• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
  • EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
  • Browse Articles
  • Learn Something New
  • Quizzes Hot
  • This Or That Game New
  • Train Your Brain
  • Explore More
  • Support wikiHow
  • About wikiHow
  • Log in / Sign up
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Presentation Software
  • PowerPoint Presentations

How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation

Last Updated: May 26, 2022

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 49,725 times. Learn more...

A PowerPoint presentation is an excellent way of presenting information or ideas to an audience. The software is easy to use and offers a lot of cool effects for your slideshows, too. But, what's all the use of this if you don't even know how to save your finished PowerPoint? This wikiHow will teach you how to save your file.

Design your PowerPoint presentation.

Create and edit...

  • You don't have to wait until you're totally finished to save your work. It can help to save along the way, too, to ensure you don't lose any progress.

Open the File menu when you're ready to save.

Click the File tab at the top-left corner of the screen.

Choose the Save or Save As option.

Click Save to save to the current file, or Save as to create a new file.

Decide where to save the presentation.

Click Browse and choose a folder.

Name and save your presentation.

Type a name for your presentation and click Save.

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

Fix a Corrupted PowerPoint PPTX File

About This Article

  • Send fan mail to authors

Is this article up to date?

Am I a Narcissist or an Empath Quiz

Featured Articles

How to Block Cookies in Chrome, Safari, & More

Trending Articles

8 Reasons Why Life Sucks & 15 Ways to Deal With It

Watch Articles

Fold Boxer Briefs

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Info
  • Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve

Powerpoint Assist

Powerpoint Assist

Tips for Powerpoint by Regina Griffin

How To Save Presentation In Powerpoint

Have you ever spent hours working on a presentation only to lose it due to a technical glitch? Or struggled to collaborate with others because you couldn’t easily share your work?

Saving your presentations is crucial to prevent such mishaps and enable seamless revisions and updates.

We will explore the importance of saving presentations, how to save them in PowerPoint, best practices for saving, and troubleshooting common saving issues.

Let’s dive in and ensure your hard work is always secure and accessible.

Key Takeaways:

  • Save your presentations often to prevent losing work and to easily share and collaborate with others.
  • When saving, use descriptive file names and consider using cloud storage for easy access and backups.
  • Troubleshoot common saving issues, such as file size limitations and compatibility issues, to ensure successful saving of your presentation.

Why is Saving Presentations Important?

Saving presentations in PowerPoint is crucial for safeguarding your work and ensuring that your valuable content is securely stored.

By saving your presentations, you create a protective barrier against unexpected crashes or technical glitches that could lead to data loss, which can be devastating when hours of work are at stake.

Regularly saving your files ensures that your content remains accessible whenever you need it, minimizing disruptions to your workflow.

Maintaining different versions of your presentation through saving allows you to track changes, compare progress, and revert back to previous iterations if needed, promoting a structured and organized approach to collaboration.

Prevents Losing Work

One of the primary reasons why saving presentations is essential is that it prevents the loss of valuable work by utilizing features like autosave and enabling collaboration.

By saving work on platforms like OneDrive, users can rest assured knowing that their data is constantly being backed up and protected from unexpected crashes or system failures. This not only saves time but also ensures that hours of effort are not lost due to technical issues. Leveraging the autosave functionality removes the burden of manually saving documents frequently, allowing individuals to focus more on their creative process.

Collaborative work on shared documents promotes synergy within teams, fosters real-time feedback, and enhances productivity. It enables multiple users to work on a file concurrently, leading to faster completion of projects and improved communication among team members. This collaborative approach not only enhances the quality of work produced but also encourages creativity and innovation through shared ideas and perspectives.

Allows for Easy Sharing and Collaboration

Saving presentations facilitates seamless sharing and collaboration by enabling users to export files to the cloud and utilize features like Backstage view for efficient video integration.

Cloud services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or Microsoft OneDrive provide a convenient platform for storing and accessing presentations from anywhere, fostering improved teamwork and real-time edits. Exporting presentations to these cloud platforms ensures that team members can access the most updated version, reducing confusion caused by multiple document versions. The Backstage view not only simplifies the process of sharing by offering quick access to sharing options but also enhances collaboration by allowing users to manage permissions and track changes easily.

Enables Revisions and Updates

Saving presentations allows for seamless revisions and updates, providing options to adjust file types and enhance visual quality by choosing resolutions like Full HD , Ultra HD , HD , or Standard .

Flexibility in file types and resolutions plays a crucial role in catering to different viewing platforms and preferences. Microsoft tools, such as PowerPoint, Excel, and Word, offer a wide range of features to optimize presentation quality and visual appeal.

Leveraging these tools enables users to create professional-looking slides with captivating graphics, interactive charts, and polished text. By adjusting resolution settings and file formats accordingly, one can ensure compatibility across various devices and maintain a high level of clarity and detail.

How to Save a Presentation in PowerPoint

Learning how to save a presentation in PowerPoint is a fundamental skill that ensures your content is stored securely and can be accessed with ease.

In PowerPoint, saving a new presentation is a simple process that starts with clicking on the ‘File’ tab in the top-left corner. Once you’re in the ‘File’ menu, choose ‘Save As’ to specify the file name and location. It’s crucial to save your work frequently to prevent any potential data loss.

When updating an existing presentation, click on ‘File’ again and then ‘Open’. Locate the file you wish to update, make the necessary changes, and remember to save the modifications before closing.

Saving a New Presentation

When creating a new presentation in PowerPoint, it is essential to save your work regularly to prevent data loss and ensure that your progress is securely stored.

By establishing a saving routine , you can safeguard against unexpected software glitches or power outages that may lead to losing unsaved changes. This practice not only protects your hard work but also allows for seamless workflow management, enabling you to pick up where you left off without any setbacks. Remember to use clear and descriptive file names when saving your presentation, making it easier to locate specific versions or updates when needed. Consistently saving your presentation throughout the creation process is a smart habit that all PowerPoint users should adopt.

Saving an Existing Presentation

When working on an existing presentation in PowerPoint, make sure to save your changes periodically and utilize autosave features to maintain the latest version of your document.

Saving your presentation at regular intervals is a crucial habit that ensures your hard work is secured. Utilizing the autosave functionality provided by PowerPoint can be a real lifesaver in case of unexpected system crashes or power outages, preventing potential data loss.

By enabling autosave, your edits are continuously saved in the background, reducing the chances of losing hours of work due to a technical glitch. This feature creates a safety net that allows you to focus on your content without worrying about manually saving after every small change.

Choosing the File Format

Selecting the appropriate file format for your PowerPoint presentation is crucial for optimizing compatibility and ensuring that embedded videos are displayed correctly.

When choosing a file format, consider the device on which the presentation will be viewed. Some devices may not support certain formats, impacting the overall viewing experience.

MP4 is a versatile format widely accepted across platforms and devices, ensuring seamless playback. Adjusting video settings like resolution and frames per second can further enhance the quality of embedded videos. Choosing the right video settings can significantly impact the clarity and smoothness of video playback , making your presentation more engaging and professional. Understanding the needs of your audience and the platform where the presentation will be delivered is key to selecting the optimal file format and video settings.

Best Practices for Saving Presentations

Implementing best practices for saving presentations in PowerPoint can streamline your workflow and enhance data management through frequent saves, descriptive file naming, and cloud storage utilization.

Regularly saving your work in PowerPoint is crucial to avoid losing hours of effort due to unexpected software crashes or power outages. By hitting the ‘Save’ button frequently, you ensure that your progress is safe and accessible at any given point.

Giving your files descriptive names such as ‘Q2 Sales Presentation_final’ helps you easily identify and locate specific presentations amidst a cluttered digital workspace. This simple practice can save you time and frustration when searching for a specific file.

Leveraging cloud storage solutions like Google Drive or Dropbox for backing up your presentations provides added security and accessibility. Storing your files in the cloud not only protects them from potential hardware failures but also allows you to access and edit your presentations from any device, anytime, anywhere.

Saving your PowerPoint presentations frequently is a key practice to ensure that your work is continuously preserved and that you can revert to previous versions if needed.

By saving your presentations regularly, you create checkpoints in your progress, allowing you to backtrack if changes don’t go as planned. Regularly saving ensures that in the event of unexpected issues like power outages or software crashes, you do not lose hours of hard work.

This simple habit also aids collaboration, as having a detailed version history helps streamline feedback and revisions, making the editing process more efficient. Remember, a small effort in saving can save you from potential frustration and setbacks in the long run.

