presentation page size

Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts – Claim Your FREE Training Module and Get Your Time Back!

How to Change Your PowerPoint Slide Size (16:9 vs. 4:3)

• PowerPoint Tutorials
• March 10, 2019

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to change your slide size in PowerPoint.

That way you can create slides for any situation including on-screen presentations, printed documents, posters, postcards, handouts, etc.

First off, the two most used PowerPoint slide sizes are:

• 16:9 ratio  for onscreen presentations and new overhead projectors. This is the default setting for the latest versions of PowerPoint.
• 4:3 ratio  for printing slides on standard 8.5 x 11 pieces of paper as handouts.

When starting with a blank PowerPoint presentation, changing your slide size is super easy and straightforward. If not, there are a few issues you’ll need to deal with, each covered below.

That’s why it’s worth figuring out what slide size you need BEFORE you build your presentation. If you later convert your presentation to a different size, it can be painful!

It’s just like the old carpenter saying, “measure twice and cut once.” In PowerPoint, you’ll want to “ask twice (to double confirm the required size) and build once.”

Changing your PowerPoint slide size does not make your PowerPoint presentation larger or smaller. To reduce your PowerPoint file size, you need to learn how to compress a PowerPoint presentation .

Table of Contents

How to change your powerpoint slide size.

By default, new PowerPoint presentations start in the 16:9 slide size format.

This is the NEW standard for most modern overhead projects and monitors and is recommended for most presentations. That said, you can easily change your slide size to something else.

To change your slide size in PowerPoint, simply:

• Navigate to the  Design tab
• Open the  Slide Size  drop down menu
• Select  4:3 ,  16:9  or  Custom Slide Size  (see options below)

When starting with a blank presentation, you are now good to go. You will not have to worry about any of the conversion issues discussed below.

Notice too, how much wider the 16:9 slide size is versus the 4:3 slide size in the picture below. The new size gives you more room for the content on your slides.

When you are converting an existing presentation to a new slide size, you will additionally be given the following prompt:

“You are scaling to a new slide size. Would you like to maximize the size of your content, or scale it down to ensure it will fit on the new slide?

Maximize  leaves all your content as is on your slide, even if it no longer fits on the new slide size that you selected.

Ensure Fit  scales down your content in proportion to the new slide size you have selected. You will only see this option when moving from a larger slide size to a smaller one.

Custom PowerPoint slide sizes

Choosing  Custom  for your slide size gives you additional options to work with. Inside the dialog box you can choose your size on the left and your orientation on the right.

On top of that, you can also input your own custom slide size. However, I recommend using one of the preset PowerPoint dimension options.

• On-screen show (4:3)
• Letter Paper (8.5×11 in)
• A3 Paper (297×420 mm)
• B4 (ISO) Paper (250×353 mm)
• B5 (ISO) Paper (176×250 mm)
• 35mm Slides
• On-screen Show (16:9)
• On-screen show (16:10)

For your orientation options on the right-hand side of the dialog box, you can choose between  Landscape  and  Portrait .

In most situations, you will want one of the default settings. Best practice is  Landscape  for your presentation slides and  Portrait  for your printed notes, handouts and outlines.

Issues when converting 4:3 to the 16:9 slide size in PowerPoint

When converting an existing 4:3 presentation with content into the 16:9 format, you are not given any conversion options. Instead, PowerPoint simply does the conversion for you, which can create several problems.

There are two issues you will face in the new 16:9 slide size.

The first issue is that all the images on your slide master (including company logos) will be stretched to fit the new, larger slide size.

To fix the stretched images, you will need to fix those images (or reinsert them) on your slide master, as if you were creating a PowerPoint template from scratch.

The second issue you will face in the larger 16:9 slide size is that you will have a lot of extra white space on your slides.

While you can leave the space blank, doing so will make your content look weird. Ideally you don’t want a lot of white empty space like that on your slides. Especially since all your font sizes will be so small.

That’s why if you have the time, I recommend resizing your content to fill in the white space. You can do this by either increasing the font size of your content, or adding additional visuals that support your message.

Issues when converting 16:9 to the 4:3 slide size in PowerPoint​

When converting an existing 16:9 presentation to the 4:3 slide size, you are given the option to either  Maximize  or  Ensure Fit  (both covered below).

1. The Maximize option

This option means that the content on your slides will not be resized to fit the 4:3 slide size. The same is true if you move to any smaller slide size.

Maximize Issue #1:  All the images on your slide master (including your company logo) will be distorted.

You might also have issues with other content placeholders, slide backgrounds or anything else that was built on your slide master.  For these issues, you’ll first need to navigate to your Slide Master. Once you are there, you either adjust (or rebuild) your PowerPoint template so that everything fits properly.

Maximize Issue #2:  Your content will not be scaled down to the smaller slide size. Instead, you’ll have overhanging content as pictured above.

For these kinds of spacing issues, you will need to work through your slides to adjust your content.

One recommendation as you move from the larger 16:9 slide size to 4:3, is to break up your slides. Take the contents from one larger slide and break it into two (or even three) separate slides.

Breaking up your content is preferable to just cramming more content on the smaller slide space. Doing so will make your content easier to read when presented on an overhead projector.

2. The Ensure Fit option

This option means that PowerPoint will scale down your content to fit the smaller slide size based on the size you selected.

Ensure Fit Issue #1:  Distorted images, slide backgrounds and anything else that PowerPoint had to automatically resize on your slide master.

To fix these issues, you’ll need to navigate to your slide master and adjust (or rebuild) your template to make everything fit.

Ensure Fit Issue #2:  Your content will be scaled down to fit your new slide size, leaving you with a lot of white space. In addition, all your font sizes will be smaller, making them hard to read.

