Supported file formats in PowerPoint

PowerPoint offers two main functions for saving presentations in different file formats. In addition to the export function introduced in the first part of this series, the "Save As" function allows you to save presentations in formats similar to those used in earlier PowerPoint versions. Slides can be saved as individual images or text documents. The following sections will explain which formats you can use to save your presentations in PowerPoint and what each format is suitable for.

Here's how to access the "Save As" function:

1. Click on “File” in the top left corner.

2. Click on "Save as".

3. Select the desired format from the list of file formats and then click "Save".

PowerPoint-specific file formats

PPTX : The standard format for PowerPoint presentations from PowerPoint version 2007 onwards. This format is recommended for most purposes and contains the presentation including all embedded content.

PPTM : If a presentation contains one or more macros, PowerPoint automatically detects this and requires it to be saved in PPTM format. The presentation can then be used and shared in the same way as in PPTX format.

PPT : This is the standard format in PowerPoint for versions prior to 2007. This format is useful when the presentation needs to be compatible with older PowerPoint versions, but it has a number of technical limitations and is not compatible with all the features of newer PowerPoint versions.

POTX, POT, POTM : These file formats are used to save presentation templates, which are then used to format and design new presentations. POTX is the standard for PowerPoint from version 2007 onwards, POT for earlier versions of PowerPoint, and POTM is the file format for presentation templates that contain macros.

PPAM, PPA : These formats are used to store PowerPoint add-ins. Add-ins are small programs that extend the functionality of PowerPoint by adding additional commands and new, specific features.

THMX: PowerPoint uses the THMX format to store themes that contain a preset color scheme, font colors and types, or design effects. This allows you to save a theme independently of the content and apply it to other presentations.

PPSX, PPSM, PPS : These files save a presentation as a "slide show." When opened, the presentation starts directly in full-screen mode as a slideshow and can be used for a presentation. The files can also be opened in PowerPoint for editing. PPSX is the file format for PowerPoint 2007 and later, PPSM for presentations with macros, and PPS for PowerPoint versions prior to 2007.

File formats independent of PowerPoint

PDF, XPS : PDF and XPS documents are based on the PostScript standard and are characterized by the fact that the document design, including non-standard fonts and formatting, remains consistent across all applications. Therefore, these formats are particularly useful for finished presentations intended for distribution.

WMV : The Windows Media Video format is a video format natively supported by Windows and also by many other programs and display devices. When you save a presentation as a video file, it plays automatically and is created with the set transition and fade-in times. Be sure to always keep the original PowerPoint file alongside it, as making changes to the video file is much more difficult.

MOV, MP4 : The MOV file format is a video file format and the natively supported standard for QuickTime and the Apple operating system macOS. The MP4 file format was developed as a successor to MOV and is now natively supported by many devices and software applications. As with other video formats, it's important to ensure that slide transitions are configured appropriately and that the original PowerPoint file is retained for potential editing. These export options are particularly relevant for Microsoft Office for Mac.

ODP : The OpenDocument presentation format is an alternative standard to PowerPoint formats such as PPTX and was developed as an internationally standardized, open standard. This file format allows the use of most PowerPoint features, with the advantage that users of other office suites such as LibreOffice or OpenOffice can also use this file format natively in their software applications.

RTF : When saving a presentation in Rich Text Format, only the structured text of the presentation is retained, without images, graphics, or animations. The textual formatting is preserved and can be edited in the RTF file using a word processing program such as Word. RTF is supported by many other programs and, due to the absence of macros and other dynamic elements, is generally considered a secure file format.

XML : The XML format is a text file format whose file extension comes from the abbreviation for Extensible Markup Language (XML). XML files are used in many situations in various software applications and typically contain machine-readable text that can also include metadata for presentation purposes. You can save presentations as XML files and open and edit them again in PowerPoint. The only limitation is that some PowerPoint-specific features may not be fully available.

Image file formats for storage

For all image formats, you can choose before saving whether all slides should be saved as individual images or only selected slides.

JPG: A compressed file format widely used, especially for web graphics. Many digital cameras also save captured images in this format. JPG is very widely supported and can be displayed on almost all devices.

PNG: Developed primarily for web use, it offers lossless compression and a very compact file size. The PNG format does not support the CMYK color model and is therefore only suitable for screen graphics.

GIF: Like PNG, GIF offers lossless compression, but has technical limitations regarding color depth. The primary use for GIF is to display short, animated image sequences that do not require interaction.

TIF: An important format for file exchange in prepress. The file size is generally much larger than that of JPEG or PNG, which is why it is primarily used in offline environments.

BMP: A raster graphics format that was particularly widespread in earlier versions of Windows. Its color depth is limited to a maximum of 32 bits, and its compression is less efficient than JPEG. While still widely supported, it is becoming increasingly less common compared to more modern formats.

EMF, WMF : Windows Enhanced Metafile (EMF) and Windows Metafile (WMF) are image file formats that function based on arbitrarily scalable vectors and are primarily intended for lossless data exchange between programs. As with other image formats, when saving a WMF or EMF file, you can specify whether to save individual slides or all slides in a presentation. These file formats typically result in much larger file sizes than compressed image file formats and can be particularly useful for lossless transfer of presentations to print.

The first article in this series explains how to use PowerPoint's export function to export your presentations for specific use cases. The next article will cover older file formats and how to choose the right one for your needs.