Use Descriptive File Names

Assigning descriptive file names to your PowerPoint presentations can enhance organization, streamline retrieval, and provide clarity on the content of each file.

By using clear and descriptive file names , you make it easier to locate the specific presentation you need in a sea of documents. This simple practice not only promotes better document management but also saves time in searching for a particular file. Descriptive file names can assist others who may need to access your presentations, ensuring they understand the content without having to open each file individually. It’s a small adjustment that can have a significant impact on your workflow and overall productivity.

Consider Using Cloud Storage

Leveraging cloud storage services for your PowerPoint presentations offers the advantage of secure backups, seamless access from multiple devices, and collaborative editing capabilities.

One of the key benefits of using cloud storage solutions for storing your presentation files is the level of accessibility they provide. With your presentations stored in the cloud, you can easily access them from any location and any device, enabling increased flexibility in your work routine. The data synchronization feature ensures that your presentations are always up-to-date across all your devices, eliminating the hassle of manually transferring files.

Utilizing cloud storage solutions opens up an array of enhanced collaboration opportunities . You can seamlessly share your presentations with colleagues for real-time editing and feedback, fostering teamwork and improving productivity. The ability to collaborate on the same document simultaneously enhances communication and streamlines the editing process, making it an ideal choice for team projects and group presentations.

Troubleshooting Common Saving Issues

Addressing common saving issues in PowerPoint can help users overcome challenges related to file size limitations, error messages during saving, and compatibility issues with different software versions.

One common problem users face when saving PowerPoint presentations is encountering error messages such as ‘File could not be saved.’ This can be frustrating and often occurs when the file size exceeds the maximum limit allowed by the software. Troubleshooting this involves optimizing media elements, compressing images, and removing unnecessary content to reduce file size.

Compatibility issues may arise when attempting to open a presentation created in a newer version of PowerPoint on an older version. In such cases, saving the file in a compatible format or utilizing online conversion tools can help ensure seamless sharing and accessibility across various versions.

Unable to Save Due to File Size

Encountering difficulties in saving PowerPoint presentations due to file size constraints can be addressed by optimizing content, compressing media elements, or utilizing alternative storage solutions.

One effective technique to tackle large file sizes in PowerPoint presentations is to carefully optimize content. This involves reducing unnecessary elements such as unused slides, high-resolution images, or overly complex graphics.

Compressing media assets, such as videos and images, is crucial in shrinking file sizes without compromising visual quality. There are various tools available that can help in this process, ensuring that media files are efficiently compressed.

For those working with exceptionally large files, utilizing external storage options like cloud services or external hard drives can provide ample space to store data without overloading the local system.

Error Messages When Saving

Resolving error messages encountered during the saving process in PowerPoint involves troubleshooting software conflicts, checking file permissions, and ensuring system compatibility for seamless saving functionality.

One common error message that users face when trying to save a PowerPoint presentation is ‘PowerPoint found unreadable content.’ This can be caused by corrupt files within the presentation or compatibility issues. To resolve this, it’s crucial to first save a copy of the presentation under a different name to avoid losing any data.

Another prevalent error that users encounter is ‘PowerPoint cannot save file .’ This may be due to inadequate disk space or file permissions. It’s recommended to check the available disk space on the device and ensure that you have sufficient permissions to save files in the chosen location.

Compatibility Issues with Different Versions of PowerPoint

Managing compatibility issues stemming from differences in PowerPoint versions requires utilizing backward compatibility features, updating software installations, and verifying file format compatibility for seamless sharing.

For ensure a smooth transition between varying PowerPoint versions, it is essential to be mindful of the potential challenges that may arise. One effective strategy is to familiarize oneself with the backwards compatibility settings provided in the software. This allows users to open newer files in older versions, preventing formatting and content loss. Regularly updating software installations ensures that you have the latest features and improvements, reducing the risk of compatibility issues.

Verifying file format compatibility is crucial when sharing presentations across different versions. It is recommended to save files in commonly supported formats such as .pptx or .pdf to maximize compatibility. Utilizing cloud storage or online platforms for sharing presentations can also help mitigate compatibility concerns, as these platforms often offer seamless compatibility across various PowerPoint versions.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. how do i save a presentation in powerpoint.

To save a presentation in Powerpoint, click on the “File” tab in the top left corner. Then, select “Save” or “Save As” from the dropdown menu. Choose the location where you want to save the presentation and click “Save.”

2. Can I save my presentation as a different file type?

Yes, you can save your presentation as a different file type in Powerpoint. After clicking on the “File” tab, select “Save As” and then choose the desired file type from the dropdown menu. This is useful if you need to share the presentation with someone who does not have Powerpoint.

3. How can I ensure my presentation is saved with the correct formatting?

To ensure your presentation is saved with the correct formatting, it is recommended to save your presentation frequently while working on it. This will prevent any potential formatting errors from occurring. Additionally, you can use the “Save As” option to create a backup of your presentation in case any formatting changes are made unintentionally.

4. Is there an option to automatically save my presentation in Powerpoint?

Yes, there is an option to automatically save your presentation in Powerpoint. Click on the “File” tab, then select “Options” and choose “Save” from the left menu. Under “Save documents,” you can check the box next to “Save AutoRecover information every __ minutes” and set the desired time interval.

5. Can I save my presentation in Powerpoint Online?

Yes, you can save your presentation in Powerpoint Online. After completing your presentation, click on the “File” tab and select “Save As.” Then, choose “OneDrive” as the location to save your presentation. This will allow you to access and edit your presentation from any device with an internet connection.

6. How do I access my saved presentations in Powerpoint?

To access your saved presentations in Powerpoint, open the program and click on the “Open” tab in the top left corner. This will show a list of recent presentations, as well as the option to browse for presentations saved in a specific location. You can also click on the “File” tab and select “Open” to access your saved presentations.

Similar Posts

How to make text appear one by one in powerpoint.

Are you looking to create engaging and organized presentations in Powerpoint? Explore the importance of using one by one text in Powerpoint and the various methods you can use to achieve this. From keeping your audience engaged to emphasizing important points, we provide a step-by-step guide on how to make text appear one by one…

How To Remove Text From Image In Powerpoint

Enhance the visual appeal of your PowerPoint slides by removing text from images for a cleaner and more professional look. We discuss the importance of removing text from images in PowerPoint and provide step-by-step instructions on how to do so using tools like the Background Removal Tool, Crop Tool, and Eraser Tool. Discover valuable tips…

How To Move A Slide In Powerpoint Without Dragging

Are you looking to enhance your presentation skills and make your Powerpoint slides more dynamic? We will explore the importance of knowing how to move slides in Powerpoint and how it can significantly enhance your presentation. Regina Griffin, a Powerpoint expert and teacher in Oregon, US, will guide us through different methods such as using…

How To Footer In Powerpoint

Looking to enhance the professionalism and organization of your PowerPoint presentations? Adding a footer can be the perfect solution! In this tutorial, we will explore the importance of footers in PowerPoint presentations, how to easily add them to your slides, and what information you can include. We will discuss how to edit or remove footers…

How To Divide A Slide Into 2 Parts In Powerpoint

Looking to enhance your PowerPoint presentations with visually appealing slides that effectively organize and compare information? In this guide by Oregon-based teacher Regina Griffin, we explore the reasons why dividing a slide in PowerPoint can make a significant impact on your audience. From creating visual interest to organizing information and comparing data, this tutorial will…

How To Make Points Appear One By One In Powerpoint

Looking to enhance your Powerpoint presentations with engaging animations? In this comprehensive tutorial by Regina Griffin, a teacher from Oregon, US, we cover everything you need to know about creating a basic Powerpoint presentation. This includes choosing templates, adding text and images, and customizing slide layouts. We also delve into the world of animation, discussing…

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Save your presentation file

As with any software program, it is a good idea to name and save your presentation immediately, and save your changes frequently while you work.

In PowerPoint, you can save your desktop presentation to your local drive (such as your laptop), a network location, a CD, a DVD, or a flash drive. You can also save it as a different file format.

On the File tab, select Save .

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Do of the following:

To save to your local drive, such as your laptop, a flash drive, CD or DVD drive, select Computer .

To save to a SharePoint Library, select SharePoint .

Under Save As > Recent Folders , select Browse , pick a path and file folder, and then name the file.

Select Save .

