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 feature in the PDF.Live studio. 

Simply drag and drop the document you want converted to a PowerPoint into the converter and your PDF will be converted to a .ppt file. You can also select a PDF that you’ve already uploaded or edited with the PDF.Live editor under the From PDF.Live tab. 

Once you’ve found the document you want to convert to a PowerPoint, click Continue. 

Select Convert to PowerPoint. 

This presentation can then be downloaded 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. 

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About PDFs and PDF Makers

If you browse the internet and download a document, chances are you’ve run into a portable document format, or PDF. They’re the best document format for sharing information through the web. But why is this?

When we create and share information in the form of a document, there’s a lot more than just words that are put on the page. Text size, font, margins, bolding, and photos and graphics are examples of extra information that a document may have.

The problem is that not every document editing tool agrees on document formatting or coding. Microsoft Word may have different font size settings than Google Docs, and the document will completely differ between these programs. This may not be a problem for you, but if you want to share a document with someone else, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be seeing the same document editor as you.

Enter the PDF: A document format that will always look the same for whoever opens it across any device. PDFs are excellent ways to share information, as the formatting settings remain the same across nearly every device.

This all sounds great, but you’re still wondering: How do I make a PDF?

In this how-to article, we’ll cover some of the various ways you can make PDFs. We’ll show you how easy it is to create a PDF from scratch, as well as how to convert a document to a PDF.

3 Easy Ways to Make a File into a PDF

1. Save as …

Did you know you can use most standard document editors to make PDFs? In this method, you save your document not as its default format (for example .doc, .xls or .ppt), but as a .pdf. 

When you’re building a document in a program like Microsoft Word or Apple Pages, sending it in a .doc or .docx file format results in the images, font, text size, and more potentially changing between programs. The person on the other end may not see the same document that you’ve built.

You can create a PDF in most document editors easily.

Note that you can’t just change the extension of a file from, for example, .doc to .pdf; the originating program (Microsoft Word) has to have a built-in function that allows you to Save as and select PDF.

2. Print to …

You can create a PDF using the print function from most document creation apps and web browsers. The short version is that if you have a document or web page open, you can press Ctrl + P (on a Windows PC) or Command + P (on a Mac) to print that page or document. 

You will see the printers that are connected to your network listed. Instead of selecting a printer, navigate to Save as PDF. Select the destination “Save as PDF” and you’ll create a PDF from that webpage.

Print box with red arrows pointing to Save as PDF and the PDF option button in the lower-left corner of the screen on a Mac.

In the above image, we used a Mac to print from Microsoft Word. If you’re using a Windows PC or different version of Word, your print function may look different, but most programs have this ability. Excel, PowerPoint, Google Docs and more will let you Save as a PDF in the Print section.

When you click Print, instead of printing a physical document, the document editor will save a copy of the document as a PDF. You will then be able to select the destination on your computer that you’d like the PDF to be saved in.

The idea is similar across most commonly used apps; select Print, find the PDF option (Print to PDF, Save as PDF) and follow the on-screen prompts.

3. Convert …

If you’ve got a document you want to change to a PDF, you can convert it with an online converter like PDF.Live. Our convert to PDF tool will let you upload a .doc, .xls, .ppt, or .jpg file and convert it to a PDF. You can try it for free. It’s web-based, so no software downloads are needed.

The converter tool is useful for when you need to change a PDF that you receive, as PDFs can be difficult to make major edits to.

Because the converter tool functions entirely online, it will work on Windows, Mac, Linux and ChromeOS! As long as your device can have a document file on it, the converter will work to convert the file to a PDF.

To make a PDF from another file, like an Excel or PowerPoint file for free online, check out PDF.Live’s free-to-try PDF conversion services.

With the online PDF maker, you simply drag and drop your .doc, .xls, .jpeg or .ppt into the tool, and PDF.Live will convert that file into a PDF. You’ll then be able to download a PDF of that document. This is handy for when you don’t have the capability to open that file right now and need a PDF version of it immediately.

PDF.Live’s conversion services don’t require additional software downloads to install or function — it works entirely in your web browser. PDF.Live is free to try and has many additional capabilities, like an online PDF fax and PDF editor. If you like it, you can check out PDF.Live’s unlimited monthly PDF service options.

Other Things to Do With a PDF Maker App

We conclude our how-to post by explaining how to make other changes in PDF files. PDF.Live offers limited free tasks every day, and for our super-users, we offer an affordable subscription that gives you unlimited PDF tasks and editing abilities. See our pricing page.

Making one PDF from several

Looking to make several PDFs into one? Create a single PDF from multiple PDFs with an online PDF merge service. With this PDF merge tool, simply drag and drop the PDFs that you want to merge into the tool and create a single PDF from those files. Follow the prompts to download your merged PDF.

Edit or change PDFs

Our web-based PDF editor requires no software downloads. Click and drag to the PDF editing tool. Use the editor to reorder the pages or remove pages you don’t want. Change the text, images, formatting, and more. Make small adjustments to a PDF directly from your web browser. Once you’re done editing your PDF, you can download the edited version directly from the web page. If you’re curious about learning more, check out Cool things the PDF.Live editor does.

Sign a PDF

One of the most popular features of our online PDF creator web-based app is the Sign a PDF tool. From any page on PDF.Live’s site, select PDF Editor. Then select Sign PDF. Click and drag your file to the online tool and then follow the prompts. You’ll be able to upload a photo of your signature and place it on a PDF, or you can use a mouse to physically draw your signature.

