Why share slides as PDF
- They look the same everywhere, even without PowerPoint or the deck's fonts.
- Files are usually smaller and easier to email.
- Nobody edits the figures by mistake before a meeting.
Doing it in PowerPoint
If PowerPoint is installed, File > Export > Create PDF/XPS does the same job, and its Options let you print handouts or notes pages. This converter is for when you don't have PowerPoint on the computer you're using, you received a .pptx on a tablet or a Chromebook, or a colleague's file uses fonts you don't have.
Keeping the file small
- Compress pictures in PowerPoint before converting (select an image, then Picture Format > Compress Pictures): large photos are the usual cause of heavy PDFs.
- Delete backup and hidden slides you don't want in the shared version.
- Embedded videos can't play in a PDF and only their first frame appears; link to the video instead.