Save your presentation file in a different file format

Note:  To save files in PDF (.pdf) or XPS (.xps) file formats, see Save or convert to PDF or XPS .

On the File tab, select Save As .

Under Save As , do one of the following:

Under Recent Folders , select Browse , pick a path and file folder, and then name the file.

In the Save as type list, pick the file format that you want.

Save your presentation in an earlier version of PowerPoint

In PowerPoint 2013 and newer versions, you can save files to an earlier version of PowerPoint by selecting the version from the Save as type list in the Save As box. For example, you can save your PowerPoint presentation in the newest PowerPoint Presentation format (.pptx), or as a PowerPoint 97-2003 Presentation (.ppt).

PowerPoint 2013 and newer versions use an XML-based .pptx file format introduced in the 2007 Office release. These files can be opened in PowerPoint 2010 and PowerPoint 2007 without special add-ins or loss of functionality. For more information, see Open XML Formats and file name extensions .

Open Document format

Microsoft 365 supports the ability to save a presentation file in the OpenDocument Presentation format (.odp).

When you use the Save As or Save a Copy command, the option to save in .odp format is listed at the end of the Save as type list of options.

Facebook

Need more help?

Want more options.

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

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Microsoft 365 training

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Microsoft security

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Accessibility center

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

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Ask the Microsoft Community

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Microsoft Tech Community

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts – Claim Your FREE Training Module and Get Your Time Back!

nuts and bolts speed training logo

How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation (Step-by-Step)

  • PowerPoint Tutorials
  • Presentation Design
  • January 22, 2024

In this beginner’s guide, you will learn step-by-step how to make a PowerPoint presentation from scratch.

While PowerPoint is designed to be intuitive and accessible, it can be overwhelming if you’ve never gotten any training on it before. As you progress through this guide, you’ll will learn how to move from blank slides to PowerPoint slides that look like these.

Example of the six slides you'll learn how to create in this tutorial

Table of Contents

Additionally, as you create your presentation, you’ll also learn tricks for working more efficiently in PowerPoint, including how to:

  • Change the slide order
  • Reset your layout
  • Change the slide dimensions
  • Use PowerPoint Designer
  • Format text
  • Format objects
  • Play a presentation (slide show)

With this knowledge under your belt, you’ll be ready to start creating PowerPoint presentations. Moreover, you’ll have taken your skills from beginner to proficient in no time at all. I will also include links to more advanced PowerPoint topics.

Ready to start learning how to make a PowerPoint presentation?

Take your PPT skills to the next level

Start with a blank presentation.

Note: Before you open PowerPoint and start creating your presentation, make sure you’ve collected your thoughts. If you’re going to make your slides compelling, you need to spend some time brainstorming.

For help with this, see our article with tips for nailing your business presentation  here .

The first thing you’ll need to do is to open PowerPoint. When you do, you are shown the Start Menu , with the Home tab open.

This is where you can choose either a blank theme (1) or a pre-built theme (2). You can also choose to open an existing presentation (3).

For now, go ahead and click on the  Blank Presentation (1)  thumbnail.

In the backstage view of PowerPoint you can create a new blank presentation, use a template, or open a recent file

Doing so launches a brand new and blank presentation for you to work with. Before you start adding content to your presentation, let’s first familiarize ourselves with the PowerPoint interface.

The PowerPoint interface

Picture of the different parts of the PowerPoint layout, including the Ribbon, thumbnail view, quick access toolbar, notes pane, etc.

Here is how the program is laid out:

  • The Application Header
  • The Ribbon (including the Ribbon tabs)
  • The Quick Access Toolbar (either above or below the Ribbon)
  • The Slides Pane (slide thumbnails)

The Slide Area

The notes pane.

  • The Status Bar (including the View Buttons)

Each one of these areas has options for viewing certain parts of the PowerPoint environment and formatting your presentation.

Below are the important things to know about certain elements of the PowerPoint interface.

The PowerPoint Ribbon

The PowerPoint Ribbon in the Microsoft Office Suite

The Ribbon is contextual. That means that it will adapt to what you’re doing in the program.

For example, the Font, Paragraph and Drawing options are greyed out until you select something that has text in it, as in the example below (A).

Example of the Shape Format tab in PowerPoint and all of the subsequent commands assoicated with that tab

Furthermore, if you start manipulating certain objects, the Ribbon will display additional tabs, as seen above (B), with more commands and features to help you work with those objects. The following objects have their own additional tabs in the Ribbon which are hidden until you select them:

  • Online Pictures
  • Screenshots
  • Screen Recording

The Slides Pane

The slides pane in PowerPoint is on the left side of your workspace

This is where you can preview and rearrange all the slides in your presentation.

Right-clicking on a slide  in the pane gives you additional options on the slide level that you won’t find on the Ribbon, such as  Duplicate Slide ,  Delete Slide , and  Hide Slide .

Right clicking a PowerPoint slide in the thumbnail view gives you a variety of options like adding new slides, adding sections, changing the layout, etc.

In addition, you can add sections to your presentation by  right-clicking anywhere in this Pane  and selecting  Add Section . Sections are extremely helpful in large presentations, as they allow you to organize your slides into chunks that you can then rearrange, print or display differently from other slides.

Content added to your PowerPoint slides will only display if it's on the slide area, marked here by the letter A

The Slide Area (A) is where you will build out your slides. Anything within the bounds of this area will be visible when you present or print your presentation.

Anything outside of this area (B) will be hidden from view. This means that you can place things here, such as instructions for each slide, without worrying about them being shown to your audience.

The notes pane in PowerPoint is located at the bottom of your screen and is where you can type your speaker notes

The  Notes Pane  is the space beneath the Slide Area where you can type in the speaker notes for each slide. It’s designed as a fast way to add and edit your slides’ talking points.

To expand your knowledge and learn more about adding, printing, and exporting your PowerPoint speaker notes, read our guide here .

Your speaker notes are visible when you print your slides using the Notes Pages option and when you use the Presenter View . To expand your knowledge and learn the ins and outs of using the Presenter View , read our guide here .

You can click and drag to resize the notes pane at the bottom of your PowerPoint screen

You can resize the  Notes Pane  by clicking on its edge and dragging it up or down (A). You can also minimize or reopen it by clicking on the Notes button in the Status Bar (B).

Note:  Not all text formatting displays in the Notes Pane, even though it will show up when printing your speaker notes. To learn more about printing PowerPoint with notes, read our guide here .

Now that you have a basic grasp of the PowerPoint interface at your disposal, it’s time to make your presentation.

Adding Content to Your PowerPoint Presentation

Notice that in the Slide Area , there are two rectangles with dotted outlines. These are called  Placeholders  and they’re set on the template in the Slide Master View .

To expand your knowledge and learn how to create a PowerPoint template of your own (which is no small task), read our guide here .

Click into your content placeholders and start typing text, just as the prompt suggests

As the prompt text suggests, you can click into each placeholder and start typing text. These types of placeholder prompts are customizable too. That means that if you are using a company template, it might say something different, but the functionality is the same.

Example of typing text into a content placeholder in PowerPoint

Note:  For the purposes of this example, I will create a presentation based on the content in the Starbucks 2018 Global Social Impact Report, which is available to the public on their website.

If you type in more text than there is room for, PowerPoint will automatically reduce its font size. You can stop this behavior by clicking on the  Autofit Options  icon to the left of the placeholder and selecting  Stop Fitting Text to this Placeholder .

Next, you can make formatting adjustments to your text by selecting the commands in the Font area and the  Paragraph area  of the  Home  tab of the Ribbon.

Use the formatting options on the Home tab to choose the formatting of your text

The Reset Command:  If you make any changes to your title and decide you want to go back to how it was originally, you can use the Reset button up in the Home tab .

Hitting the reset command on the home tab resets your slide formatting to match your template

Insert More Slides into Your Presentation

Now that you have your title slide filled in, it’s time to add more slides. To do that, simply go up to the  Home tab  and click on  New Slide . This inserts a new slide in your presentation right after the one you were on.

To insert a new slide in PowerPoint, on the home tab click the New Slide command

You can alternatively hit Ctrl+M on your keyboard to insert a new blank slide in PowerPoint. To learn more about this shortcut, see my guide on using Ctrl+M in PowerPoint .

Instead of clicking the New Slide command, you can also open the New Slide dropdown to see all the slide layouts in your PowerPoint template. Depending on who created your template, your layouts in this dropdown can be radically different.