For small content like this, you’ll need to work through your slides and resize your content accordingly. Keep in mind the people at the back of the room too when choosing a new font style and size.

Saving your custom slide size as a PowerPoint theme

If want to use your own custom slide size for all your future PowerPoint presentations, you can save and set it as a PowerPoint theme.

This is a two-step process as discussed below.

1. Save your custom slide size as a theme

To save your custom slide size (and settings) as your own custom PowerPoint theme, simply:

• Open the M ore options
• Click  Save Current Theme
• Name your Theme (and don’t change the file location it saves to)
• Click  Save

2. Set your custom theme as the default

To set a custom PowerPoint theme as the default for all your future presentations, simply:

• Open the  More options
• Right-click  your custom theme
• Select  Set as Default Presentation
• Close out of PowerPoint (and do not save any presentations if it prompts you)

Once you’ve set your own custom theme as the Default Presentation, it will open every time you start PowerPoint. This saves you from always having to switch your slide sizes.

So that’s how you can change your PowerPoint slide size, either before or after you create your presentation.

And although you are given a lot of flexibility in the slide sizes you can choose from, I recommend using the default slide sizes as used by most people.

It’s also important to remember that switching slide sizes after you have built your presentation can be a total pain. So, to the extent possible, figure out your PowerPoint slide size first before you build out your presentation.

If you enjoyed the depth of this article, you’ll love our PowerPoint training courses and other free resources that you can learn more about here .

🔒 Unlock the PowerPoint Shortcuts Trusted by Industry Leaders KKR, American Express, HSBC, and More!

Join over 114,880 professionals from diverse fields including consulting, investment banking, advertising, marketing, sales, and business development who have supercharged their PowerPoint game with our proven methods.

✅ Customize compelling presentations effortlessly.

✅ Master time-saving techniques for faster deck creation.

✅ Boost your career prospects with top-notch PowerPoint skills.

Get FREE access to the Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts module of our premium training course by entering your name and email below.

DISCLAIMER: PC Users Only!

We respect your privacy and will keep your info safe and confidential.

Related Articles

About the author.

Popular Tutorials

• How to Strikethrough Text (l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶) in Word, Excel & PowerPoint
• How to Make Animated Fireworks in PowerPoint (Step-by-Step)
• Strikethrough Shortcut (l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶) for Word, Excel & PowerPoint
• How to Create a Flash Card Memory Game in PowerPoint (Like Jeopardy)
• Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working: Solved

PowerPoint Tutorial Categories

• Strategies & Opinions
• Shortcuts & Hacks
• Presentation Design
• Pictures, Icons, Videos, Etc.
• New Features
• Miscellaneous
• Charts & Data Viz

We help busy professionals save hours and gain peace of mind, with corporate workshops, self-paced courses and tutorials for PowerPoint and Word.

Work With Us

• Corporate Training
• Presentation & Template Design
• Courses & Downloads
• PowerPoint Articles
• Word Articles
• Productivity Resources

Find a Tutorial

• Free Training
• For Businesses

We help busy office workers save hours and gain peace of mind, with tips, training and tutorials for Microsoft PowerPoint and Word.

Master Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts – Secure Your FREE Training Module and Save Valuable Time!

⌛ Master time-saving expert techniques.

🔥 Create powerful presentations.

🚀 Propel your career to new heights.

We value your privacy – we keep your info safe.

Discover PowerPoint Hacks Loved by Industry Giants - KKR, AmEx, HSBC!

Over 114,880 professionals in finance, marketing and sales have revolutionized their PPT skills with our proven methods. 

Gain FREE access to a full module of our premium PowerPoint training program – Get started today!

We hate spam too and promise to keep your information safe.

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from Facebook . To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

How to Change Slide Size or Dimensions in PowerPoint

Change PowerPoint Slide Size (Widescreen, Standard or Custom)

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated September 7, 2023

Applies to: Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® 2016, 2019, 2021 and 365 (Windows)

You can change the slide size or aspect ratio of a PowerPoint presentation in all versions. The default slide size or dimensions in 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 or 365 is widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio). You can also enter a custom slide size if you prefer (including entering slide size in pixels). The best time to set slide size is when you first set up your PowerPoint presentation before you add any content. If you change the size later in the process, you may have to deal with distorted pictures and you may also need to adjust the position and size of various objects on slides in Normal View and in the slide master(s) and layouts in Slide Master View.

The most common slide sizes or aspect ratios are typically used as follows:

• Widescreen or 16:9 aspect ratio is frequently used for onscreen presentations using a projector, monitor or a widescreen TV. Older projectors used the standard aspect ratio but most new projectors are designed for widescreen.
• Standard or 4:3 aspect ratio is often used if slides are intended to be printed on letter size paper.

Slide size changes affect the entire presentation. You cannot change slide size for single slides.

You should never change slide size just before running a presentation as you may not be satisfied with the results. If you already have a presentation with images and other content, it's also a good idea to change slide size on a copy of the presentation so you can keep the original deck and slide size.

Note: Some Ribbon tabs may appear with slightly different names if you are working with PowerPoint 365 and have a smaller screen or different display settings. Buttons on the Ribbon may appear as icons only and are also affected by screen size and display settings.

Recommended article: How to Reduce the Size of PowerPoint Presentations (10 Ways to Compress Your PowerPoint Decks)

Do you want to learn more about PowerPoint?  Check out our virtual classroom or live classroom  PowerPoint courses >

Regardless of the version of PowerPoint you use, you should go through your slides after you change slide size to be sure you are satisfied with the results. Be sure to check the slide master(s) and layouts in Slide Master View as well.

