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Add, embed, insert, open, and save PPT files and PDFs
PowerPoint files are generally used for presentations, and they are built in the program Microsoft PowerPoint. In this post, we explain how you can convert PPT files to PDF, how you can add PDFs to PPT, and how you can convert PDFs into PPT.
What is a PowerPoint?
Some people use the branded term “PowerPoint” to refer to any presentation, kind of like the way all tissues became “Kleenex” decades ago. Still, PowerPoint is a branded term that, technically, refers to presentations that are created by the Microsoft PowerPoint program. However, the term is also used to refer to presentations created in other programs like Google Slides, Apple Keynote, Canva and others.
They can be spotted by the .PPT or .PPTX file extension at the end of the file name. PowerPoints are unique in that they’re not entirely text-based like most documents. PowerPoints commonly have graphics, pictures, graphs, and other visual elements, including animations.
What Are PowerPoints Used For?
Although PowerPoints are an incredibly useful and unique tool for presentations, they’re not the easiest to send and receive. Depending on the operating system or version of the program that’s used to open and view the .PPT file, the presentation may look dramatically different from what the original creator intended. Also, original PPT files can be massive because they may include photos, GIFs, videos, and other design features that take a lot of memory.
If you’re planning to share a PowerPoint and are unsure if recipients are using the same version or program, consider converting your PowerPoint to a PDF. The PDF is one of the best file formats for sending information through the web, as they will always appear with the same formatting settings across any device or program. PDFs can easily be opened with a web browser, so anyone can view the PowerPoint as the original creator intended it.
In this guide, we’ll be answering some common questions about PowerPoints and PDFs, so you can work with .PPT files like a pro.
Answers to FAQs about PPT and PDF Files
How to insert or add a PDF into a PowerPoint?
PDFs can be put into a PowerPoint, but the process can be tricky. You can insert a single-page PDF into a PowerPoint and use it as an image on a slide. Alternatively, you can convert a multi-page PDF into an editable PowerPoint, using a PDF to PPT converter. Some versions of Microsoft PowerPoint will allow you to embed PDFs as objects, but the process can be glitchy, depending on the version of PowerPoint that you are running. To troubleshoot the PDF-PowerPoint insertion process, see this article on Microsoft’s support site.
PowerPoint does accept many common image formats (JPG, GIF, PNG to name a few) if you’d like to place a graphic in your presentation that was originally in a PDF. Consider taking a screenshot or using the snipping tool on your computer to grab an image from the PDF. You can then copy and paste the image directly into your presentation.
How do you save a PowerPoint as a PDF?
Most versions of PowerPoint have a function that allows you to save a PowerPoint as a PDF. To do this, click File and then Print. In your Destination tab, select Save as PDF.
Alternatively, select File and then Download if you’re using a cloud-based PDF editor such as Google Slides. You can then download your presentation directly as a PDF.
Finally, you can use PDF.Live’s PPT to PDF converter to quickly convert any PPT to a PDF without having to open a PowerPoint editing software.
How do you open a PDF in PowerPoint?
PowerPoint editing software will only allow you to edit files with .ppt extensions. Trying to open a PDF in PowerPoint will not convert it into a PPT. Fortunately, it’s possible to convert your PDF on your own with PDF.Live’s PDF to PPT converter.
Simply drag and drop your PowerPoint into the converter and your PDF will be converted to a .ppt file. This presentation can then be opened in Microsoft PowerPoint.
How do you embed a PDF in a PPT?
PowerPoints allow you to insert links in text and to pictures and objects, similar to the way web pages may have hyperlinks that navigate you to another webpage like this. This means that you can embed a link to a PDF within a PowerPoint presentation.
Use a cloud-based web storage site like Google Drive to do this. Upload a PowerPoint to Google Drive and then copy its URL (right click >> Share >> Copy Link). Highlight a piece of text or image that you want to connect the PDF to. Right click it and select Link. You will then be able to insert a link that will navigate a user to a specific web page when clicked.
How do you save a PPT as a PDF with notes?
If you’re using a PowerPoint software and included important notes in your presentation, you may want to include them in the PDF version of your PowerPoint. In the process we described above, when you save a PPT as a PDF, there’s an extra step that you can take to ensure that the PDF version of your PPT still has the notes you made.
When selecting File and Print in your PowerPoint app, look for options called Show Details and/or Notes. This will differ slightly depending on what presentation editing software you use. For example, if you use Google Slides, when you enter the Print Preview of your presentation, you’ll see a dropdown menu to print your PDF with notes attached.
Note that if you select this option, your PDF’s format may be skewed or changed dramatically.