Opening the new slide dropdown you can see all the slide layouts in your PowerPoint template

If you insert a layout and later want to change it to a different layout, you can use the Layout dropdown instead of the New Slide dropdown.

After inserting a few different slide layouts, your presentation might look like the following picture. Don’t worry that it looks blank, next we will start adding content to your presentation.

Example of a number of different blank slide layouts inserting in a PowerPoint presentation

If you want to follow along exactly with me, your five slides should be as follows:

  • Title Slide
  • Title and Content
  • Section Header
  • Two Content
  • Picture with Caption

Adding Content to Your Slides

Now let’s go into each slide and start adding our content. You’ll notice some new types of placeholders.

Use the icons within a content placeholder to insert things like tables, charts, SmartArt, Pictures, etc.

On slide 2 we have a  Content Placeholder , which allows you to add any kind of content. That includes:

  • A SmartArt graphic,
  • A 3D object,
  • A picture from the web,
  • Or an icon.

To insert text, simply type it in or hit  Ctrl+C to Copy  and Ctrl+V to Paste  from elsewhere. To insert any of the other objects, click on the appropriate icon and follow the steps to insert it.

For my example, I’ll simply type in some text as you can see in the picture below.

Example typing bulleted text in a content placeholder in PowerPoint

Slides 3 and 4 only have text placeholders, so I’ll go ahead and add in my text into each one.

Examples of text typed into a divider slide and a title and content slide in PowerPoint

On slide 5 we have a Picture Placeholder . That means that the only elements that can go into it are:

  • A picture from the web

A picture placeholder in PowerPoint can only take an image or an icon

To insert a picture into the picture placeholder, simply:

  • Click on the  Picture  icon
  • Find  a picture on your computer and select it
  • Click on  Insert

Alternatively, if you already have a picture open somewhere else, you can select the placeholder and paste in (shortcut: Ctrl+V ) the picture. You can also drag the picture in from a file explorer window.

To insert a picture into a picture placeholder, click the picture icon, find your picture on your computer and click insert

If you do not like the background of the picture you inserted onto your slide, you can remove the background here in PowerPoint. To see how to do this, read my guide here .

Placeholders aren’t the only way to add content to your slides. At any point, you can use the Insert tab to add elements to your slides.

You can use either the Title Only  or the  Blank  slide layout to create slides for content that’s different. For example, a three-layout content slide, or a single picture divider slide, as shown below.

Example slides using PowerPoint icons and background pictures

In the first example above, I’ve inserted 6 text boxes, 3 icons, and 3 circles to create this layout. In the second example, I’ve inserted a full-sized picture and then 2 shapes and 2 text boxes.

The Reset Command:  Because these slides are built with shapes and text boxes (and not placeholders), hitting the  Reset button up in the  Home tab  won’t do anything.

That is a good thing if you don’t want your layouts to adjust. However, it does mean that it falls on you to make sure everything is aligned and positioned correctly.

For more on how to add and manipulate the different objects in PowerPoint, check out our step-by-step articles here:

  • Using graphics in PowerPoint
  • Inserting icons onto slides
  • Adding pictures to your PowerPoint
  • How to embed a video in PowerPoint
  • How to add music to your presentation

Using Designer to generate more layouts ideas

If you have Office 365, your version of PowerPoint comes with a new feature called Designer (or Design Ideas). This is a feature that generates slide layout ideas for you. The coolest thing about this feature is that it uses the content you already have.

To use Designer , simply navigate to the  Design tab  in your Ribbon, and click on  Design Ideas .

To use Designer on your slides, click the

NOTE: If the PowerPoint Designer is not working for you (it is grey out), see my troubleshooting guide for Designer .

Change the Overall Design (optional)

When you make a PowerPoint presentation, you’ll want to think about the overall design. Now that you have some content in your presentation, you can use the Design tab to change the look and feel of your slides.

For additional help thinking through the design of your presentation,  read my guide here .

A. Picking your PowerPoint slide size

If you have PowerPoint 2013 or later, when you create a blank document in PowerPoint, you automatically start with a widescreen layout with a 16:9 ratio. These dimensions are suitable for most presentations as they match the screens of most computers and projectors.

However, you do have the option to change the dimensions.

For example, your presentation might not be presented, but instead converted into a PDF or printed and distributed. In that case, you can easily switch to the standard dimensions with a 4:3 ratio by selecting from the dropdown (A).

You can also choose a custom slide size or change the slide orientation from landscape to portrait in the Custom Slide Size dialog box (B).

To change your slide size, click the Design tab, open the slide size dropdown and choose a size or custom slide size

To learn all about the different PowerPoint slide sizes, and some of the issues you will face when changing the slide size of a non-blank presentation,  read my guide here .

 B. Selecting a PowerPoint theme

The next thing you can do is change the theme of your presentation to a pre-built one. For a detailed explanation of what a PowerPoint theme is, and how to best use it,  read my article here .

In the beginning of this tutorial, we started with a blank presentation, which uses the default Office theme as you can see in the picture below.

All PowerPoint presentations start with the default Microsoft Office theme

That gives you the most flexibility because it has a blank background and quite simple layouts that work for most presentations. However, it also means that it’s your responsibility to enhance the design.

If you’re comfortable with this, you can stay with the default theme or create your own custom theme ( read my guide here ). But if you would rather not have to think about design, then you can choose a pre-designed theme.

Microsoft provides 46 other pre-built themes, which include slide layouts, color variants and palettes, and fonts. Each one varies quite significantly, so make sure you look through them carefully.

To select a different theme, go to the  Design tab  in the Ribbon, and click on the  dropdown arrow  in the  Themes section .

On the Design tab you will find all of the default PowerPoint templates that come with the Microsoft Office Suite

For this tutorial, let’s select the  Frame  theme and then choose the third Variant in the theme. Doing so changes the layout, colors, and fonts of your presentation.

Example choosing the Frame PowerPoint theme and the third variant of this powerpoint presentation

Note: The theme dropdown area is also where you can import or save custom themes. To see my favorite places to find professional PowerPoint templates and themes (and recommendations for why I like them), read my guide here .

C. How to change a slide background in PowerPoint

The next thing to decide is how you want your background to look for the entire presentation. In the  Variants area, you can see four background options.

To change the background style of your presentation, on the Design tab, find the Background Styles options and choose a style

For this example, we want our presentation to have a dark background, so let’s select Style 3. When you do so, you’ll notice that:

  • The background color automatically changes across all slides
  • The color of the text on most of the slides automatically changes to white so that it’s visible on the dark background
  • The colors of the objects on slides #6 and #7 also adjust, in a way we may not want (we’ll likely have to make some manual adjustments to these slides)

What our PowerPoint presentation looks like now that we have selected a theme, a variant, and a background style

Note: If you want to change the slide background for just that one slide, don’t left-click the style. Instead, right-click it and select Apply to Selected Slides .

After you change the background for your entire presentation, you can easily adjust the background for an individual slide.

You can either right-click a PowerPoint slide and select format background or navigate to the design tab and click the format background command

Inside the Format Background pane, you can see you have the following options:

  • Gradient fill
  • Picture or texture fill
  • Pattern fill
  • Hide background

You can explore these options to find the PowerPoint background that best fits your presentation.

D. How to change your color palette in PowerPoint

Another thing you may want to adjust in your presentation, is the color scheme. In the picture below you can see the Theme Colors we are currently using for this presentation.

Example of the theme colors we are currently using with this presentation

Each PowerPoint theme comes with its own color palette. By default, the Office theme includes the Office color palette. This affects the colors you are presented with when you format any element within your presentation (text, shapes, SmartArt, etc.).

To change the theme color for your presentation, select the Design tab, open the Colors options and choose the colors you want to use

The good news is that the colors here are easy to change. To switch color palettes, simply:

  • Go to the  Design tab in the Ribbon
  • In the Variants area, click on the  dropdown arrow  and select  Colors
  • Select  the color palette (or theme colors) you want

You can choose among the pre-built color palettes from Office, or you can customize them to create your own.

As you build your presentation, make sure you use the colors from your theme to format objects. That way, changing the color palette adjusts all the colors in your presentation automatically.

E. How to change your fonts in PowerPoint

Just as we changed the color palette, you can do the same for the fonts.

Example of custom theme fonts that might come with a powerpoint template

Each PowerPoint theme comes with its own font combination. By default, the Office theme includes the Office font pairing. This affects the fonts that are automatically assigned to all text in your presentation.

