Google Slides is a popular presentation software used by millions worldwide. Its cloud-based nature makes it easy to create, access and share presentations from anywhere.
However, one limitation of Google Slides is that you cannot directly insert a PDF file into your presentations. But there are a couple of easy workarounds that allow you to display PDF content in your slides.
In this comprehensive guide, you will learn two methods to insert a PDF in Google slides:
Method 1: Convert PDF Pages into Images
The first method is to convert your PDF pages into images like JPG or PNG files. You can then insert these images into your Google Slides presentation.
Here are the step-by-step instructions to use this method:
Step 1: Convert PDF to Images
Use a PDF to image converter tool to save each page of your PDF as a separate image file.
Some good PDF to image converters are:
- Smallpdf
- Adobe Acrobat
- CloudConvert
Most of these tools allow you to batch convert PDF pages into multiple image formats like JPG, PNG, TIFF, etc. JPG is the most common choice.
Step 2: Upload Images to Google Slides
Open your presentation in Google Slides and navigate to the slide where you want to insert the PDF content.
Click Insert > Image > Upload from computer to select the PDF pages you exported as images.
Step 3: Insert Images
Double click on the required images to insert them into your Google Slides.
You can resize, align or format the inserted images as needed.
Method 2: Insert Link to PDF
If you want readers to access the full PDF document, you can link to it instead of inserting images.
Follow these instructions:
Step 1: Upload PDF to Google Drive
First, upload your PDF file to Google Drive or any other cloud storage service.
You can also use file sharing services like Dropbox to get a public link to your PDF.
Step 2: Copy Shareable Link
Right click on the uploaded PDF and select Get shareable link.
Copy this public link to your PDF document.
Step 3: Insert Link in Google Slides
Go to the Google Slides presentation and insert a text box or shape where you want the PDF link to appear.
Then click Insert > Link and paste your PDF URL into the prompt.
And just like that, readers can simply click the link in your presentation to access the PDF document!
Tips for Inserting PDF in Google Slides
Here are some useful tips when inserting PDFs in Google Slides:
- Compress large PDFs before converting them into images to reduce file size
- Use high resolution images for clarity, especially if inserting text heavy PDF pages
- Insert only relevant sections of your PDF to avoid overcrowding slides
- Ensure the inserted images/links are easily visible and readable
- Use links instead of images if you want readers to access the full PDF
Conclusion
While Google Slides does not natively support PDF insertion, the workarounds shared above provide simple methods to display PDF content in your presentations.
The techniques allow you to insert either specific pages or the full PDF document in Google Slides, catering to different use cases.
So next time you need to reference a PDF report, research paper or any other file in your slides, go ahead and use one of these handy PDF insertion methods!
