There are two basic slide sizes in PowerPoint: Standard (4:3) and Widescreen (16:9). You can also select Custom Slide Size, if you want to optimize your presentation for a variety of other formats.
The Standard slide size has a 4:3 aspect ratio and is a good choice, if you’re presenting on older hardware. Newer computer monitors, laptop screens, and projectors use a 16:9 aspect ratio so, most of the time, you should select Widescreen.
We cover this topic in our Microsoft PowerPoint training but if you just want to learn how to change slide size in PowerPoint, read on!
How to Change the Size of Slides in PowerPoint
To change the slide size in PowerPoint:
- Click the Slide Size button on the Design tab in the Customize group.
A drop-down menu appears. - Select Standard (4:3), Widescreen (16:9), or Custom Slide Size… to update the size of slides in your presentation.
You Can Only Choose One PowerPoint Slide Size
This might seem obvious but it’s important.
You can only choose one slide size in PowerPoint for the entire presentation. It’s not possible multiple slide sizes in the same presentation.
What Settings Are Available Under Custom Slide Size?
What about the Custom Slide Size setting… what’s going on there?
If you’re going to distribute your PowerPoint presentation in a printed format, using an overhead projector, or you want to create 35mm slides, Custom Slide Size might be your best bet.
You can change the slide size using any of the options shown in the drop-down menu (below).
Notice that you can also change the setting from Landscape to Portrait in the Orientation section in the Slide Size dialog box. This is how to make PowerPoint vertical.
Will You Change the Size of Your Slides in PowerPoint?
Now that you know how to change slide size in PowerPoint, will you adjust the size of slides in your presentation?
I think this feature will be useful any time you want to optimize your PowerPoint presentation for an overhead projector, 35mm slides, or distribution in printed format.