To change the default fonts for your presentation, from the design tab, find the fonts dropdown and select the pair of fonts you want to use

The good news is that the font pairings are easy to change. To switch your Theme Fonts, simply:

  • Go to the  Design tab  in the Ribbon
  • Click on the  dropdown arrow  in the  Variants  area
  • Select  Fonts
  • Select  the font pairing you want

You can choose among the pre-built fonts from Office, or you can customize them to create your own.

If you are working with PowerPoint presentations on both Mac and PC computers, make sure you choose a safe PowerPoint font. To see a list of the safest PowerPoint fonts, read our guide here .

If you receive a PowerPoint presentation and the wrong fonts were used, you can use the Replace Fonts dialog box to change the fonts across your entire presentation. For details, read our guide here .

Adding Animations & Transitions (optional)

The final step to make a PowerPoint presentation compelling, is to consider using animations and transitions. These are by no means necessary to a good presentation, but they may be helpful in your situation.

A. Adding PowerPoint animations

PowerPoint has an incredibly robust animations engine designed to power your creativity. That being said, it’s also easy to get started with basic animations.

Animations are movements that you can apply to individual objects on your slide.

To add an animation to an object in PowerPoint, first select the object and then use the Animations tab to select an animation type

To add a PowerPoint animation to an element of your slide, simply:

  • Select the  element
  • Go to the  Animations tab in the Ribbon
  • Click on the  dropdown arrow  to view your options
  • Select the  animation  you want

You can add animations to multiple objects at one time by selecting them all first and then applying the animation.

B. How to preview a PowerPoint animation

There are three ways to preview a PowerPoint animation

There are three ways to preview a PowerPoint animation:

  • Click on the Preview button in the Animations tab
  • Click on the little star  next to the slide
  • Play the slide in Slide Show Mode

To learn other ways to run your slide show, see our guide on presenting a PowerPoint slide show with shortcuts .

To adjust the settings of your animations, explore the options in the  Effect Options ,  Advanced Animation  and the  Timing  areas of the  Animation tab .

The Animations tab allows you to adjust the effects and timings of your animations in PowerPoint

Note:  To see how to make objects appear and disappear in your slides by clicking a button,  read our guide here .

C. How to manage your animations in PowerPoint

You can see the animations applied to your objects by the little numbers in the upper right-hand corner of the objects

The best way to manage lots of animations on your slide is with the Animation Pane . To open it, simply:

  • Navigate to the  Animations tab
  • Select the  Animation Pane

Inside the Animation Pane, you’ll see all of the different animations that have been applied to objects on your slide, with their numbers marked as pictured above.

Note: To see examples of PowerPoint animations that can use in PowerPoint, see our list of PowerPoint animation tutorials here .

D. How to add transitions to your PowerPoint presentation

PowerPoint has an incredibly robust transition engine so that you can dictate how your slides change from one to the other. It is also extremely easy to add transitions to your slides.

In PowerPoint, transitions are the movements (or effects) you see as you move between two slides.

To add a transition to a slide, select the slide, navigate to the transitions tab in PowerPoint and select your transition

To add a transition to a PowerPoint slide, simply:

  • Select the  slide
  • Go to the  Transitions tab in the Ribbon
  • In the Transitions to This Slide area, click on the  dropdown arrow  to view your options
  • Select the  transition  you want

To adjust the settings of the transition, explore the options in the  Timing  area of the Transitions tab.

You can also add the same transition to multiple slides. To do that, select them in the  Slides Pane  and apply the transition.

E. How to preview a transition in PowerPoint

There are three ways to preview a transition in PowerPoint

There are three ways to preview your PowerPoint transitions (just like your animations):

  • Click on the Preview  button in the Transitions tab
  • Click on the little star  beneath the slide number in the thumbnail view

Note:  In 2016, PowerPoint added a cool new transition, called Morph. It operates a bit differently from other transitions. For a detailed tutorial on how to use the cool Morph transition,  see our step-by-step article here .

Save Your PowerPoint Presentation

After you’ve built your presentation and made all the adjustments to your slides, you’ll want to save your presentation. YOu can do this several different ways.

Click the file tab, select Save As, choose where you want to save your presentation and then click save

To save a PowerPoint presentation using your Ribbon, simply:

  • Navigate to the  File tab
  •  Select  Save As  on the left
  • Choose  where you want to save your presentation
  • Name  your presentation and/or adjust your file type settings
  • Click  Save

You can alternatively use the  Ctrl+S keyboard shortcut to save your presentation. I recommend using this shortcut frequently as you build your presentation to make sure you don’t lose any of your work.

The save shortcut is control plus s in PowerPoint

This is the standard way to save a presentation. However, there may be a situation where you want to save your presentation as a different file type.

To learn how to save your presentation as a PDF, see our guide on converting PowerPoint to a PDF .

How to save your PowerPoint presentation as a template

Once you’ve created a presentation that you like, you may want to turn it into a template. The easiest – but not technically correct – way, is to simply create a copy of your current presentation and then change the content.

But be careful! A PowerPoint template is a special type of document and it has its own parameters and behaviors.

If you’re interested in learning about how to create your own PowerPoint template from scratch, see our guide on how to create a PowerPoint template .

Printing Your PowerPoint Presentation

After finishing your PowerPoint presentation, you may want to print it out on paper. Printing your slides is relatively easy.

The print shortcut is control plus P in PowerPoint

To open the Print dialog box, you can either:

  • Hit Ctrl+P on your keyboard
  • Or go to the Ribbon and click on File and then Print

In the Print dialog box, make your selections for how you want to print your PowerPoint presentation, then click print

Inside the Print dialog box, you can choose from the various printing settings:

  • Printer: Select a printer to use (or print to PDF or OneNote)
  • Slides: Choose which slides you want to print
  • Layout: Determine how many slides you want per page (this is where you can print the notes, outline, and handouts)
  • Collated or uncollated (learn what collated printing means here )
  • Color: Choose to print in color, grayscale or black & white

There are many more options for printing your PowerPoint presentations. Here are links to more in-depth articles:

  • How to print multiple slides per page
  • How to print your speaker notes in PowerPoint
  • How to save PowerPoint as a picture presentation

So that’s how to create a PowerPoint presentation if you are brand new to it. We’ve also included a ton of links to helpful resources to boost your PowerPoint skills further.

When you are creating your presentation, it is critical to first focus on the content (what you are trying to say) before getting lost inserting and playing with elements. The clearer you are on what you want to present, the easier it will be to build it out in PowerPoint.

If you enjoyed this article, you can learn more about our PowerPoint training courses and other presentation resources by  visiting us here .

🔒 Unlock the PowerPoint Shortcuts Trusted by Industry Leaders KKR, American Express, HSBC, and More!

Join over 114,880 professionals from diverse fields including consulting, investment banking, advertising, marketing, sales, and business development who have supercharged their PowerPoint game with our proven methods.

✅ Customize compelling presentations effortlessly.

✅ Master time-saving techniques for faster deck creation.

✅ Boost your career prospects with top-notch PowerPoint skills.

Get FREE access to the Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts module of our premium training course by entering your name and email below.

DISCLAIMER: PC Users Only!

We respect your privacy and will keep your info safe and confidential.

About The Author

' src=

Popular Tutorials

  • How to Strikethrough Text (l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶) in Word, Excel & PowerPoint
  • How to Make Animated Fireworks in PowerPoint (Step-by-Step)
  • Strikethrough Shortcut (l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶) for Word, Excel & PowerPoint
  • How to Create a Flash Card Memory Game in PowerPoint (Like Jeopardy)
  • Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working: Solved

PowerPoint Tutorial Categories

  • Strategies & Opinions
  • Shortcuts & Hacks
  • Pictures, Icons, Videos, Etc.
  • New Features
  • Miscellaneous
  • Charts & Data Viz

We help busy professionals save hours and gain peace of mind, with corporate workshops, self-paced courses and tutorials for PowerPoint and Word.

Work With Us

  • Corporate Training
  • Presentation & Template Design
  • Courses & Downloads
  • PowerPoint Articles
  • Word Articles
  • Productivity Resources

Find a Tutorial

  • Free Training
  • For Businesses

We help busy office workers save hours and gain peace of mind, with tips, training and tutorials for Microsoft PowerPoint and Word.

Master Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts – Secure Your FREE Training Module and Save Valuable Time!

⌛ Master time-saving expert techniques.

🔥 Create powerful presentations.

