting on an HDTV or 4K TV / monitor.
If Standard and Widescreen slide sizes don’t work for you, you can also choose a custom slide size
If you choose this option, a pop-up window will appear.
Here you can choose from a variety of slide size options. If you are going to host your Powerpoint presentation on an unfamiliar projector, this option is best.
It’s flexible. It can also fit your preferred slide sizes.
Also, this way you can select Orientation for slides and notes. This allows you to control the width and height of your slides.
You can also try expanding the Slide Size menu item. Preset sizes will open outside of Standard and Widescreen .
As you can see, this option allows you to adjust the slide to fit Letter paper, 35mm slide, banner, 16:10 aspect ratio, and more.
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