Change slide size to widescreen or standard

To change slide size to widescreen or standard size:

• In Normal View, click the Design tab in the Ribbon.
• Click Slide Size in the Customize group. A drop-down menu appears.
• Select Widescreen, Standard or another option from the drop-down menu. A dialog box appears with options to maximize content or scale to fit (this dialog appears only if you are moving from a larger to a smaller slide size).
• Select the desired option.

Slide Size appears on the Design tab in the Ribbon:

The following dialog box appears in PowerPoint to maximize content or scale to fit only when you change slide size to a smaller size (such as widescreen to standard):

If you select Maximize, the slide content will not be resized when you change to the smaller slide size.

If you select Ensure Fit, PowerPoint will scale your content to fit the smaller slide size.

Change slide size to a custom size

You can use custom slide sizes. Simply choose options from the Slides sized for drop-down menu in the dialog box (such as A4 paper size) or enter custom dimensions.

To change slide size to a custom size:

• Choose Custom Slide Size from the drop-down menu. A dialog box appears.
• Select an option from the Slides sized for drop-down menu or enter the desired slide size in the Height and Width boxes.
• A dialog box appears with options to maximize content or scale to fit (this dialog appears only if you are moving from a larger to a smaller slide size).

Note that the measurement system in PowerPoint dialog boxes is based on your system settings. If you would like to change the measurement system, check out our article on How to Change the Measurement System in PowerPoint.

The following dialog box appears when you select Slide Size and then Custom Slide Size:

You can create posters in PowerPoint by entering a custom slide size such as 36 inches wide by 56 inches high or 91.44 cm wide by 142.24 cm high. The maximum slide size in PowerPoint is 56 inches or 142.24 cm. As a best practice, set the slide size before adding content to the poster.

Many PowerPoint users are not aware that you can enter slide size in pixels (simply enter the measurement with px beside the number). This is useful in a number of situations such as using PowerPoint to create social media posts. If you enter slide size in pixels (such as 200px), when you tab to another box or close the dialog box, PowerPoint changes the pixels to the equivalent in the current measurement system.

Deal with issues when changing slide size

When changing slide size in existing presentations with content, 4 common issues occur:

• Pictures may be distorted as PowerPoint tries to adjust images to fit slide size. Images on slides in Normal View will be affected as well as images on the slide master(s) and layouts. If pictures are distorted, you will need to either manually resize each image or delete them and insert them again.
• Objects such as placeholders and shapes that have been created in PowerPoint are not in the position you'd like. You may need to move objects or reset one or more slides (on the Home tab in the Ribbon, click Reset in the Slides group).
• Extra space is created if you change to a larger slide size. You may need to move or resize objects and adjust the slide master(s) or layouts in Slide Master View.
• If you have changed to a smaller slide size, you may need to increase font size for placeholders and text boxes.

Dimension differences between different slide sizes

In PowerPoint 2013 and later versions, widescreen (16:9) format measurements are different and are set to 13.33 inches wide by 7.5 inches high or 33.867 cm wide by 19.05 cm high. This matches the height of the 4:3 format.

Avoid issues when changing slide size

To avoid issues in PowerPoint related to slide size, you should:

• Try to set slide size as a first step after you create a presentation and before you have entered any content. In 2013 and later versions, the default is widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio).
• If you have changed slide size in a presentation with content, review your slides to be sure you are satisfied with the results. You should also check the slide master(s) and layouts in Slide Master View.
• Never change slide size just before running a presentation as you may not be pleased with the results and you won't have time to fix your slide deck.
• If you have created a presentation with content, make a copy of the presentation first and change slide size on the copy.

Keep in mind that widescreen is normally used for on screen presentations and standard is often used for printed presentations.

This article was first published on October 6, 2019 and has been updated for clarity and content.

Subscribe to get more articles like this one

Did you find this article helpful? If you would like to receive new articles, JOIN our email list.

More resources

How to Blur Text on a PowerPoint Slide

How to Get Slide Design Ideas Using PowerPoint Designer

How to Change Picture Brightness or Contrast in PowerPoint

How to Insert Slide Numbers in PowerPoint Presentations (Step-by-Step)

Where to Find Free Images for Your PowerPoint Presentations (10 Great Stock Photo Sites)

Related courses

Microsoft PowerPoint: Intermediate / Advanced

Microsoft PowerPoint: Design for Non-Designers

Microsoft PowerPoint: Animations Bootcamp

Microsoft Excel: Intermediate / Advanced

VIEW MORE COURSES >

Our instructor-led courses are delivered in virtual classroom format or at our downtown Toronto location at 18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (some in-person classroom courses may also be delivered at an alternate downtown Toronto location). Contact us at [email protected] if you'd like to arrange custom instructor-led virtual classroom or onsite training on a date that's convenient for you.

Copyright 2024 Avantix ® Learning

You may also like

10 Keyboard Shortcuts in PowerPoint's Outline View

The outline has been an integral part of Microsoft PowerPoint for many years. It is dynamically linked to slide placeholders and is organized in a hierarchical way.

How to Change the Thumbnail for a Video in PowerPoint (using the Poster Frame Tool)

If you have inserted a video on a PowerPoint slide, you can display a custom thumbnail (or Poster Frame) for the video during a slide show. The thumbnail will display when you run a PowerPoint slide show and disappears when you start the video. For most videos, the thumbnail that displays is the first frame of the video clip. You can use the Poster Frame command to display a different frame in the video clip or a picture from another source as a thumbnail. A picture thumbnail could be either an image or an icon.

How to Use the Built-in Laser Pointer in PowerPoint (with Shortcuts)

During a PowerPoint slide show, you can change your mouse into a laser pointer to focus attention on a specific area on your slide. You can show or hide the built-in laser pointer using keyboard shortcuts or by using the context menu.

