Changing the slide size in PowerPoint is a great way to create custom and unique presentations. The default slide size in PowerPoint is 10 inches wide by 7.5 inches tall, but you may want a different slide dimension for things like widescreen presentations or to fit a different paper size. Fortunately, customizing the slide size in PowerPoint only takes a few clicks.
Why Change the Slide Size
Here are some common reasons you may want to use a custom slide size in PowerPoint:
- Create widescreen presentations for HD displays
- Fit the slides to a custom paper size you want to print on
- Make square slides for Instagram or Facebook posts
- Craft vertical slides for mobile displays
- Produce slides sized for digital signage screens
- Change the aspect ratio for a more cinematic look
Using non-standard slide sizes can make your presentations stand out with unique dimensions tailored to your needs.
Access the Slide Size Dialog Box
To change the slide size in PowerPoint, you first need to open the Slide Size dialog box. Here’s how:
- Open your PowerPoint presentation and click on the “Design” tab
- Click on the “Slide Size” button – it’s in the Customize group on the far right
- The Slide Size dialog box will open
This dialog box allows you to input new slide dimensions or choose from some common preset sizes.
Slide Size Dialog Box
Choose a Preset Size
The easiest way to change the slide size is to use one of PowerPoint’s preset sizes in the drop-down menu. This has common sizes like widescreen dimensions and paper sizes already configured.
For example, to create widescreen 16:9 slides, choose “Widescreen (16:9)” from the drop-down menu.
If you want letter paper sized slides, choose “Letter Paper (8.5 in. by 11 in.)” from the list.
Review all the preset sizes to see if any meet your needs. If not, you can create a custom size.
Create a Custom Slide Size
To make a completely custom slide size, use the width and height fields in the dialog box.
- Enter your desired width in inches into the width field
- Enter your desired height in inches into the height field
- Click “OK” to apply the custom size
For example, to create square 5 inch by 5 inch slides, enter 5 inches into both fields.
You can create any dimensions this way. Common custom sizes are 1920 x 1080 pixels for full HD or 1280 x 720 pixels for 720p HD.
Tip: Check the orientation icons to choose portrait or landscape slides.
Preview and Apply Slide Size
When you click OK, PowerPoint will automatically reformat your current slides to fit the new size. Depending on the difference in size, this may affect objects positioned on the slides.
It’s a good idea to scroll through your entire presentation to preview how the slides look. Zoom in and out to check alignment and positioning of images and text boxes.
If anything looks off, go back to the Design tab and click “Slide Size” again to undo or choose a different custom size.
Once you are happy with the slide dimensions, your presentation is ready with the new slide size set. For any new slides you add, they will automatically use the custom dimensions.
Adjusting Content That Doesn’t Fit
If your presentation already had content on the slides before changing the size, some elements may now appear out of position or not fit correctly.
A few things you can do:
- Resize and reposition pictures and text boxes that look off
- Change font sizes if text doesn’t fit anymore
- Adjust margins through the slide master to fit content
- Add exceptions for certain slides if one size doesn’t work for all slides
With a little tweaking, you can refine your presentation so everything looks right with the new slide size.
Adding Exceptions for Certain Slides
If you only want certain slides to have the custom size, add exceptions to override the default slide size.
To do this:
- Select the slides you want to override
- Right click and choose “Layout”
- Click “Slide Size” and choose the size just for those slides
Now you can mix and match slide sizes throughout your presentation.
Printing Slides With Custom Sizes
One final tip – if you created slides with a custom size for printing, be sure to check that your printer can handle the dimensions you chose. You may need to adjust the scale or do a test print first on a single slide to confirm the size comes out as expected on paper.