🚀 Propel your career to new heights.

We value your privacy – we keep your info safe.

Discover PowerPoint Hacks Loved by Industry Giants - KKR, AmEx, HSBC!

Over 114,880 professionals in finance, marketing and sales have revolutionized their PPT skills with our proven methods. 

Gain FREE access to a full module of our premium PowerPoint training program – Get started today!

We hate spam too and promise to keep your information safe.

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from Facebook . To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

how to save presentation on powerpoint

PowerPoint Presentation Tips Every Student Should Know

how to save presentation on powerpoint

In college, being able to nail your PowerPoint presentations can make a big difference in your grades and your overall success. But let's face it, creating a killer presentation can be tricky. That's why in this article, we're going to break down some essential PowerPoint presentation tips for college students you should know. Whether you're presenting a project, sharing research findings, or pitching ideas, these tips will help you create slideshows that impress your professors and peers alike. So, get ready to learn how to design engaging slides, deliver your message effectively, and boost your confidence when presenting in front of others. Let's dive in!

What Is the 10 20 30 Rule of PowerPoint Presentations

The 10-20-30 rule of PowerPoint presentations is a guideline popularized by venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki. It suggests that a presentation should have no more than 10 slides, last no longer than 20 minutes, and use a font size of at least 30 points. If you’re struggling with this assignment, simply say, ‘ write my essay for me ,’ and our writers will tackle any task for you quickly.

The rule advises keeping presentations concise by limiting the number of slides. This helps to focus on key points and prevents overwhelming the audience with too much information.

Keeping the presentation under 20 minutes ensures it remains engaging and doesn't lose the audience's attention. This timeframe is considered optimal for conveying information effectively without dragging on.

  • 30-point font

Using a minimum font size of 30 points helps make the text on slides clear and readable, even from a distance. This is particularly important in large presentation venues or when the audience may have difficulty seeing smaller text.

Overall, the 10-20-30 rule encourages presenters to be concise, engaging, and considerate of the audience's needs for clarity and attention span. However, it's worth noting that while this guideline can be helpful, it's not a hard and fast rule and may need to be adjusted based on the specific context and content of the presentation. Now, let’s dive into some effective tips for a good PowerPoint presentation.

Haven’t Done PowerPoint Presentations Before?

Use our academic writing service to produce a first-class PPT to impress your audience.

Essential PowerPoint Presentation Tips

PowerPoint presentations are an integral part of college education for several reasons. Firstly, they serve as a practical tool for students to organize and present complex information in a structured and visually appealing format, helping to enhance their communication skills. 

Secondly, presentations provide students with valuable opportunities to showcase their understanding of course material, critical thinking abilities, and research findings to professors and peers, fostering active engagement with the subject matter. Additionally, by requiring students to deliver presentations, colleges aim to prepare them for future academic and professional endeavors, where effective communication and presentation skills are often essential for success in various fields.

Essential PowerPoint Presentation Tips

Chunk Information

Consider using a storytelling approach when breaking down complex ideas. Introduce each chunk with a compelling narrative or anecdote to capture your audience's attention and provide context for the information. Use visual aids such as diagrams, flowcharts, or timelines to clarify relationships between concepts further and enhance understanding. Having trouble at such an early stage? Instruct our writers, saying, ‘ do my PowerPoint presentation ,’ and they will handle the assignment for you. 

Use Slide Transitions Wisely

Align slide transitions with the flow of your narrative. The transition between slides occurs during natural breaks in your speech or when introducing a new topic or idea. Avoid excessive animation effects that may distract or overshadow your message. Instead, focus on transitions that subtly guide your audience's attention and maintain their engagement.

Practice Timing and Pacing

One of the best PowerPoint presentation tips for students is to rehearse your presentation multiple times to fine-tune your timing and pacing. Practice speaking slowly and clearly to ensure that every word is understood, especially if you tend to speak quickly when nervous. Use visual cues, such as a timer or slide notes, to help you stay on track and smoothly transition between topics.

Include Real-Life Examples

Choose real-life examples that resonate with your audience's interests, experiences, or industry. Among the top tips for PowerPoint presentations is personalizing your examples whenever possible to make them more relatable and memorable. Encourage audience participation by asking questions or prompting them to share their experiences related to the topic, fostering a sense of connection and engagement. Expert PowerPoint presentation writers always include real-life examples in their slides. 

Utilize White Space

Embrace the power of white space to create visual balance and emphasize key elements. Use a minimalist design approach to keep your slides clean and uncluttered. Experiment with different layouts and spacing techniques to find the optimal balance between content and white space, ensuring your message is clear and easy to digest.

Provide Clear Navigation

To give you more effective PowerPoint presentation tips, we recommend enhancing navigation by structuring your presentation with a clear storyline or roadmap. Preview the agenda at the beginning of your presentation to set expectations and guide your audience through the flow of topics. Use slide transitions, animations, or interactive elements strategically to signal transitions between sections and maintain momentum. Consult these essay topics to draw inspiration for your presentation.

Check for Accessibility

Prioritize accessibility by designing your slides with inclusivity in mind. Ensure that text is legible and colors are distinguishable for visually impaired audience members. Provide alternative formats for content, such as transcripts or accessible PDFs, to accommodate diverse learning needs. Test your presentation with accessibility tools and solicit feedback from individuals with disabilities to identify and address potential barriers. Consider capstone project ideas for your next assignment as you finish your slides.

Maintain Eye Contact

Here are some more tips for a good PowerPoint presentation. Develop strong eye contact skills by practicing in front of a mirror or recording yourself speaking. Make a conscious effort to engage with individual audience members throughout your presentation, scanning the room and making eye contact with different sections of the audience. Use body language cues, such as gestures and facial expressions, to convey enthusiasm and confidence, reinforcing your verbal message and enhancing audience connection. 

Solicit Feedback

Actively seek feedback from various sources, including peers, mentors, and audience members. Encourage honest and constructive feedback by asking specific questions about content, delivery, and overall impact. Consider conducting a post-presentation survey or feedback session to gather insights and identify areas for improvement. Use feedback as a learning opportunity to refine your presentation skills and enhance future performances.

Have a Backup Plan

Prepare for technical glitches or unforeseen interruptions by having backup equipment and materials readily available. Pack essential items such as a spare laptop, projector cables, and extension cords to address common technical issues. Create a contingency plan for power outages or internet connectivity issues, outlining alternative presentation formats or delivery methods. When making a PowerPoint presentation, think of your backup plan to build confidence and ensure a seamless presentation experience under any circumstances. Just in case, our academic essay writing service also supports PPT presentations.

PowerPoint assignments in college are super helpful for life after graduation. They teach you how to take complicated stuff and explain it in a simple, interesting way using slides. You learn to organize your thoughts, tell a good story, and make things look nice with pictures and graphs. These skills are not just for school - they're super useful in jobs, too! Making awesome presentations can help you impress your bosses, win over clients, and share your ideas effectively in meetings. So, the PowerPoint presentation tips for students you’ve just learned are like training for real life, helping you ace your future career presentations. If you need more time to finish your slides, opt for custom essays to meet all the deadlines.

Have Technical Tobules with Your Presentation?

Allow our PowerPoint expert to troubleshoot your slides so they run smoothly on all devices.

Related Articles

How to Write an Outline in MLA and APA

how to save presentation on powerpoint

How to convert a PowerPoint presentation to Google Slides

M icrosoft PowerPoint and Google Slides are popular software solutions for creating presentations. While PowerPoint has more features, Google Slides offers seamless collaboration, cross-platform availability, and an easy-to-use interface without a subscription. When you receive a PowerPoint presentation, convert it to Google Slides to continue editing and collaborating on it.

Converting a PowerPoint presentation to the Google Slides format has advantages, but it isn't a smooth process. Formatting issues can occur. You can use Google Drive or Google Slides to convert a PowerPoint presentation. This trick is also helpful when using a PowerPoint template with Google Slides.

Although Google Slides has apps for iPhone and Android , we focus on the company's web version.

Convert a PowerPoint to Google Slides Using Google Drive

You can upload a PowerPoint presentation to Google Drive and open it in Slides. It's the easiest way to convert from PowerPoint to Google Slides.

  • Visit Google Drive on the web and sign in with your Google account details.
  • Go to a relevant location. Select New in the upper-left corner and select File upload .
  • Find your PowerPoint file (.pptx) in Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows) and click Open .
  • After uploading the file, Google Drive converts your PowerPoint file, making it compatible with Google Slides. Double-click it to open it in Google Slides.
  • Or, right-click your PowerPoint file and expand the Open with menu. Select Google Slides .