Microsoft, the Microsoft logo, Microsoft Office and related Microsoft applications and logos are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in Canada, US and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of the registered owners.

Avantix Learning |18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C 1C4 | Contact us at [email protected]

Our Courses

Avantix Learning courses are offered online in virtual classroom format or as in-person classroom training. Our hands-on, instructor-led courses are available both as public scheduled courses or on demand as a custom training solution.

All Avantix Learning courses include a comprehensive course manual including tips, tricks and shortcuts as well as sample and exercise files.

VIEW COURSES  >

Contact us at  [email protected]  for more information about any of our courses or to arrange custom training.

Privacy Overview

Pin it on pinterest.

• Print Friendly

How to change the size of slides in Microsoft PowerPoint to match your customized presentation style or screen size

• You can change the size of a slide in your PowerPoint presentation through the "Design" menu. 
• Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to change slide sizes on the Windows PC, Apple MacOS, and web-based apps. 
• Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories .

When it comes to designing your visual presentation, one size does not fit all. 

That's doubly true for PowerPoint presentations, which may be viewed on several platforms and devices. Sometimes PowerPoint's default slide isn't the best option for your project, and the program has a built-in fix for that. 

When you create a presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint, you can customize your slides' size and dimension. This allows you to choose a perfect canvass for your content. 

Microsoft offers the ability to change the size of your slides on the Windows, Mac, and web-based apps. Here's how to do it. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Microsoft office (from $149.99 at best buy), apple macbook pro (from $1,299.00 at apple), acer chromebook 15 (from $179.99 at walmart), how to change slide size in powerpoint for pc.

1. Open an existing PowerPoint file, or start a new presentation.

2. Select "Design" from the top menu bar. 

3. Toward the right, click "Slide Size." 

4. In the drop-down menu, select Standard, Widescreen, or "Custom Slide Size…"

5. When you're done, click "OK." 

How to change slide size in PowerPoint for Mac

1. Create a new presentation, or launch an existing file. 

2. Click "Design" from the top-line row of options.

3. Toward the right, you'll see "Slide Size." Click it for a drop-down menu of options.

4. Select the included Standard or Widescreen options, or click "Page Setup…" for a custom size.

5. Choose "OK" when you're done. 

How to change slide size in PowerPoint for web

1. Navigate to powerpoint.office.com and sign in to your Microsoft account. 

2. Open a new or existing PowerPoint.

3. Select "Design" from the top row of options.

4. Click "Slide Size."

5. Select between Widescreen and Standard, or create custom dimensions with "Custom Slide Size…"

6. If selecting custom, enter the dimensions and then choose whether you want it in landscape or portrait mode. 

7. Choose between maximizing your slide size or scaling it to fit the new dimensions. 

8. Click "OK." 

Related coverage from Tech Reference :

How to download and access microsoft powerpoint on your mac computer, how to add a border to slides in powerpoint, and give your slideshow a sleek design, how to change and format the background of your powerpoint slides to custom designs, how to change your language settings in microsoft powerpoint in 3 different ways, how to copy or duplicate a powerpoint slide and put it anywhere in your slideshow.

Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

Watch: We toured a $7 million NYC apartment that has a slide and zip line, and it's a kid's paradise

• Main content

Change the page layout

You might want to change the size, shape, or orientation of your slides for presentation or to simplify printing. You can choose landscape, portrait, or custom page setups as fits your needs.

(Currently it's not possible to mix landscape and portrait slides in the same presentation. For a suggested workaround, see Use portrait and landscape slide orientation in the same presentation .

If this is a feature you’d like to request, please send us your feedback to help us prioritize new features in future updates. See  How do I give feedback on Microsoft 365  for more information.

Change the slide size

On the Design tab, in the Customize group at the far right end, click Slide Size .

Click Custom Slide Size .

In the Slides sized for list , click the size you want to use, or use the Width and Height boxes to select custom sizes.

PowerPoint now asks you to choose between maximizing the size of your content on the new layout (to do this, click Maximize ) or scaling it down so that all of the content fits into the new layout (to do this, click Ensure Fit ).

Note:  If you choose to maximize, some content might fall outside the print margins.

Note:  Unlike Word document pages, PowerPoint slides don’t have margins that you can adjust to change the slide layout. Your slide stretches from edge to edge. When you print the slides, printer limitations can result in a white edge around the slides. However, you can change the margins inside Text Boxes and Shapes .

Change the slide orientation

Although wide format landscape presentations are most popular, you might find that your slides work better in vertical, portrait mode.

Note:  You can change the orientation of the entire presentation only, not individual slides.

On the Design tab, in the Customize group, click Slide Size .

Change the orientation for the slides to Portrait or Landscape .

Note:  You can also change the orientation of your notes, handouts, and outline.

Note:  If you choose to maximize, some content might fall outside the slide.

Change the size of your slides

Change the margins between text and the edge of a text box or shape

Workaround for printing slides without white edges

Change a slide layout

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

• Skill Assessments
• AI Course Builder
• Free Courses
• PowerPoint 2019 Basic

PowerPoint Slide Size

Start Free Trial

Or log in with:

How to Change Slide Size in PowerPoint

PowerPoint allows you to change the aspect ratio of your presentation. The widescreen slide size is best when presenting on modern displays with a 16:9 aspect ratio. If you’ll be presenting on an older display with a 4:3 aspect ratio, you’ll want to use the standard slide size instead.

Change the Slide Size

• Click the Design tab.
• Expand the Customize group.

To change the slide orientation, click the Slide Size button and select Custom Slide Size . Change the slide settings and click OK .

• Widescreen : 16:9 ratio is much wider than it is tall and works well for wide, high definition screens.
• Standard : 4:3 ratio is only slightly wider than it is tall and works best for traditional screens.

