How to Convert PowerPoint to PDF: Keep Animations Info and Layout

Why Convert Presentations to PDF?

PowerPoint is excellent for building and delivering presentations, but it is far from ideal for sharing them. Recipients may not have PowerPoint installed, might have a different version that renders slides incorrectly, or may be on a mobile device where presentation files open clumsily. Custom fonts, embedded media, and complex layouts frequently break when a PPTX file is opened on a different machine.

PDF eliminates these problems. Every slide is rendered exactly as you designed it, regardless of the recipient's software, operating system, or installed fonts. PDFs are also universally viewable, smaller than PPTX files, and easier to annotate and comment on.

This guide covers every method of converting PowerPoint to PDF, including how to handle speaker notes, handout layouts, animation information, and batch exports for teams that process presentations regularly.

What Happens to Animations and Transitions

Before diving into conversion methods, let us address the most common question: what happens to animations?

PDF is a static format. It cannot display PowerPoint animations, transitions, or embedded video playback. Here is what transfers and what does not:

For animations, the PDF captures the final state of each slide -- as if all animations have already played. If you have a build animation that reveals bullet points one by one, the PDF shows all bullet points visible simultaneously.

Method 1: Export from Microsoft PowerPoint

On Windows

1. Open your presentation in PowerPoint
2. Click File > Export > Create PDF/XPS Document
3. Click Create PDF/XPS
4. In the dialog, click Options:
   • Range: All slides, current slide, or specific slide numbers
   • Publish what: Slides, Handouts, Notes pages, or Outline
   • Slides per page (handouts only): 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 9
   • Include hidden slides: Check to include slides marked as hidden
   • Include comments: Check to show comments in the PDF
   • Frame slides: Adds a thin border around each slide
5. Click Publish

On macOS

1. Open your presentation in PowerPoint
2. Click File > Export
3. Select PDF from the File Format dropdown
4. Choose Best for printing or Best for electronic distribution
5. Click Export

Keyboard Shortcut

Use Ctrl+Shift+S (Windows) to quickly reach the Save As dialog.

Method 2: Convert Online with ConvertIntoMP4

For users without PowerPoint or needing to convert on any device:

1. Go to the PDF converter on ConvertIntoMP4
2. Upload your .pptx file
3. Click Convert
4. Download the PDF

The online converter uses LibreOffice to render slides, handling most formatting faithfully. For broader document conversion needs, explore the document converter.

Method 3: Google Slides

If your presentation is in Google Slides:

1. Open the presentation in Google Slides
2. Click File > Download > PDF Document (.pdf)

Google Slides exports one slide per page at the standard slide dimensions. Note that Google Slides may render some PowerPoint-specific features differently (SmartArt, certain shape effects, custom fonts not in Google's font library).

Method 4: LibreOffice Command Line

For automated and batch conversion:

# Single file
libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf presentation.pptx

# Batch convert all PPTX files
libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf *.pptx

# Specify output directory
libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf --outdir ./pdfs *.pptx

LibreOffice handles standard PowerPoint features well but may struggle with complex SmartArt graphics, 3D effects, and certain font substitutions.

Export Options: Slides vs Handouts vs Notes

PowerPoint offers four distinct export formats, each producing a different PDF layout.

Slides (Default)

One slide per page, full-size. This is the standard export and what most people need.

Best for: Sharing presentation visuals, on-screen reading, archiving.

Handouts

Multiple slides per page with optional space for audience notes.

The 3-slide handout is the most popular choice for meeting materials because it provides enough slide detail while giving the audience space to write notes alongside each slide.

Best for: Meeting handouts, study materials, workshop guides.

Notes Pages

One slide per page with the corresponding speaker notes below. The slide appears at approximately half-page size with the notes text filling the bottom half.

Best for: Presenters sharing their full talk with notes, training documentation, accessibility (notes provide additional context).

Outline View

Exports only the text content from slides, formatted as an outline with hierarchical indentation.

Best for: Content review, text extraction, creating summaries.

Including Speaker Notes in PDF

Speaker notes are often the most valuable part of a presentation -- they contain the context, explanations, and details that the slides themselves only hint at. Here is how to include them.

Method A: Notes Pages Export

1. In the Export dialog, set Publish what to Notes Pages
2. Each page shows the slide at the top and notes at the bottom

Method B: Print with Notes to PDF

1. Go to File > Print
2. Under Settings, change from "Full Page Slides" to Notes Pages
3. Change the printer to Microsoft Print to PDF
4. Click Print

Method C: Custom Notes Layout

If you want more control over how notes appear:

1. Go to View > Notes Master
2. Adjust the layout, font size, and positioning of the slide and notes areas
3. Export as Notes Pages

Font Handling During Conversion

Font issues are the second most common problem after animation loss. When the conversion system does not have your presentation's fonts installed, it substitutes similar fonts, which shifts layouts and changes the visual design.

Embed Fonts in PowerPoint

1. Go to File > Options > Save (Windows) or PowerPoint > Preferences > Save (Mac)
2. Check Embed fonts in the file
3. Choose:
   • Embed only the characters used (smaller file, presentation is read-only with those fonts)
   • Embed all characters (larger file, fonts fully available for editing)
4. Save the presentation, then export to PDF

Safe Fonts for Cross-Platform Presentations

If cross-platform compatibility matters, stick to these fonts or embed your custom fonts before exporting.

