Being able to print speaker’s notes along with your PowerPoint slides is an invaluable tool when giving presentations. Whether you want to have a copy to refer to while presenting, or provide printed notes pages as handouts to your audience, PowerPoint 2013 makes printing notes simple and straightforward.
Why Print Speaker’s Notes
There are several key reasons why you may want to print your speaker’s notes:
- Have talking points handy while presenting – Rather than trying to memorize your entire presentation or repeatedly look back at your laptop screen, printed speaker’s notes allow you to subtly refer to key points as you’re presenting.
- Provide supplemental information for your audience – Speaker’s notes allow you to include details, data, citations, etc. that support the core ideas presented on each slide, without overcrowding your slides. Your audience can refer to these notes during and after your presentation.
- Print a presentation script – For some types of presentations, like speeches, you may want to print out your speaker’s notes as a complete script to read from while presenting.
How to Print Speaker’s Notes in PowerPoint
Printing speaker’s notes in PowerPoint only takes a few simple steps:
1. Add Speaker’s Notes
Make sure to write out any speaker’s notes you want to print under each slide. To add speaker’s notes in Normal view:
- Select the slide you wish to add notes to
- In the bottom pane, click on the text box under the slide thumbnail
- Type out any notes you want to appear on the printed notes pages
Tip: Try to be as concise yet informative as possible. You’ll have limited space on the printed page.
2. Access Print Options
To open PowerPoint’s Print pane:
- Go to File > Print
- Or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + P
3. Select Print Layout
Under the Settings section:
- Click on the box next to Full Page Slides
- Select Notes Pages from the drop-down Print Layout options
This will print one slide per page with notes underneath.
4. Review and Print
Before printing, use the preview pane on the right to visually confirm:
- The correct Printer is selected
- The notes are displaying properly under each slide
- The page orientation fits all content
When ready, click Print to print your presentation notes!
Customizing Your Printed Notes Pages
Beyond the basics, PowerPoint provides additional options to customize the look of your printed speaker’s notes:
Print Slide Thumbnails
Having a small thumbnail image of the slide atop the notes can help readers contextualize the information. To print slides with thumbnails:
- Follow Steps 1-3 above
- Under Print Layout, select Notes Pages (with slide image)
Tip: This shrinks the notes text slightly to fit the thumbnail. Make sure text still appears legible in the preview.
Print Multiple Slides Per Page
To conserve paper, you can fit 2 slides per printed page:
- Follow Steps 1-3 above
- Under Print Layout, select 2 Slides Per Page
Keep in mind this will result in smaller text size. Make sure to preview closely.
Change Page Orientation
Switch to Landscape page orientation if you need more horizontal space for:
- Slide images
- Multi-column speaker’s notes
- Fitting multiple slides per page
To change orientation:
- Go to Print pane
- Click on Portrait Orientation
- Select Landscape
Print Notes Only
If you want pages with just the typed notes and no slide images, select the Outline View print layout. This removes all slide images and graphical elements and prints only the text content of your presentation.
Other Notes Printing Options
Here are a few other useful ways to print speaker’s notes in PowerPoint 2013:
- Print to PDF – Save your notes as a PDF document that can be easily shared and printed from any device.
- Print a section – Only print selected slides by choosing Custom Range under Settings.
- Presenter view – Display your notes digitally on your laptop screen while presenting using Presenter View.
The ability to easily print notes and supplemental content is a valuable feature in PowerPoint. By following the steps outlined here, you can print clean, professional-looking speaker’s notes to confidently deliver your next presentation!