• Maximize : Crops your content and fills all the available space on the slide.
• Ensure Fit : Scales content down and leaves additional space at the top and bottom of the slide.

The entire presentation is resized to fit the new format.

FREE Quick Reference

Free to distribute with our compliments; we hope you will consider our paid training.

• LinkedIn-ready certificate
• Skill assessments
• Bite-sized, interactive lessons
• Saved progress

Home Blog Google Slides Tutorials Google Slides Dimensions: What Size is Google Slides and How to Change Slide Size?

Google Slides Dimensions: What Size is Google Slides and How to Change Slide Size?

Slide dimensions can play an important role when displaying information on large screens or according to the type of content on the slide. A large screen would require a widescreen orientation, and you might even need to customize it to fit the screen size. Similarly, some infographics and illustrations require making necessary adjustments to slide orientation to display the content during the presentation correctly. Like PowerPoint, you can also change slide dimensions in Google Slides.

How to Change Slide Size in Google Slides

Google Slides allow setting different slide dimensions according to user needs, including a Standard, Widescreen, or Custom size. To change Google Slide dimensions, go to File > Page Setup .

You can adjust the Google Slides page size from the pop-up menu displayed via Page Setup. The available options include switching to Standard 4:3, Widescreen 16:9, Widescreen 16:10, and a custom slide size. Select the desired slide size and click Apply .

What Size is Google Slides?

If you’re wondering what Google Slides size is right for you, pick a Google Slides resolution that best goes with your screen type. If it’s an old monitor or small screen, you might want to use a Standard orientation, whereas modern monitors or projectors often suit the Widescreen orientation. 

Standard Orientation (4:3)

The Standard 4:3 slide orientation displays content in a smaller size compared to widescreen orientations. This orientation was commonly used in legacy versions of PowerPoint and Google Slides, as projectors and screen monitors did not offer the utility to project a widescreen slide correctly. However, this orientation is still used for smaller slides and screens. Where the slide content might be smaller and better suited to a Standard slide size. This might include pictures, illustrations, tables, and other types of slide content that might appear too stretched on a widescreen slide orientation.

Widescreen (16:9)

The 16:9 widescreen resolution is quite commonly used, and might even be considered the standard size for modern presentations. This is because 16:9 was the replacement for the 4:3 aspect ratio post-2008, as screen sizes and display standards evolved for monitors, projectors, and television channels globally.

Widescreen (16:10)

While 16:10 is not as widely used as 16:9; it is commonly used in tablets and computer monitors. The ratio is closer to the Golden Ratio of 1.618, but the higher manufacturing cost of devices has meant that manufacturers mainly stick to 16:9 for electronic devices.

Custom Orientation

Google Slides also provides a Custom orientation option, where you can also choose to pick the slide size in inches, centimeters, points, or pixels. This option can be useful if you intend to edit the slide orientation according to a specific document, picture, infographic, etc. For example, you can switch to 8.5 x 11 inches for Letter orientation or 8.27 inches for A4 size. Similarly, you can make changes in pixels, points, or centimeters.

When considering how to edit slide size on Google Slides according to your display monitor or presentation requirements, you might want to run a mock presentation with a colleague. If it’s a remote meeting, the slide size would automatically adjust due to the responsive UIs of various devices. However, one orientation or another might appear more convenient for your audience based on your presentation needs. For example, suppose your remote meeting participants are mainly using mobile devices. In that case, you might want to test out a lower resolution, compared to when you are presenting before an audience using a widescreen monitor.

Like this article? Please share

Google Slides, Presentation Skills Filed under Google Slides Tutorials

Related Articles

Filed under Google Slides Tutorials • May 21st, 2024

How to Make a Timeline on Google Slides

Follow our step-by-step instructions to make a timeline on Google Slides, either with templates or starting from scratch. Check it out!

Filed under Google Slides Tutorials • May 17th, 2024

How to Import Google Slides Themes

Importing Google Slides Themes is an easy task that can bring life into your presentations. Learn how to reuse old slides to create new cool themes here.

How to Make Google Slides Vertical

Power up your presentation skills by learning how to make google slides go vertical. Step-by-step instructions with examples.

Leave a Reply

Change Slide Size in Google Slides! [Complete Guide!]

By: Author Shrot Katewa

When you are using Google Slides to create more than just presentations (like creating worksheets, posters, flyers, etc), you need to know how to work with different slide sizes in Google Slides! Fortunately, Google Slides provides several different options to change the size of the slides.

To change slide size in Google Slides, click on the “File” tab. Then, select “Page Setup”. From the window that pops up, choose the “Standard” or “Widescreen” slide size. You can also click on “Custom” to change the orientation of slides or create a unique slide size in Google Slides.

In this articles, we will explore the topic of different slides sizes in Google Slides in detail. Plus, I will also you help you understand how to change the orientation of slides in Google Slides, and how to create A3 or A4 sized slides in Google Slides!

So, without further delay, let’s get started!

1. How to Change Slide Size in Google Slides? 

To change the Slide Size of your Google Slides presentation, you have to go to the ‘Page setup’ option on the ‘File’ tab of your ribbon and select your preferred size. The whole process is described in easy steps below:

Step-1: Click on the File Tab

Click on the first tab in the ribbon section of your Google Slides window called the ‘File’ tab which will open a drop-down menu.

Step-2: Click on the ‘Page Setup’ Option.

In the drop-down menu of the ‘File’ tab, scroll down and click on the option that says, ‘Page Setup.’ It is the third to last option in the drop-down menu.  

Step-3: Choose your preferred slide size

After selecting the ‘Page setup’ option a pop-up window will appear. Click on the ‘Page size’ drop-down menu to find the size options and select the size which you want the slides of your Google Slides presentation to be in.

