The export function

PowerPoint allows you to export presentations in a variety of formats. This enables you to play presentations on many different devices or share them with colleagues, employees, or other interested parties. It also allows you to easily control how the presentation content is displayed to the recipient.

This article explains how to access the four primary export options in PowerPoint, their specific features, and when to use them.

You can access the export function in PowerPoint as follows:

1. First, click on the "File" tab.

2. Select the "Save and Send" option from the menu on the left.

3. Under the heading "File types" you will find the different export options.

Export options in PowerPoint:

Export as PDF or XPS document

PDF is an open standard for text and image documents, whose greatest strength lies in its consistent interpretation across many different programs and systems. A PDF document looks the same whether viewed on an iPhone running iOS or on a desktop computer running Windows. XPS is a document standard developed by Microsoft that pursues similar goals to PDF, but lacks support for dynamic features and is currently far less widespread.

Exporting as a PDF document is particularly recommended if you want to make your presentation available for viewing before or after the presentation. The format can be displayed on almost all common devices and preserves the formatting and visual design you defined for your presentation. You can also use a PDF document for the actual presentation during a lecture; compared to presentation files in PowerPoint format (.PPT or .PPTX), this has the advantage that neither PowerPoint nor the PowerPoint Viewer needs to be installed on the device.

Create a video

A presentation can also be saved as a video. The transition times defined in the settings are used to automatically switch between slides when the video is played. The video is saved as a Windows Media Video in WMV format (from PowerPoint 2013 onwards, videos can also be saved in MPEG4 format) and can therefore be played on many different devices.

With additional software applications (such as the free software HandBrake), you can convert the video file to a different format if needed. Preparing a presentation as a video is particularly useful if you want to create a lecture video with an additional spoken presentation. In addition to the export function, there is also the "Record Slide Show" function under the "Slide Show" tab, which allows you to trigger transitions manually. Simultaneously, you can record an audio track for the presentation using a microphone.

Packaging a screen presentation for CD

This option allows you to export the presentation, including all custom, linked files and used fonts, to a storage medium such as a CD or USB drive. This option is particularly useful for complex presentations that rely on custom fonts, graphics, video, or sound files.

This ensures that all files required for correct display are reliably included. The exported files are designed to run automatically when the storage medium is inserted. For the presentation to display correctly, at least the PowerPoint Viewer must be installed on the presentation device.

Create handouts

This option allows you to transfer a presentation to Microsoft Word, where you can adjust and optimize it for printing. Before switching to Word, you can select how many slides should be displayed per page and whether additional space should be left for the audience to take notes alongside the slide content.

Handouts are an excellent way to provide listeners with materials for preparing for or following up on a presentation or lecture. Exporting them to Word allows content to be quickly adapted, shortened, or expanded without altering the presentation itself. Besides the option to print the handouts, they can also be saved as Word documents or PDFs for digital distribution.

In the following parts of this article series ( Part 2 and Part 3 ) you will learn which file formats are available in PowerPoint for saving your presentation and which file types are best suited for which use cases.