PowerPoint presentations often need to be printed for various purposes – as handouts, notes pages, or even full slide prints. While printing directly from PowerPoint itself is straightforward, you may sometimes need to print slides from a PowerPoint Show (.pps or .ppsx) file.
A Show file runs the slideshow directly but does not allow editing slides. So printing from it requires a few extra steps. In this article, we’ll explain two easy methods to print slides from a PowerPoint Show file on a Windows PC.
Method 1: Open the Show File in PowerPoint
The quickest way is to open the Show file directly in PowerPoint, which converts it into an editable PPTX file. You can then print as usual:
Step 1: Locate the Show File
Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder location of your PowerPoint Show file. Show files have the .pps or .ppsx file extension.
![File explorer showing ppsx file]
Step 2: Open the File in PowerPoint
Right-click on the Show file, hover over Open With and click PowerPoint from the menu.
![Open with PowerPoint]
This will launch PowerPoint and open the Show file. PowerPoint will automatically convert it into an editable PPTX presentation.
Step 3: Print Using PowerPoint’s Print Options
With the presentation open in PowerPoint, click File > Print or press Ctrl + P to open the print dialog box.
From here you can print handouts, notes pages, or full slide prints as you normally would when printing from PowerPoint.
![PowerPoint print dialog]
And that’s it! By opening a Show file in PowerPoint first, you can access all of PowerPoint’s printing options to print your slides.
Method 2: Use the Print Command from File Explorer
You can also print slides directly from File Explorer without having to open the Show file in PowerPoint first.
Step 1: Right-click the Show File
In File Explorer, right-click on the Show file you want to print.
Step 2: Click Print
In the right-click menu, click the Print option.
![Print from File Explorer]
Step 3: Select Print Options
This will open the Windows Print dialog box. Under Printer, select your preferred printer.
Under Settings, choose to print all slides, current slide, selection set, notes pages, or handouts. You can also choose additional options like Collate, Page Orientation, and Paper Size.
![Windows Print Dialog]
Step 4: Print!
Once you’ve selected your desired print settings, click Print to print your slides!
This method sends the Show file directly to your printer without having to open it in PowerPoint first. It’s great for quick printing without conversion or editing access.
Tips for Printing Show Files
Here are some handy tips when working with printing Show files:
- To print notes pages, comments, and slide numbers, open the Show file in PowerPoint first. File Explorer print does not include these extras.
- For more advanced print options and batch printing, open in PowerPoint.
- If you just need quick full slide prints, print directly from File Explorer.
- PowerPoint’s handout printing includes options like multiple slides per page. Print from PowerPoint if you need handouts.
Conclusion
Whether you need full slide prints, notes pages, or handouts, printing slides from a PowerPoint Show file is easy on Windows. Just open the Show file directly in PowerPoint or use File Explorer’s Print command for quick printing.
Now you know how to easily convert Show files to standard PPTX for editing and printing when needed. This allows you to distribute Show files for slideshows while still having access to printing functionality.