The default slide size of a Google Slides presentation is the ‘Widescreen (16:9) .’ You can change the size of the slides to the available options provided by Google Slides or click on the option that says ‘Custom Slide Size’ to manually input the dimensions of your PowerPoint presentation.

Step-4: Click on the ‘Apply’ button.

After you have selected your preferred slide size for your Google Slides presentation, hit the yellow ‘Apply’ button at the bottom right corner of the pop-up window and the slide size will change accordingly.

2. How to Change the Slide Size of Google Slides to A3 

To change the slide size of Google Slides to A3, click on the “File” menu. Then, click on “Page Setup”. On the window that pops up, click on “Custom”. Then, make the width as 11.7 inches (29.71 cm) and height as 16.5 inches (41.91 cm), and click “Apply”.

Since there is no preset option to directly change the slide size of your Google Slides presentation to A3. However, you can manually change the width and length of the slides of your presentation as per the A3 format.

All you have to do is go to the ‘Page setup’ pop-up window by following the steps described in the last section of this article and then follow the 2 easy steps given below.

Step-1: Click Page Setup option from the File Tab

Step-2: Select the ‘Custom’ option from dropdown menu

After you go to the ‘Page setup’ option from the ‘File’ tab, click on the drop-down menu from the pop-up window and select the ‘Custom’ option.

Step-3: Change the dimensions to ‘11.7 x 16.5 inches’ and click apply

The dimensions of an A3 paper are 11.7 inches in width and 16.5 inches in length. In this step, all you have to do is change the Width of the slide to 11.7 inches in the box on the left and length of the slide to 16.5 inches in the box on the right of the pop-up window.

After that, click on the yellow ‘Apply’ button at the bottom right corner of the pop-up window.

This will change the slide size of your Google Slides presentation to an A3 format.

3. Change the Slide Size of Google Slides to A4 

Just as with the A3 slide format size, there is no direct way to change the slide size of your Google Slides presentation to A4.

To change the slide size of Google Slides to A4, go to the “Page setup” option from the “File” menu. Then, from the pop-up window, select the “Custom” option. Now, enter the width as 8.3 inches (21 cms) and length as 11.7 inches (297 cms). Then, click on the “Apply” button.

So, instead of putting the dimensions of the A3 format, you have to input 8.3 inches in the box on the left and 11.7 inches in the box on the right and then click on the yellow ‘Apply’ button to change the slide size of your Google Slides to A4.

4. How to Change the Slide Size of Google Slides on iPad? 

Unfortunately, there is no way of changing the size of the slides through the Google Slides app on your iPad. To change the slide size in your Google Slides presentation through an iPad, you have to open the Google Slide presentation through Safari or any other web browser on your iPad. The whole process is described in simple steps below.

Step-1: Copy the link of the presentation to open it from using a web-browser.

The first step of the process is to open the presentation from your Google Slides app and copying the link of the presentation. To do that, tap on the ‘Copy link’ option which is situated in the ‘Share & export’ tab in the three dots icon in the top right corner of the screen which is the ‘Options’ side bar.

Step-2: Open a web-browser and paste the link of the Google Slides presentation to open it.

After copying the link of the Google Slides presentation, paste the link on the browser of your iPad, and tap on the ‘Enter’ button in the keyboard.

Step-3: Tap on the ‘Page setup’ option in the ‘File’ tab

By opening the presentation from a browser, you will notice that it looks exactly like it does on a computer. Simply follow the steps described in the first section of this article and go to the ‘Page setup’ option from the ‘File’ tab. This will open up a pop-up window.

Step-4: Select the preferred slide size and click on the ‘Apply’ button.

In the final step, select your preferred slide size from the ‘Page Size’ drop-down menu and tap the yellow ‘Apply’ button to change the slide size of your Google Slides presentation through an iPad.

5. Can You Change the Orientation of One Slide in Google Slides?

Unfortunately, there is no direct way to change the orientation of a single slide in a Google Slides presentation. You simply cannot mix ‘Portrait’ oriented slides with ‘Landscape’ oriented slides in the same Google Slides presentation by default. However, there are workarounds.

You can add a ‘Rectangle’ shape in a new slide in the ‘Layout’ section of your presentation which will act as a ‘Portrait’ oriented slide by going to the ‘Master Slide’ view.

I have actually already discussed this solution in great detail in another article. I’ve given a step-by-step explanation with pictures to show how to change the orientation of just one slide in Google Slides . So, make sure to check out that article!

More Related Articles

• How to Make Graphs and Charts in Google Slides [The Complete Guide!]
• How to Convert Google Slides to Video [For FREE]
• Do Presentation Clickers Work with Google Slides?
• Can Google Slides Record Audio? Here’s a Quick Fix!
• How to Animate in Google Slides? [A Comprehensive Beginner’s Guide!]

Credit to Senivpetro (on Freepik) for the Featured Image of this Article (further edited)

How-To Geek

How to change slide size in google slides.

Make your slides look good on different screens.

Quick Links

Adjust aspect ratio in google slides.

The default slide size (16:9) in Google Slides works for most situations, but you may occasionally want to change the aspect ratio depending on the situation. There are a few presets, but you can also customize the slide size.

To change the size of your slides in Google Slides, you need to open the presentation that contains the slides you want to resize. Once open, click "File" in the menu bar.

Next, click "Page Setup" in the drop-down menu that appears.

The Page Setup window will appear. Click the down arrow in the text box to show a list of slide size options.

