In the frameworks of this article, we’ll discuss how to change the slide’s size and orientation PowerPoint template. The need to change the size of the slide in PowerPoint can arise for several reasons:
- the need to print the presentation;
- the technical requirements of the equipment (for example, the projector);
- the requirements for the submission of information and much more.
First, let’s see what the size of the slide in PowerPoint is. When they say “size” usually millimeters, centimeters or pixels are meant. In fact, the proportions of the slide in PowerPoint are more important. Any slide can be stretched or compressed but only if you keep the proportions of the slide, the image is not distorted, and the quality will remain. Here, it is necessary to make a remark: if in your presentations, you use raster images of poor quality (for example, photos), then such images will lose quality with a proportional change of the slide in any case. In many respects, therefore, all high-quality presentation templates, illustrations, diagrams, and infographics are created using built-in PowerPoint tools that exclude loss of quality when resizing. If you change the size of the PowerPoint template or its slide orientation, this does not affect the quality of these images.
The size of PowerPoint slides
If you create a new presentation, you will be offered to choose one of two PowerPoint slides’ size: 16:9 or 4:3. These dimensions are the most common, for example:
- The 16:9 Ratio is in the iPad mini or iMac, as well as most modern monitors and presentation displays.
- The 4:3 proportions correspond to most of the projectors used for conferences and seminars, and this format is more convenient for printing on an office printer.
If you are preparing a presentation for public speaking, it is recommended that you specify in advance the technical requirements of the equipment that will be used for the demonstration. If this is not the case, use 4:3 proportions of PowerPoint slides. In the worst case, when you demonstrate, your presentation will have large indents on the sides, but all information will be displayed.
How to change the slide’s size?
If you have to change the size of the slide, it is advisable to make a backup copy of the presentation in advance so that you can always have the original file. Quite frequently, the changes of the size entail errors. Here are just a few of them: the images are distorted; the sizes of text blocks change as a result some parts of the text are not displayed; the slide’s contents go beyond the boundaries of the visible area; not grouped objects change their position relative to each other. So, let’s find out how to do it correctly.
- Make a backup copy of your presentation.
- Open the “Slide Size” window.
- From the drop-down menu, select the desired slide size and click OK.
- In the opened window, you will be offered to choose one of 2 options for changing the size of your current presentation: “Maximize” or “Ensure Fit”. Using the first variant, the contents of your slides will be adjusted in height, and the width will vary proportionally. It means that most of the content will be outside the workspace. Choosing the “Ensure Fit” option, the content will be adjusted in width. What’s better?
- After the changes, check the contents of all your slides for errors.
Now, let’s talk about slide orientation in PowerPoint.
The types of orientation
Portrait and landscape orientation are used to indicate the type of paper in which it will be presented to the viewer. If a short side of the sheet is at the top it is called portrait orientation, while along the side of the sheet at the top is called landscape. For PowerPoint slides, landscape slide orientation is automatically set, that is, a horizontal view, but it is possible to edit it to a portrait one.
The procedure of changing the orientation
Various versions of PowerPoint software have a slight difference. Thus, the process of slide orientation changing differs a bit. Let’s first regarding how to change slide orientation in PowerPoint Office 2007-2010:
- Go to the “Design” tab and find the “Page Setup” section.
- Click “Slide orientation”.
- Choose “Portrait” orientation.
Now let’s see how to do it in newer versions:
- Go to the “Design” tab and Find the “Customize” block.
- Click it.
- Then choose “Slide size” in the appeared window.
- Find the Custom Slide size option at the bottom of the appeared window.
- In the appeared dialog window, tick Portrait.
- Click OK.
The use of both portrait and landscape orientation in one presentation
It is impossible to change the orientation of one slide in PowerPoint. In many respects, this is due to the fact that the presentation is considered as a single whole. If you have to use several slide formats within the same presentation, you will have to create separate presentation files or combine already finished and exported slides. You can place an image or a portrait shape on a landscape slide. When displayed on the screen, they will look the same regardless of the slide orientation in PowerPoint.
How one can overcome this obstacle?
If you really need the presentation that will be comprised of the slides of different formats, then you can use this method. As a workaround, you can combine two presentations with different orientations to alternately show vertical and horizontal slides. Let’s regarding how to do it:
- In the first presentation, create a link to the second one.
- Select objects or text of the first presentation, which you want to connect with the second one.
- Go to the Insert tab and find the Links section.
- Click The Action button.
- In the opening Action Settings window, choose either Mouse over or Mouse click tab.
- Then tick Hyperlink to.
- Scroll down and choose “Other presentation”.
- In the Hyperlink dialog window, choose the necessary presentation and click OK.
- In the Hyperlink to Slide dialog window, choose the slide to which the hyperlink is provided. Click OK.
- Click OK in the Action Settings window.
Repeat the same procedure with the second presentation.
Now you know how to change slide orientation in PowerPoint and choose appropriate slides’ size.