To set slides to a portrait orientation in Google Slides, open your presentation in a web browser on a desktop computer and navigate to the Page setup window from the File menu on the menu bar. Select the custom sizing option, enter a width value smaller than the height value (for example, 21 x 29.7 cm for A4 or portrait ratios in pixels or inches), and apply the changes. Once the process is complete, all slides in that presentation file switch to portrait format.
When and why is portrait slide orientation preferred?
Standard presentation workflows predominantly rely on a horizontal widescreen layout (16:9 or 4:3). However, for digital newsletters, infographic pages, portfolios, one-page summary documents, or materials intended to be viewed by scrolling vertically on smartphone screens, portrait orientation offers a far more functional workspace.
Setting the slide orientation to portrait allows text boxes, drawings, shapes, and images to be positioned freely. If you want to explore similar orientation workflows across different design tools, you can also check out our guides on turning PowerPoint landscape slides into portrait and creating portrait presentations in Canva.
Prerequisites and platform-based operational limits
Before configuring page dimensions in Google Slides, you must verify the technical scope of the platform you are using. According to official documentation, the desktop web interface (Google Slides : Aide-mémoire) contains the full suite of editing tools, including creating slides, duplicating, deleting, moving them, and exporting in various file formats. Adjusting slide size is also managed on a computer via the File > Page setup menu in accordance with official help guidelines (Slaytlarınızın boyutunu değiştirme).
In contrast, mobile apps (How to use Google Slides - Android phone & tablet) allow you to view slides, add and edit text, shapes, and lines, manage comments, and use specific export options. Because the mobile interface documentation does not include an option to directly change a presentation's page size or aspect ratio, defining custom page dimensions and setting a portrait orientation must be performed via a web browser on a computer.
Another essential technical rule involves the presentation-wide page setup scope. Google Slides does not support mixing both landscape and portrait slides within a single presentation file; the applied page dimensions and orientation apply to the entire presentation. If different orientations are required, organizing the content into two separate presentation files and linking (hyperlinking) between slides as needed is recommended.
Step-by-step guide to making Google Slides portrait
To prepare a portrait workspace via a desktop web browser on your computer, follow these steps:
- In your web browser, navigate to slides.google.com to create a new presentation or open the existing file you want to work on.
- Click the File menu from the top menu bar.
- Click the Page setup option from the drop-down list.
- Click the down arrow icon to open the size list and choose Custom instead of the default options (Standard 4:3, Widescreen 16:9, etc.).
- Select one of the measurement units from the drop-down menu: inches, centimeters, points, or pixels. Enter the smaller value into the width field and the larger value into the height field.
- Click the OK button to save the size change.
Guide to standard portrait dimensions
Depending on your intended use, printing goals, or target screen format, here are common portrait dimensions you can enter into the Custom size field:
Standard A4 Print and Document Size: 21 x 29.7 centimeters (Width: 21 cm, Height: 29.7 cm).
Standard US Letter Paper Size: 8.5 x 11 inches (Width: 8.5 inches, Height: 11 inches).
Full Portrait Screen and Mobile View (9:16 Ratio): 1080 x 1920 pixels or proportionally 9 x 16 inches.
If you want to perform a more detailed comparison when selecting ratios suitable for different display standards, take a look at our content on choosing an aspect ratio in Google Slides.
Hands-on example: Fictional company newsletter layout
The following fictional template is an example design scenario showing how page elements can be organized when a portrait A4 format (21 x 29.7 cm) is selected:
Page Type: Internal E-Newsletter (Width 21 cm, Height 29.7 cm).
Header Area: A rectangular block designed at the very top of the page, roughly 4 cm high, containing the company logo, newsletter title, and publication date added as text boxes.
Body Area: A two-column text box layout with widths balanced for a portrait page. The left block contains monthly announcements, while the right block features project updates.
Footer Area: A slim strip aligned to the bottom edge of the page, approximately 1.5 cm high, accommodating contact details and the page number.
When implementing this layout, relying on alignment lines and visual guides to keep elements from spilling off the page makes it much easier to maintain vertical balance.
Common issues when changing dimensions and practical fixes
When a presentation previously built in landscape is converted to portrait, some visual inconsistencies may occur as existing content scales:
Distorted or Squashed Images: When the page ratio changes, inserted images may stretch to conform to the new canvas area. In this situation, select the image and manually readjust its proportions using corner handles, or inspect its aspect ratio under Format > Format options > Size & Rotation.
Text Blocks Overflowing the Page: Text areas sized widely for a landscape layout can extend past the page borders in portrait mode. Drag the side handles of these text boxes to narrow their width and realign the text boxes along the vertical axis.
Need for Mixed Page Orientations: Because you cannot turn a single slide portrait while leaving the rest landscape within the same presentation, open a separate Google Slides deck for the section that requires portrait formatting and, if necessary, add a link to that external file on the relevant slide.
Checklist and export steps
Review the following steps before finalizing your portrait project and delivering it to your audience:
Confirm that the width value entered in the custom page size is smaller than the height.
Ensure that text boxes, shapes, and tables remain strictly within the page boundaries.
Export the document to your computer in PDF or other supported formats via File > Download to confirm portrait orientation in a viewer (Google Slides : Aide-mémoire).
If you will open and review the presentation on Android or mobile devices (How to use Google Slides - Android phone & tablet), check that text and shape elements display as expected on the portrait canvas.
If printing is planned, verify that the page orientation is properly positioned for portrait requirements when accessing print settings from the File menu.
Can you make slide orientation portrait directly from the Google Slides mobile app?
According to official documentation, the Android and mobile Google Slides app includes capabilities for creating slides, adding text and shapes, commenting, and viewing presentations; however, it does not feature a menu for directly changing page setup or aspect ratios. Therefore, setting the slide dimensions to portrait must be completed on a computer using a desktop web browser.
How does a portrait slide appear when presented in full screen?
When launching a portrait presentation on standard 16:9 or 4:3 landscape monitors, the slide is positioned in the center of the display with empty space remaining on the left and right margins. Conversely, when viewed on a vertically oriented monitor or in portrait mode on a mobile device, it fills the full dimensions of the screen area.
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