Handling Specific PowerPoint Elements

SmartArt Graphics

SmartArt converts to PDF as a static image. The layout and colors are preserved, but the individual text boxes become non-selectable. For best results:

• Simplify SmartArt designs before export
• Avoid SmartArt with very small text (it may become unreadable)
• Test the PDF output to verify SmartArt renders correctly

Charts and Graphs

Excel-linked charts in PowerPoint render as static graphics in the PDF. The data behind the chart is not included. Double-check that:

• All chart labels are readable at the exported size
• Legend items are distinct (especially in grayscale printing)
• Data labels are positioned correctly

Tables

PowerPoint tables transfer cleanly to PDF. However, very large tables may appear small depending on the slide size. Consider:

• Using larger font sizes for table content
• Splitting large tables across multiple slides
• Using the handout layout to give tables more page real estate

Video Poster Frames

Embedded videos appear as their poster frame (the still image shown before playback). To control this:

1. In PowerPoint, click on the video
2. Navigate to the Format tab > Poster Frame
3. Choose Current Frame or Image from File
4. The PDF will show this frame as a static image

Reducing PDF File Size

Presentation PDFs can be large because every slide is essentially a full-page image with text overlays. Here are strategies to reduce size:

Before Export

1. Compress images in PowerPoint: Select an image > Format > Compress Pictures > choose a target resolution
2. Remove unused slides: Delete any drafts or deprecated slides
3. Simplify transitions and effects: Complex effects sometimes increase the rendering complexity

Resolution Settings

After Export

Use ConvertIntoMP4's PDF compressor to optimize the PDF further. Compression typically reduces file size by 30-50% with minimal visual impact.

For detailed PDF optimization techniques, see our guide on how to reduce PDF file size.

Batch Converting Multiple Presentations

Teams that handle many presentations -- training departments, sales organizations, conference organizers -- need batch conversion capabilities.

LibreOffice Batch Script

#!/bin/bash
INPUT_DIR="./presentations"
OUTPUT_DIR="./pdfs"
mkdir -p "$OUTPUT_DIR"

for file in "$INPUT_DIR"/*.pptx; do
  echo "Converting: $(basename "$file")"
  libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf --outdir "$OUTPUT_DIR" "$file"
done

echo "Done. PDFs saved to $OUTPUT_DIR"

Python Batch Conversion

import subprocess
import os

def batch_pptx_to_pdf(input_dir, output_dir):
    os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)
    files = [f for f in os.listdir(input_dir)
             if f.lower().endswith(('.pptx', '.ppt', '.odp'))]

    print(f"Found {len(files)} presentation files")

    for i, filename in enumerate(files, 1):
        filepath = os.path.join(input_dir, filename)
        print(f"  [{i}/{len(files)}] {filename}...", end=' ')

        try:
            result = subprocess.run(
                ['libreoffice', '--headless', '--convert-to', 'pdf',
                 '--outdir', output_dir, filepath],
                capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=180
            )
            print("OK" if result.returncode == 0 else "FAILED")
        except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
            print("TIMEOUT (complex presentation)")

batch_pptx_to_pdf("./presentations", "./pdfs")

For more batch processing techniques, see our batch processing guide and how to convert presentations between formats.

Preserving Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks in PowerPoint (URLs, email links, links to other slides) should transfer to the PDF. However, some types are more reliable than others:

Links That Transfer Reliably

• Text hyperlinks to external URLs
• Shape/button hyperlinks to URLs
• Email links (mailto:)

Links That May Not Transfer

• Links to other slides in the same presentation (internal navigation)
• Links to other files on the local network
• Action buttons with "Run macro" or "Run program" actions
• Links added through third-party add-ins

After conversion, open the PDF and spot-check several hyperlinks to confirm they work.

Accessibility Considerations

If your PDF will be read by people using assistive technology (screen readers), consider:

1. Add alt text to all images in PowerPoint before converting
2. Use a logical reading order in the slide layout
3. Check the accessibility checker: Review > Check Accessibility
4. Include the outline view as a separate document for text-based access
5. Use high-contrast colors for text and backgrounds

PDF/A export (available in the Options dialog) produces a more accessible document by embedding all fonts and ensuring structural tags are present.

For more on creating accessible PDFs, see our PDF accessibility guide.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Slides Appear Blurry

Cause: Low export resolution or image compression. Fix: Export at high quality (300 DPI) and avoid compressing images in PowerPoint before export.

Text Positioning Has Shifted

Cause: Font substitution during conversion. Fix: Embed fonts in the PPTX file before exporting. See the font handling section above.

Hidden Slides Appear in PDF

Cause: The "Include hidden slides" option was checked. Fix: Uncheck this option in the Export dialog, or un-hide the slides you actually want included.

PDF Is Very Large

Cause: High-resolution images, embedded media, or complex graphics. Fix: Compress images in PowerPoint first, then use a PDF compressor on the output.

Gradient Fills Look Banded

Cause: PDF rendering of gradient fills sometimes introduces visible banding. Fix: Increase the export quality or replace gradient fills with solid colors or images.

Best Practices Checklist

Before converting any presentation to PDF:

• Review every slide in Slide Sorter view
• Delete unused or draft slides
• Embed custom fonts
• Add alt text to images (if accessibility matters)
• Set meaningful poster frames for embedded videos
• Choose the right export layout (slides, handouts, or notes)
• Check the PDF after conversion for layout issues
• Test hyperlinks in the PDF
• Compress the PDF if file size is a concern

Wrapping Up

Converting PowerPoint to PDF is straightforward once you understand the export options and potential pitfalls. Use PowerPoint's native export for the best quality, choose between slides, handouts, and notes pages based on your audience's needs, and always verify the output before distributing.

For quick conversions from any device, use ConvertIntoMP4's PDF converter. For batch processing, LibreOffice's command line is fast and reliable. And for the best possible results, prepare your presentation carefully -- embed fonts, compress images, and review the layout -- before exporting.

Related guides that may help: how to convert Word to PDF, how to convert presentations between formats, and how to convert images to PDF for creating visual PDF documents.