In the list you'll see these options:

• Standard 4:3 - Choose this aspect ratio if you plan to print out your slides or if someone will view them on a mobile device.
• Widescreen 16:9 - This is the default setting and should be used when viewing on a widescreen.
• Widescreen 16:10 - This is another option for when viewing on a widescreen.
• Custom - Choose this if you need to select a size that isn't displayed in the list of presets.

Click the size you want from the list.

If you choose "Custom," you can enter the width (first box) and height (second box) of the slides. You can also choose which unit of measurement to choose from, with inches, centimeters, points, and pixels being your options.

Regardless if you choose a preset option or set your own custom size, click "Apply" when you're ready to reflect the change to your slides.

That's all there is to it.

Changing the size of your slides is one of the basic skills you need to learn to master Google Slides . If you decide you'd rather use PowerPoint, you can convert your Google Slides to PowerPoint and resize your slides there, too.

Related: How to Change Slide Size in Powerpoint

• WordPress Tutorials
• Graphic Design
• Presentations
• Shopify Knowledge Base
• Theme Collections

PowerPoint Slide Sizes: General Information + Instructions for Resizing a Slide

The customization of standard powerpoint slide sizes.

• The customization PowerPoint slide dimensions

PowerPoint templates from TemplateMonster

Microsoft PowerPoint is a program that allows you to create unique and creative presentations. This product is perfect for beginners and professionals alike. Microsoft PowerPoint has all the editing tools you would expect from an Office product, as well as an impressive selection of options for presentation, such as transitions and animations. You can also add and edit many other non-text elements such as images, videos, audio, hypertext, and graphics. This guide is about powerpoint slide size.

Overall, PowerPoint is an amazing product. It is user-friendly and easy to use, but with advanced functions that are necessary to make truly professional presentations.

If you want to create a presentation as quickly as possible, without much effort and time spent, then pay attention to PowerPoint presentation templates from TemplateMonster. These are original and unique templates for different purposes and projects.

Now, let’s talk about PowerPoint slide dimensions.

The PowerPoint slides size depends on where and how you show this presentation. For example, it can be a PowerPoint presentation on:

• laptop screens (most laptop screens have an aspect ratio of 16:9, MacBook 16:10)
• projectors (many projectors have a 4:3 aspect ratio, while others imitate widescreen laptop monitors)
• large-format monitors (here the aspect ratio is usually 16:9)

The same PowerPoint file will be displayed differently on each device, as the aspect ratio may vary. Therefore, again, TemplateMonster offers templates that adapt to the size of the screen.

PowerPoint gives the possibility to change the size of the slides for any purpose. Most often, users change the current format to portrait or landscape. This is very easy to do. First, we will tell you how to change the standard PowerPoint slide size. So:

• Open the PowerPoint presentation, and among the various tabs ( Insert, Transitions, Animations, Slide Show, etc.) select the Design tab.
• Here you will see the themes, their variants, and Format Background . You should click Slide Size . In PowerPoint 2016, this button is located in the last field that is called Customize . In other versions of PowerPoint, Slide Size can be found in Page Settings .
• By clicking on Slide Size , you will see a menu with Standard (4:3) and Widescreen (16:9) options. The variant will be selected here depending on your presentation.

Here is the example:

Basically, this is all about changing the standard PowerPoint slide size.

The customization of PowerPoint slide dimensions

Next, we would like to share with you a quick guide on how to set up the exact dimensions for your slides. To do this, you need to take some similar actions that were specified above, namely:

• Open the PowerPoint presentation, and select the Design tab .
• Among the suggested options, click Slide Size .
• Next, you need to select the Custom Slide Size . This will bring up a special window where you can select Slide Size for Width, Height, Number Slides From, Orientation, Notes, handouts & outline.
• In the Slide Size for box, you can choose from a variety of predefined slide sizes. For example A3, A4, B5, Letter Paper, Overhead, Custom, Banner, etc.
• Next, in the Height and Width , you can customize the desired size for your presentation, or project.
• At the end, click OK , and the changes will be saved and applied to your slides.

After resizing PowerPoint slides, be sure to check everything, and make certain that the elements of the presentation are within its scope. Keep yourself out of trouble.

The PowerPoint slide is both a normal page (absolute values measured in centimeters) and a screen form (values measured in pixels). You can specify the height and width of the slide in inches, centimeters, and pixels. For PowerPoint slide size pixels, you need to specify the desired size and add “px” in the column with numbers. If you want to specify the size in inches you must add “in,” and if centimeters then “cm.” PowerPoint then converts the sizes (if it is necessary) into the type of units used by the operating system.

We would also like to clarify that the PowerPoint slide sizes in pixels can be 1366 x 768; 1280 x 720; 1024 x 600; 640 x 480.  The larger the size - the better the quality.

Since we've already figured out the issue of PowerPoint slide sizes, we now offer you a list of the best PowerPoint templates from TemplateMonster.

2019 Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

2019 Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template is truly one of the best templates that TemplateMonster offers. Among the most important features:

• over 200 unique, fresh and stylish slides
• 12 additional color schemes (you can customize the colors, and choose the appropriate scale for you)
• 16:9 HD aspect ratio, ideal for wide screens
• additional instructions that you can use to quickly and easily set up the template
• fully customizable and editable PowerPoint template elements
• 24/7 technical support
• bright and memorable slides with graphs, diagrams, tables, etc.

We advise you to consider this alternative!

Infographic PowerPoint Template

Infographic PowerPoint Template is a cool example of a powerful template for presenting any business project. Choosing this template you will get more than 600 unique, and professional templates, 2 aspect ratio (4:3 and 16:9), a huge number of vector icons, a wide variety of color schemes (you even have the opportunity to choose your favorite colors, and create schemes), additional and free fonts, calendars, maps, graphs, tables, various types of diagrams, schemes, and columns. There are also many available layouts. All elements are fully customizable. The quality of the slides is at the highest level, so you will not have any problems in working with this template.