The post How Do You Make a PDF File? How to Create a PDF appeared first on pdf.live.

List of PDF Tools for Collaborating, Converting, Editing

To help you manage your documents easier, we’ve compiled a tool box that you can use for your PDFs. This “tool box” is a list of software applications that will help you do different things with your PDF. We’ll list some online browser services, subscription-based applications, and some free-to-use programs that let you do whatever you need to with your PDFs. 

Online PDF Tools vs PDF Software 

Your PDF tools will be separated into two broad categories: online tools and software applications. 

Online PDF Platforms

An online PDF platform functions on almost any device entirely from your web browser. You’ll just visit that website and access a host of different PDF services available. PDF.Live is an example of an online PDF platform.

Pros of online PDF platforms

• Easy to access and use on any PC, laptop (Mac and Windows)
• Some PDF solutions are free
• No additional downloads

Cons of online PDF platforms

• Requires an internet connection (doesn’t work offline)
• May have limited free use (requires subscription)
• May only have a single function (such as a tool that just merges PDFs)

Software Downloads

A PDF management software is a program that you download to your computer and boot up similar to Microsoft Office apps (Word, Excel). Adobe Acrobat is an example of a software downloaded and installed app for PDF management. 

Pros of PDF downloadable apps

• No internet connection required to use (works offline)
• May be an all-in-one tool (a lot of different functions in a single application)
• May run faster depending on your computer’s hardware

Cons of downloadable PDF apps

• Requires additional space on your device (and you’ll have to download and install app updates)
• May run in the background of your computer’s functions 
• Subscription or payment may be required to use

PDF Converter Programs

PDF converters change your documents to and from PDFs into other file types. The most common way you’ll convert a PDF is to and from a Microsoft Word document. Word documents are very easy to edit, as PDFs will preserve their formatting settings across any device. 

Web-based PDF converter tools can be found across the web. For example, PDF.Live’s web-based PDF converter allows you to convert Doc, Excel, PowerPoint, and JPG files to PDFs and PDF files to Doc, Excel, and PPT files. 

Other tools online may have more niche uses, such as just converting PDFs to PNG, BMP, GIF, TIFF and RTF and other formats (and vice versa). Some tools may be better than others, so make sure you’re using something that’s reputable and trustworthy by checking user reviews. Also, be aware of what you’re downloading from other sites. PDF.Live will have you download your converted files. You should never need to download and run an .exe file from these services. 

PDF Editor Applications

There are a lot of PDF editors that are both web-based and downloadable applications. PDF.Live’s editor is an example of a web-based toolkit that will let you alter PDFs entirely within your web browser. PDF.Live’s editor allows you to change text, images, and other formatting settings of a PDF.

You can try the PDF editor for free and consider a subscription for unlimited use if you like it and have more edits to do. 

There are other PDF editors that are applications rather than web-based. This means that you’ll download a program and then open your PDF with that program to make edits to your PDF. 

Our PDF editor lets you do the following:

• Add text
• Edit existing text
• Sign
• Add images 
• Annotate (for proofreading)
• Rearrange pages
• Add and remove pages
• Draw 
• Add hyperlinks
• Highlight text and objects
• And so much more!

PDF Annotating Tools

PDF annotators are handy for when you’re editing a document and need to make comments on that document. You should look for a PDF annotator tool that freely allows you to comment, highlight, and annotate any PDF you’re working on. 

Some PDF editors, such as PDF.Live’s editor, have annotation features built-in. Other PDF readers such as Mac’s PDF Preview will have annotation capabilities. The aforementioned Adobe Acrobat also has this capability. 

If you’re a student looking to take notes on a PDF, consider an application like Flexcil that’s meant to be used on touch-screen devices. This program is geared more toward note-taking for studying and researching. 

PDF Snipping Tool

Want to take screenshots of specific sections of your PDF? You already actually have a program that can do this built into your computer! The snipping tool allows you to draw rectangles on specific sections of your computer screen and create image files based on those sections. This is incredibly useful for taking snapshots of specific sections of your PDF. 

You can even save your snapshot as a JPG and convert that file to a PDF using PDF.Live’s JPG to PDF converter tool. 

PDF Inspection Tools

Need a tool to inspect the details of a PDF before you share or print it? This information isn’t immediately available to view without a specific program that knows how to “open up” and inspect a PDF. 

For an application that can do this, check out Adobe Preflight. This tool is generally used before print production of PDF documents and will inspect elements such as the colors, fonts, and visibility of certain content. Not the most common tool, but incredibly useful in the right situation! 

Misc PDF Tools

There are a lot of other very specific PDF management tools out there. If you’ve got a specific function in mind, consider looking through PDF.Live’s editor to see if that function is built into our tool. Here are some other common tools that you may be looking for.  

PDF measuring tool

Worried about the size of your PDF when you print it out as a physical document? A PDF measuring tool helps you find the size, in inches or centimeters, of specific sections of your document. This is needed when drafting a PDF that will be printed as a physical document. Adobe Acrobat has a grids and measurements guide that’s useful for this!

PDF quality enhancer

PDF quality enhancers will upscale and enhance your PDFs so that they’re more legible for people that are viewing them. Quality enhancers are most commonly used with physical documents that have been scanned and then converted to a digital PDF document. PDF quality enhancers may also increase the size of your PDF, so be careful when using them. 

PDF comparison tool

Want to look at two different PDFs side by side to spot differences? This is a niche tool, but Diffchecker will help you with this. You can upload two different PDFs and this tool will spot the differences. Useful for reviewing the edits of a document. 

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