Whether you use a .pptx or an older .ppt file, Google Drive automatically converts it to Slides. You can open it like a traditional Slides file and make changes.

How to add audio to your Google Slides presentation

Use google slides to convert a pptx file.

If you don't want to deal with Google Drive, you can import and use any PowerPoint file using Google Slides. Follow the steps below to make changes.

  • Go to Google Slides on the web and create a blank presentation. Or, type slides.new in the address bar and press the Enter or Return key.
  • Select File at the top and click Open .
  • The following menu shows your recent files and several online and offline locations where you can import a file. Move to the Upload menu.
  • Select Browse .
  • Find and select your PowerPoint presentation and click Open .
  • Google Slides converts and opens a PPT file in the Slides format.

There are times when you want to convert specific PowerPoint slides. Importing an entire presentation and deleting irrelevant slides isn't the most productive way. Instead, import selected slides using the steps below.

  • Open a blank presentation in Google Slides (check the steps above).
  • Click File and select Import slides .
  • Select Upload and click Browse .
  • Select your PowerPoint file and click Open .
  • Check the number of presentation slides and select the ones you want to import. Click Import slides .

Your PowerPoint slides are ready for editing in Google Slides.

Advantages of Converting a PowerPoint to Google Slides

Here are the benefits of converting a PowerPoint file to Google Slides.

Easy access

Google Slides is a web app. Whether you use Slides on Windows, Mac, Linux, or ChromeOS, you only need a web browser to access and edit your presentations. PowerPoint also has a web app, but it has limited features compared to its desktop app.

Real-time collaboration

Although Microsoft offers real-time collaboration on PowerPoint, the sharing experience isn't as good as Google Slides. One or more users can work on a presentation simultaneously, share comments, and check tweaks instantly.

Free to use

PowerPoint desktop apps require an active Microsoft 365 subscription. In contrast, Google Slides is free to use. If one of your team members or a colleague doesn't have a Microsoft 365 plan, convert the PowerPoint presentation to Google Slides and invite them for collaboration.

What's the difference between Google Slides templates and themes?

Convert a powerpoint to google slides: our observations.

PowerPoint is a more powerful and feature-packed tool than Google Slides. You may lose some of the features and formatting during conversion. For instance, Google Slides doesn't support curved text and vector graphics. You may need to rework these slides before sharing them with others.

When you convert specific slides, turn on the Keep original theme option to carry over your PowerPoint theme to Slides. Then, after converting a PPTX file to Google Slides, recheck the slides to eliminate minor formatting issues.

Complete and collaborate your presentation in style

Whether you use PowerPoint or Google Slides, your pitch requires interactive visuals and fancy animations to attract people's attention. A bland and static presentation won't impress your audience. Creating an engaging presentation from scratch can be time-consuming. Check the top Google Slides templates for personal and work use and finish your presentation quickly.

How to convert a PowerPoint presentation to Google Slides

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Contribute to the Microsoft 365 and Office forum! Click  HERE  to learn more  💡

March 14, 2024

Contribute to the Microsoft 365 and Office forum!

Click  HERE  to learn more  💡

Top Contributors in PowerPoint: Steve Rindsberg  -  Jim_ Gordon  -  John Korchok   ✅

March 11, 2024

Top Contributors in PowerPoint:

Steve Rindsberg  -  Jim_ Gordon  -  John Korchok   ✅

  • Search the community and support articles
  • Microsoft 365 and Office
  • Search Community member

Ask a new question

Is it possible to extract an image from a PowerPoint slide to use in other places...Word, email, etc?

I created an image in PowerPoint that I would like to use in other programs. Can I remove it from the page so that only the image will be seen in other places? Obvious beginner here!

  • Subscribe to RSS feed

Report abuse

Glenn Rue

  • Microsoft Agent |

Good morning, SA1933 .

Welcome to the Microsoft Community Forum. Please accept our warmest regards and sincerest hope that all is well.

Yes, it is possible to extract an image from a PowerPoint slide and use it in other programs such as Word or email. Here are the steps to extract an image from a PowerPoint slide which I tested on my copy of PowerPoint 2016:

1) Open the PowerPoint presentation and navigate to the slide that contains the image you want to extract.

2) Right-click on the image and select "Save as Picture" from the drop-down menu.

3) Choose a location to save the image and click "Save".

4) In the File name text box, enter a name for your image.

5) Click the drop-down menu under Save as Type and choose one of the following image formats:

JPEG File Interchange Format (.jpg)

PNG Portable Network Graphics Format (.png)

GIF Graphics Interchange Format (.gif)

TIFF Tag Image File Format (.tif)

6) The image will now be saved as a separate file that you can use in other programs. You'll need to open the file though with a different program first like Microsoft Paint for Windows Photo Viewer.

An alternate method and probably quicker way than the steps above would be to use the Windows Snipping tool (Windows key + Shift + S) if you are using a Window 10 or 11 computer. Once you capture the image using the tool you can paste it into any website or programs right away. The image quality though might not be to your liking with this method but please do give it a try. Refer to the link below.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots-00246869-1843-655f-f220-97299b865f6b

Please note that both steps above will only be for a slide on the presentation. If you had wanted to save every slide in the presentation into separate images you need to do the following:

1) Go to the File menu and choose Save As (or Save a Copy if your presentation is saved on OneDrive or SharePoint).

2) Specify the folder where you want to save the image.

3) In the File name text box, enter a name for your image.

4) Click the drop-down menu under Save as Type and choose one of the following image formats:

5) Click Save and you will get a final prompt if you want all slides in the presentation or just the selected slide.

Hope this helps! If you have additional questions or concerns though, please let me know and I'll be happy to assist you further.

Forum Moderator

Microsoft Community

1 person found this reply helpful

Was this reply helpful? Yes No

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

Thanks for your feedback.

Replies (1) 

Question info.

  • Norsk Bokmål
  • Ελληνικά
  • Русский
  • עברית
  • العربية
  • ไทย
  • 한국어
  • 中文(简体)
  • 中文(繁體)
  • 日本語

How to Record PowerPoint Presentation with Audio and Video

Sometimes it is necessary to record not only the sound of the speaker over presentation slides but also their face via a web camera. Learn how to easily do it!

how to save presentation on powerpoint

How to record yourself presenting a PowerPoint

The more people work from home, the more online meetings happen. Teams discuss work on projects, put forward their ideas, and share presentations containing essential information. However, problems with the latter can sometimes arise – watching a presentation only might be pretty boring. But this is not the case when the user adds a video recording of them presenting as well.

If you were in such a situation, you may have wondered how to record yourself presenting a PowerPoint slideshow. Actually, with the help of our editing tool, it's not that hard at all! Using it, you can record a web camera video and PowerPoint presentation at the same time on Windows 10 and 11, as well as Mac.

For the rest of the process, follow the steps below:

Start the project

Open Clideo’s Online Video Editor and click "Get started".

Video editor to record presentation with audio and video

To record a presentation and video of yourself at the same time, scroll down the navigation sidebar, click "Record", then "Screen & Camera". If prompted, allow your browser to access your camera and microphone.

Record presentation with audio and video

You can select a specific camera and microphone and turn them on/off in the next pop-up window via the "Gear" icon at the bottom right.

Screen and webcam settings to record presentation

Record the screen

Check that you look fine in the webcam, click the red circle to start a recording session, and select a window with your PPT in the pop-up screen. Then, click "Share" to start presenting.

Start to record presentation with audio and video

Go to the tab with your presentation and do your best. If you return to the Clideo tab, you will see that you cannot move the video window from your camera now, but you can do that while editing your video later.

PowerPoint presentation with audio and video

While recording your presentation, you can at any moment go to the Clideo tab and click the "Pause" button to pause the process, then click it again and go back to the presentation screen to continue the demonstration. To redo the recording and discard the current one, click the "Retake" button to the left.

Stop to record presentation with audio and video

When you are ready to stop and save the recordings, in the Clideo tab, click the "Stop" button or hit the "Stop sharing" button on your presentation screen.

In the next pop-up window, you can review, rename, redo, and add the files to your project timeline or "Uploads". Both cases will add the screen and camera recordings as separate files.

Save presentation with audio and video

After every file is manually or automatically placed on the timeline, you can edit each one by one – just click them and adjust the available settings. Resize the camera recording if necessary, cut out the sections you do not need, or add captions.