Multipurpose Business Infographic Presentation - PowerPoint Template

Multipurpose Business Infographic Presentation is also one of the best PowerPoint templates available. It includes a huge number of unrealistically cool elements, such as:

• 30,000 slides, approximately 500 of which are unique and stylish
• more than 20 color schemes that can be easily edited
• the presence of a light and dark version of the template
• easily customizable elements
• unusual graphs, charts, tables
• a huge number of fonts and maps that can be used for free access
• different vector icons, and more

Albireo Powerpoint Template PowerPoint Template

Another variant of the best template is the Albireo PowerPoint Template . This is a huge collection of slides with different charts, maps, tables, schemes, and diagrams. This PowerPoint presentation template is perfect for presenting business projects or reports. This theme is available in light and dark formats. You will also receive more than 5 ready-made color schemes, free fonts, 24/7 technical support, additional instructions, and information about setting up and using the template.

Redline Creative PowerPoint Template

Redline Creative PowerPoint Template is also a great example of a template for any kind of presentation. Redline Creative has a fairly large number of bright, high-quality, and memorable templates. By choosing this template, you will get access to Google maps and fonts, additional bonus icons, unusual charts, schemes, and diagrams. In this template you can easily change the color, the position of the elements on the page, the size of these elements, etc. You can also use ready-made slide layouts. Redline Creative is an easy to use a theme to present any of your plans, ideas, and projects!

21 Easy Tips To Create A Powerful Presentation For Your Business [Free Ebook]

By clicking the button you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions .

100 Best Business Presentation Templates. Cool! Great! Awesome!

25 Business PowerPoint Presentation Templates

Featured PowerPoint Templates And Themes

The Best Fonts for PowerPoint Presentations

Hi there! I'm a freelance copywriter with a passion for languages. Loving to write useful posts, to be creative in any task, and to develop myself.

Get more to your email

Subscribe to our newsletter and access exclusive content and offers available only to MonsterPost subscribers.

Related Posts

21 easy tips to create a powerful presentation for your business [free ebook], best digital products award 2023 – honored by templatemonster, making a successful presentation: how to print google slides with notes, leave a reply cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

• Slidesgo School
• Google Slides Tutorials

How to Change the Slide Size in Google Slides

When you’re using projectors and monitors to give your presentation, it might not be well-suited for these kinds of screens. However, Google Slides allows you to change the aspect ratio of your presentations , choosing between 16:9 (widescreen), 16:10, 4:3 (standard) and custom.  Depending on where you’re going to give your presentation, you might need an adapted version for widescreen or another one for 4:3 screens. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to change the aspect ratio step by step.  Have in mind that after modifying the original aspect ratio of your presentation, any elements and images will get scrambled and you’ll need to readjust them one by one in the slides or even the master slides.  To change the aspect ratio of your slides, click on File → Page setup… Then choose the desired option. 

If you need any other size, choose “Custom” and enter the desired width and height values.

For further information on how to change the aspect ratio of your presentation in Google Slides, please refer to this article of the Google Docs support page. Stay tuned for our next Slidesgo School tutorials. See you soon!

Do you find this article useful?

Related tutorials.

New feature available: edit our templates with Canva

Whenever you need to create, Slidesgo is there. We’re continually enhancing your presentation design process with templates that are primed to impress for any occasion. And in order to let your ideas flow best, comfort is key. How could Slidesgo help you with this? By making you feel right at home with our resources, no matter your preferred platform.You spoke, and we listened. Now, your favorite slides can be accessed on a new platform: Canva! This new format adds to our existing options (PowerPoint and Google Slides), expanding your ways to utilize our first-rate presentation content. We’ve started with a selection of Canva-ready...

How to print PowerPoint notes

Crafting an impactful PowerPoint slideshow and delivering a captivating presentation are distinct skills. The first focuses on designing appealing visuals to convey a clear message, while the second involves employing effective presentation techniques to ensure the audience grasps the idea. The content of this article will help you with the latter part of this process, guiding future presenters on how to print PowerPoint with speaker notes to enhance your presentations success and effectiveness.

Discover Our Online Presentation Software for Free

We have great news for you today! If you’ve been a Slidesgo fan for years (or months, or weeks, or days, or mere hours, we welcome everyone!), you’ll probably know for now that our templates are available mostly in two formats: for use in Google Slides and PowerPoint.Google Slides is a free tool, since you only need a Google account in order to use it. PowerPoint, on the other hand, is part of the Microsoft Office suite, so it’s not a free program, but that didn’t stop it from being one of the most popular options in the world!What if we...

Webinar: Presentation Audit

With more than 15,000 templates released on Slidesgo and a user base composed of millions of people, we estimate that the total number of presentations created adds up to… um, a lot! Our team of professional designers work very hard to provide you with editable slides so that the only thing you need to do is, well, customize the elements to your liking. Starting from any given template, the results may vary a lot depending on the person who edited the contents.Have you ever wondered “Is my presentation good enough?” and wished that an expert on presentations looked at your template...

• Help Center
• Google Docs Editors
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service
• Submit feedback
• Create, edit and customise slides

Change the size of your slides

You can adjust slide sizes for your presentations.

• On your computer, open a presentation in Google Slides .

• Standard (4:3)
• Widescreen (16:9)
• Custom: Beneath 'Custom', enter a size and pick a unit of measurement (inches, centimetres, points or pixels).

Need more help?

Try these next steps:.

Using Google products, like Google Docs, at work or school? Try powerful tips, tutorials, and templates. Learn to work on Office files without installing Office, create dynamic project plans and team calendars, auto-organize your inbox, and more.