How to print PowerPoint slides with notes
To print speaker notes along with your slides, use PowerPoint’s Notes Pages layout. According to Microsoft’s instructions, this layout shows one slide and its associated speaker notes on each page. For Windows, select Notes Pages from the second box under Settings on the File > Print screen. For Mac, the instructions say to select Notes from the Layout dropdown menu under File > Print. If menu names look different in your version, check the available print layout options and the preview. Microsoft’s instructions for printing slides with notes describe this layout as the way to print notes alongside a slide.
Check before printing
A notes page displays the speaker notes added to the presentation alongside the relevant slide. The content shown on a slide is not the same as the speaker notes; explanations that are not in the notes will not be added automatically during printing. If the notes section does not appear in the print preview, check the selected layout again. If the notes section does not contain the text you expect, review the notes for that slide in the presentation before printing.
The steps below distinguish between the menu selections in Microsoft’s Windows and Mac instructions. The location of options may vary depending on your version of PowerPoint; do not assume the name or location of a menu item that is not visible. Check the options available on the print screen.
Step-by-step printing
- Open your presentation and select File > Print.
- Select the printer to use on the print screen. In Microsoft’s general instructions, printer selection is among the print settings.
- Select the Notes Pages layout. In the Windows instructions, use the second box under Settings, which may be labeled Full Page Slides by default. In the Mac instructions, select Notes from the Layout menu. Microsoft’s guide to printing slides, audience handouts, and speaker notes distinguishes between the printouts produced by these layouts.
- Choose whether to print the entire presentation or specific slides. Microsoft’s instructions describe options for selecting all slides, selected slides, or the current slide; they also mention that you can enter comma-separated numbers in the Slides box. If this selection field appears on your screen, choose the slides you want.
- Check the preview to confirm that each page shows one slide and its associated notes. Also make sure the slides you selected are correct. Set other print options, such as the number of copies and color, as needed.
- If the preview and settings are correct, select Print.
Notes Pages, Handouts, and Outline
These layouts serve different purposes. Notes Pages shows a slide and its associated speaker notes on the same page. Handouts can show multiple slide thumbnails on one page; according to Microsoft’s instructions, these layouts do not print speaker notes. Some handout layouts include space for taking notes. Outline prints the text on the slides, but not images. So if you want speaker notes to appear in the printout, select Notes Pages instead of Handouts or Outline.
PowerPoint for the web
The printing process in the web version may vary by browser. Microsoft’s guide says to select File > Print, choose the type of page to print, and then follow the steps in the browser’s print panel. The guide notes that print options may vary depending on the browser or printer. So do not assume that desktop menus will be in the same place in the web version; check the page types offered on the web screen and the preview. If you need more advanced print layout options, Microsoft recommends using the PowerPoint desktop app. Microsoft also warns that content added to a slide by an add-in may not print successfully from the web version; for this specific case, it recommends printing from the desktop app.
Example: a five-slide project presentation
Hypothetical example: Imagine a five-slide project update in which the first slide is the title, the second covers objectives, the third the schedule, the fourth risks, and the fifth next steps. Suppose the speaker notes for the third slide contain a short explanation of the schedule dates.
If you are printing the entire presentation for rehearsal, select the Notes Pages layout and check the page with the schedule slide in the preview. The schedule slide and its explanation should appear together. If the explanation does not appear, first check the selected layout, then check the relevant notes in the presentation. If you only want to print the third and fourth slides for a meeting, use the slide selection field available on the print screen. Confirm in the preview that the correct two slides and their associated notes appear, then print. This example does not assume any additional feature specific to a particular printer or version.
Troubleshooting
- Notes are not visible: Check that the print layout is set to Notes Pages. Look for a notes area below the slide in the preview.
- The wrong slides appear: Check the slide selection on the print screen again. If you entered numbers, make sure the comma-separated numbers are correct.
- The expected option is not available in the web version: Check the page types offered in the browser’s print flow. Since options may vary, do not assume that a layout is definitely unavailable in the web version just because it is not visible in the menu. If you need a more advanced layout, check the print screen in the PowerPoint desktop app.
Frequently asked questions
Can I print several slides on one page and include speaker notes?
The Handouts layouts described by Microsoft can show multiple slides on one page, but they do not include speaker notes. To print speaker notes associated with a slide, select the Notes Pages layout.
Can I print only specific slides with their notes?
Microsoft describes options for selecting specific slides or slide numbers on the print screen. After selecting the slides you want, check the preview to confirm that the correct slides and their associated notes appear.
What should I verify before printing?
Check the layout, the slides to be printed, and that the notes appear with the correct slides in the preview. Then check the printer and number of copies, and select Print.
Related app guides
You can explore the relevant step in more detail with the guide to printing Google Slides speaker notes. You can explore the relevant step in more detail with the guide to making a PowerPoint PDF with speaker notes.
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