Edit presentation with audio and video

When you finish editing, click "Export" at the top right and choose your preferred option.

Export video of presentation with audio and video

Save the result

When the video is processed, watch the playback to see how it looks. If you like the result, click "Download" to save the screen recording to your device or cloud storage.

Download presentation with audio and video

If you need more information about the latest state of video editor options and features, you can find details in our Help Center .

Interesting articles

Upgrade your account, get unlimited storage time and create projects without watermarks.

  • 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

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Create a presentation

Create a presentation in powerpoint for the web.

Your browser does not support video. Install Microsoft Silverlight, Adobe Flash Player, or Internet Explorer 9.

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 .

The app launcher icon in Office 365

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.

Create a presentation

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.

Slide Layouts in PowerPoint

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.

Use Download a Copy to save the presentation to your computer

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.

The AutoSave Toggle in Office

Need more help?

Want more options.

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

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Microsoft 365 training

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Microsoft security

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Accessibility center

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

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Ask the Microsoft Community

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Microsoft Tech Community

how to save presentation on powerpoint

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

IMAGES

  1. How to save PowerPoint Slides as Images

    how to save presentation on powerpoint

  2. How to Save a PowerPoint as a PDF

    how to save presentation on powerpoint

  3. How To Save New Template In Powerpoint

    how to save presentation on powerpoint

  4. Save your presentation file

    how to save presentation on powerpoint

  5. PowerPoint How to Save a Presentation

    how to save presentation on powerpoint

  6. How to Save PowerPoint Slide as Picture

    how to save presentation on powerpoint

VIDEO

  1. How to Save PowerPoint Presentation

  2. PowerPoint

  3. How to save PowerPoint presentation as video with music

  4. How to save PowerPoint presentation with notes as pdf

  5. How to save PowerPoint presentation as mp4

  6. How to save PowerPoint presentation as pdf

COMMENTS

  1. Save your presentation file

    Save your presentation in an earlier version of PowerPoint. In PowerPoint 2013 and newer versions, you can save files to an earlier version of PowerPoint by selecting the version from the Save as type list in the Save As box. For example, you can save your PowerPoint presentation in the newest PowerPoint Presentation format (.pptx), or as a PowerPoint 97-2003 Presentation (.ppt).

  2. How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation? [PPT & Other Formats!]

    To save the PowerPoint presentation as a PDF file, follow the 4 easy steps. Step-1: Click on the "File" Tab. First, click on the " File " tab in PowerPoint to open the back stage view of PowerPoint. Step 2 - Click on the "Save As" option. In the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen, click on the "File" tab.

  3. How to Save a Copy of a PowerPoint? [Step-by-Step Guide!]

    To save a copy of a PowerPoint presentation on your desktop, follow the 3 simple steps. Step-1: Click on the "File" tab. The first step is to click on the "File" tab. It is located on the left corner of the menu ribbon at the top of the screen. This will open the "File" menu. Step-2: Click on the "Save A Copy" option.

  4. 5 Ways to Save a PowerPoint Presentation

    Click Save to save to the current file, or Save as to create a new file. If you've already saved the file at some point, you'll have the option to click Save, which simply saves your changes to that file. Otherwise, choose Save as to create a brand new file. Advertisement. 4.

  5. How To Save Presentation In Powerpoint

    To save a presentation in Powerpoint, click on the "File" tab in the top left corner. Then, select "Save" or "Save As" from the dropdown menu. Choose the location where you want to save the presentation and click "Save."

  6. Save your presentation file

    On the File tab, select Save. Do of the following: To save to your local drive, such as your laptop, a flash drive, CD or DVD drive, select Computer. To save to a SharePoint Library, select SharePoint. Under Save As > Recent Folders, select Browse, pick a path and file folder, and then name the file. Select Save.

  7. PowerPoint: Saving and Sharing

    In this video, you'll learn more about saving and sharing in PowerPoint 2019 and Office 365. Visit https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/powerpoint/saving-presentatio...

  8. PowerPoint: Saving Presentations

    Click the File tab to access Backstage view. Click Export, then choose the desired option. In our example, we'll select Change File Type. Select a file type, then click Save As. The Save As dialog box will appear. Select the location where you want to export the presentation, type a file name, then click Save.

  9. How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation Onto Your Desktop ...

    How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation Onto Your Desktop [Tutorial]You can usually run PowerPoint presentations on computers that have PowerPoint installed. H...

  10. Save presentations

    Save the opened presentation in a different location. To save the presentation in any other location, do the following: 1. On the File tab, click Save As, then on the Save As pane, click the Browse button: 2. In the Save As dialog box, choose the location you need: Optionally, you can change the name of the file and the file format.

  11. How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation (Step-by-Step)

    To save a PowerPoint presentation using your Ribbon, simply: Navigate to the File tab Select Save As on the left; Choose where you want to save your presentation; Name your presentation and/or adjust your file type settings; Click Save; You can alternatively use the Ctrl+S keyboard shortcut to save your presentation. I recommend using this ...

  12. How To Save PowerPoint Presentation

    Learn PowerPoint | Learn how to save PowerPoint presentation. In this PowerPoint training video I have explained the 4 ways through which a PowerPoint presen...

  13. How to Save a Slide in PowerPoint Individually? [Quick Tip!]

    To save a slide in PowerPoint, select the slide from the slide preview panel on the left part of your screen. Press "Ctrl+C" to copy it. Now, click on the "File" tab, and open a "Blank PowerPoint Presentation". Press "Ctrl+V" to paste the slide. Press "Ctrl+S" to save the single slide presentation. In this article, I will ...

  14. 10 Easy Ways To Send And Share Your PowerPoint Presentations

    Go to the PowerPoint Preferences > Output and Sharing > Save > Font Embedding. Tick the box that says, "Embed fonts in the file." On Windows: Go to File > Options > Save. In the section "Preserve fidelity when sharing this presentation," tick the box which says, "Embed fonts in the file.

  15. How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation as a Slideshow

    This http://OneMinuteGeek.com video tutorial shows you how to save your PowerPoint presentations as an automatic slideshow when you open the file. Visit http...

  16. PowerPoint Presentation Tips: 10 Keys to Success

    Practice Timing and Pacing. One of the best PowerPoint presentation tips for students is to rehearse your presentation multiple times to fine-tune your timing and pacing. Practice speaking slowly and clearly to ensure that every word is understood, especially if you tend to speak quickly when nervous. Use visual cues, such as a timer or slide ...

  17. How To Translate Google Slides Presentations

    Click on "Add-ons" > "Slide Translator" > "Translate Text Box" to access the tool. Choose the text box or area in your Google Slides presentation that you want to translate. Select the target language into which you want to translate the text. Click on the "Translate" button to initiate the translation process.

  18. How to convert a PowerPoint presentation to Google Slides

    Go to a relevant location. Select New in the upper-left corner and select File upload. Find your PowerPoint file (.pptx) in Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows) and click Open. After uploading ...

  19. How to save a PowerPoint presentation as a video

    Watch this video to learn how to convert your PowerPoint presentation into a video. When you make a recording of a presentation, all its elements (narration,...

  20. Is it possible to extract an image from a PowerPoint slide to use in

    1) Open the PowerPoint presentation and navigate to the slide that contains the image you want to extract. 2) Right-click on the image and select "Save as Picture" from the drop-down menu. 3) Choose a location to save the image and click "Save". 4) In the File name text box, enter a name for your image. 5) Click the drop-down menu under Save as ...

  21. How to Save File in PowerPoint

    This video shows how to save file or presentation in PowerPoint. If you have any query, please feel free to expose in the comment box. To visit the channel '...

  22. How to Record PowerPoint Presentation with Audio and Video

    Start the project. Open Clideo's Online Video Editor and click "Get started". To record a presentation and video of yourself at the same time, scroll down the navigation sidebar, click "Record", then "Screen & Camera". If prompted, allow your browser to access your camera and microphone. You can select a specific camera and microphone and ...

  23. Save a presentation as a movie file or MP4

    Save in a video format. Select File > Export. (Don't use Save As, because it doesn't offer video options.) Open the File Format list and select the video format that you want ( MP4 or MOV ). If the MP4 and MOV options aren't in your version of PowerPoint, see Requirements below for more information. Select the video Quality you want ...

  24. Create a presentation in PowerPoint for the web

    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.