📎 This article includes 1 downloadable practice file ↓
In this article
The deck is done. Now it has to reach people: as a PDF for the record, handouts for a meeting, a video for those who missed it, or a shared link for co-workers to edit.
File › Export › Create PDF/XPS. Under Options:
- Publish what: Slides (default), Handouts (several per page) or Notes pages (slide + your notes, great for a “reading” version).
- Range: all, current or specific slides.
Animations don’t exist in PDF; stacked objects appear all at once, so check builds look fine.
Print handouts
File › Print › change “Full Page Slides” to Handouts › 3 Slides (with lines for notes) or 6 per page. Tick Frame Slides. Choose Grayscale to save colour ink. Edit the handout header/footer under View › Handout Master.
Video
File › Export › Create a Video: choose resolution (1080p is usually right), seconds per slide, or Use Recorded Timings and Narrations if you recorded with Record › From Beginning. It’s an MP4 you can upload or send.
Shrink the file
- Compress pictures (Lesson 3): Web 150 ppi, delete cropped areas.
- File › Info › Compress Media for embedded video and audio.
- Delete unused layouts in the Slide Master.
- Don’t embed fonts unless needed (File › Options › Save).
Share instead of attaching
Save to OneDrive/SharePoint, click Share, choose Can view or Can edit and who the link works for. Co-authors see each other’s edits live; File › Info › Version History restores older versions. Comments with @mentions notify people.
Before sending outside
File › Info › Check for Issues › Inspect Presentation finds speaker notes, comments, hidden slides and off-slide content. Notes often contain things clients shouldn’t read.
Where beginners go wrong
| Mistake | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Sending .pptx with internal notes | Client reads your private remarks |
| Full-page colour printouts | Wasted paper; use handouts |
| 80 MB email attachment | Bounced; compress or share a link |
| Linked charts in a deck sent outside | “Update links?” prompts; break links first (File › Info › Edit Links) |
That’s the PowerPoint course. Next: the Outlook Beginner Course.
Practice
Download the practice deck below. Export it as PDF, handouts and video, and reduce its size. The first slide lists your tasks.
📎 Practice files for this article
- 📙Lesson 8 practice deckExport the pitch deck as PDF, handouts and video, and shrink its size.⬇ PPTX · 39 KB
Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.
Stuck on a step? Ask a question and the AI answers using this article.