PowerPoint is one of the most widely used tools for presentations in business, education and events. While slides are designed to be shown on a screen, the notes section is often used by speakers to add extra context, talking points or reminders. Printing your PowerPoint presentation with notes can be useful whether you are rehearsing your delivery, providing handouts or archiving material for future use. This article explains how to print PowerPoint slides with notes across different devices and versions, along with tips to format and prepare your files for the best results.
What Are PowerPoint Notes
Each PowerPoint slide includes a speaker notes area underneath the main slide content. These notes are not visible to the audience during a presentation unless you choose to show them. They are designed to help presenters remember key messages or to expand on the information shown visually on the slide.
Notes can also be used to add additional context for readers who are reviewing the slides later or to provide a printed script. This is particularly helpful for training materials, lectures or recorded sessions where extra detail supports the content.
Printing Slides with Notes in PowerPoint on Windows
To print your PowerPoint presentation with notes on a Windows computer, open your file in Microsoft PowerPoint. Then go to the File tab and select Print. Under the Settings section, click on the drop-down menu that usually says “Full Page Slides.” From the list of options, choose “Notes Pages.”
The preview pane on the right will now show one slide per page with the speaker notes underneath. From there you can select your printer, adjust the number of copies and choose other options such as colour or double-sided printing. Once you are happy with the settings, click Print to produce your slides with notes.
Printing Slides with Notes on a Mac
If you are using PowerPoint on a Mac, the process is slightly different but still straightforward. Open your presentation and go to File then select Print. In the print dialogue box, you will see a section labelled Layout or Print What depending on your version of PowerPoint. Click on this menu and choose “Notes.”
As with the Windows version, this prints one slide per page with your speaker notes shown below. Use the preview function to check that your notes fit properly and are not cut off. If you need to adjust the font size or spacing, return to your presentation and edit the notes before printing again.
Saving as PDF with Notes
If you prefer to save your slides with notes as a PDF rather than printing them directly, you can do this within PowerPoint. Go to File and select Export or Save As depending on your version. Choose PDF as the file type, then select “Options” or “More Options” if available.
From the export settings, make sure to choose “Notes Pages” under the “Publish What” section. This creates a PDF where each page includes a slide with its corresponding speaker notes. Saving as a PDF is useful if you want to share the presentation electronically or print it later from a different device.
Tips for Formatting Notes Before Printing
When printing notes pages, be aware of how much content is in each notes section. PowerPoint will shrink the text to fit on the page but very long notes may become difficult to read. To avoid this, keep notes concise and use bullet points or short sentences where possible.
You can also adjust the font size manually in the notes view. Click on the Notes button at the bottom of the PowerPoint window, then highlight your text and choose a larger or smaller font as needed. This will help ensure your printed pages are clear and easy to follow.
If your presentation includes charts or images that take up most of the slide, make sure the notes still have enough space to display properly. The print preview is the best place to check how everything will look before committing to a full print run.
Alternative Print Layouts with Notes
If you need to save paper or prefer a more compact layout, you might consider printing handouts instead. While handouts do not automatically include notes, you can combine slides and notes by creating a custom layout in Word.
In PowerPoint, go to File then select Export. Choose “Create Handouts” and then click “Create Handouts in Microsoft Word.” You will be able to select a format that places slides next to or above your notes. This opens a Word document with the content arranged accordingly which you can then edit or print.
This method gives you more flexibility in formatting and can be useful for longer presentations or workshop material where you need space to annotate or add extra comments.
Using PowerPoint Online to Print with Notes
If you are using PowerPoint through a web browser with Microsoft 365, you can still print slides with notes but the steps are slightly different. After opening your presentation, click File then select Print. Choose “Print with Notes” if the option is available. If not, you may need to download the file and open it in the desktop version of PowerPoint to access full print features.
PowerPoint Online is useful for quick edits and sharing but may not support all formatting or print layout options found in the desktop software.
Final Thoughts
Printing PowerPoint slides with notes is a useful way to rehearse your presentation, create speaker guides or share detailed content with others. Whether you use a Windows PC, Mac or PowerPoint Online, the process is easy once you know where to find the right settings. Just remember to check your formatting, preview your layout and adjust your notes where needed to ensure a clean and professional printout. With the right preparation, your printed notes can become a valuable part of your presentation toolkit.