How to Change the Size of Your Slides in PowerPoint

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Choosing the right slide size for your PowerPoint presentation is crucial for effectively conveying your message to your audience. The slide size impacts how your content appears on screen and in printed handouts.

In this article, we will walk you through customizing your PowerPoint slide size for optimal viewing across different mediums.

Standard vs Widescreen Slide Sizes

PowerPoint offers two standard slide size presets – Standard 4:3 and Widescreen 16:9:

  • Standard 4:3 has an aspect ratio of 4 units wide by 3 units high. The dimensions are 1024 x 768 pixels. This is best suited for older, squarish screens.
  • Widescreen 16:9 has an aspect ratio of 16 units wide by 9 units high. The dimensions are 1920 x 1080 pixels. This matches the dimensions of modern widescreen monitors and TVs.

The widescreen 16:9 size offers more horizontal space to work with. However, 4:3 is a safer bet if you will be presenting on older projectors.

How to Change Slide Size in PowerPoint

Follow these simple steps to change the slide size in PowerPoint:

  1. Open your PowerPoint presentation and select the Design tab.
  2. Click Slide Size in the Customize group.
  3. Select Standard (4:3) or Widescreen (16:9).

Alternatively, click Custom Slide Size to manually set custom dimensions.

  1. If prompted, choose to Maximize or Ensure Fit for your content.

And you’re done! The new slide size is applied.

Setting a Custom Slide Size

To choose a custom slide size instead of the presets:

  1. Follow steps 1-3 above.
  2. In the Slide Size dialog box, select Custom Slide Size.
  3. Choose your desired slide size from the Slides sized for drop-down.

Some common custom sizes include:

  • Letter Paper
  • A4 Paper
  • 35mm Slides
  • Banner
  • Overhead
  1. Alternatively, enter custom Width and Height values.
  2. Click OK to apply the new slide size.

Tips for Changing Slide Size

Here are some top tips when changing PowerPoint slide sizes:

  • Preview your presentation on the actual screen you will present on. Check if your slides are fully visible without cutoff edges.
  • For printed handouts, ensure your content fits within printable margins after changing slide sizes.
  • If you choose the “maximize” content scaling option, some content can spill over the slide edges.
  • Increase font sizes by 20% when switching to widescreen 16:9 for better visibility.
  • Back up your presentation before changing sizes. The layouts can shift in unpredictable ways.
  • Double check that your company logos, graphics and important elements are not distorted or pixelated after changing slide sizes.

Customizing Other Slide Master Elements

In addition to slide size, you can customize other default elements on the Slide Master:

  • Text placeholders – Edit default placeholder sizes and positions
  • Background – Apply background color or image
  • Slide layouts – Add, delete or modify slide layouts
  • Theme – Change theme colors, fonts, and effects

These customizations to your Slide Master will apply to all slides.

Conclusion

Optimizing your PowerPoint slide size is crucial for impactful presentations. Take the time to explore both standard and custom slide size options. And preview your slides on the actual display medium to perfect the sizing.

With the right slide dimensions, your presentation content will look professional, neat and visually compelling.

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