Changing the orientation of your Google Slides from landscape to portrait can be done in just a few quick steps. Whether you want to optimize your slides for mobile viewing, fit more content on each slide, or print handouts in portrait layout, adjusting the slide orientation is easy to do.
Benefits of Portrait Slide Orientation
There are several advantages to using portrait layout for your Google Slides:
- Better fit for mobile devices – Since most phones and tablets use a portrait screen orientation, portrait slides will fill more of the screen without the need to scroll or zoom.
- Fit more content – You can fit taller images, diagrams, tables, and text on a portrait slide. This prevents content from feeling cramped or crowded.
- Print handouts efficiently – When printing slides with multiple slides per page, a portrait layout may fit more slides on each sheet of paper.
- Emphasize vertical visuals – Certain images and diagrams work better in a vertical alignment, which portrait mode accommodates.
Step-by-Step Guide to Change Slide Orientation
Changing the orientation of slides from landscape to portrait only takes a few clicks:
1. Open Your Presentation
- Go to Google Slides in your web browser and open the presentation you want to edit.
2. Access Page Setup
- Click File in the top menu then select Page setup at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
3. Select Custom Size
- In the Page setup tab, locate the Slide size dropdown menu and click on Custom.
4. Enter New Dimensions
- Enter new slide dimensions in inches or centimeters to create a vertical portrait layout.
- For example, 8.5 inches wide by 11 inches high.
- You can also swap the existing width and height values.
5. Apply Changes
- Click the blue Apply button to change the slide orientation for the entire presentation.
Once you complete these steps, all slides in your presentation will now have a vertical portrait layout.
Tips for Creating Portrait Slides
Here are some top tips for effectively designing presentations in a portrait orientation:
- Use large, easy-to-read fonts – Since portrait slides have less width, keep fonts large enough for content to be legible. Sans serif fonts like Arial work well.
- Stick to key information – Be concise with information on each slide, only including essential data and messaging since you have less overall slide real estate.
- Include more visuals – Images, charts, diagrams, and other visual elements are important for filling vertical space and keeping slides compelling.
- Balance elements carefully – Place items strategically on portrait slides, using alignment and white space to organize content.
How to Change Back to Landscape
If you want to return your Google Slides to the standard landscape format, just follow these steps:
- Navigate back to File > Page setup
- Select Widescreen 16:9 from the Slide size menu
- Click Apply to save the changes
And that’s all there is to it! Whether you want to create slides designed specifically for mobile use or print materials, adjusting the orientation to portrait layout is a breeze. Follow these simple steps to switch between portrait and landscape slide formats as needed.
