3 Ways to Fix PowerPoint Not Printing Properly

Quick Tips

• PowerPoint presentations are printable, which makes it easy to hand copies of slides out as references or learning aids.
• Problems with PowerPoint not printing properly can occur when the slides won’t print or the printed version doesn’t seem to match the on-screen quality.
• Ways to fix these problems include configuring your printer settings correctly, converting the presentation to a PDF, and changing the slide size.

Fix PowerPoint Not Printing Properly by Configuring Printer Settings

Before starting any of these fixes, check the following:

• Your printer is turned on
• It’s connected to the same wireless network as your computer
• It has ink and all the cables are connected properly

Step 1. Open up the PowerPoint presentation you want to print and click File at the top of the window.

Step 2. Click Options at the bottom left.

Step 3. Click Advanced and scroll down until you see the Print options.

Step 4. Click your preferred options. For example, if some text was printing poorly — it may look blurred or out of focus — tick the Print TrueType fonts as graphics option. Similarly, ticking Align transparent graphics at printer resolution ensures everything on the page is printed at the same quality.

Note: Printing in higher quality takes longer and can slow the performance of PowerPoint. Wait for your printing to finish before you start working on PowerPoint again.

Fix PowerPoint Not Printing Properly by Converting Presentations to PDFs

Step 1. If you’re having problems with PowerPoint not printing properly, try converting the whole presentation to a PDF. Begin by opening up your presentation and clicking File, like before. If you have a premium Adobe subscription, just click Save as Adobe PDF.

Step 2. Choose a location to save your new PDF and click Save.

Step 3. If you don’t have an Adobe subscription, you can still create a PDF. Instead of clicking Save as Adobe PDF, click Export.

Step 4. Choose the second option down: Create PDF/XPS Document.

Step 5. Choose where to save the new PDF file, give it a name, and click Publish.

Tip: You’ll notice two “Optimize for” options. Make sure you choose Standard, as it’s optimized for better printing.

Step 6. The presentation will now automatically open as a PDF allowing you to print it using the icon at the top left.

Fix PowerPoint Not Printing Properly by Adjusting the Slide Size

Step 1. Sometimes, your slides may be in an extended or widescreen mode. If you notice that the printed presentation is chopping some of the slide content off, this could be the problem. Start by opening your PowerPoint presentation and clicking Design at the top.

Step 2. Look for Slide Size, which you’ll find to the right near the top.

Step 3. Click the dropdown arrow next to Slide Size and you’ll see two options: Standard and Widescreen.

Step 4. Try switching to Standard instead of Widescreen and you should receive a prompt asking if you want to maximize your content or scale it down to fit.

Step 5. Click Ensure Fit to make sure everything fits properly on the new slide size. You should check through the presentation to ensure everything has scaled correctly. For example, on this slide, you can see that some text needs adjusting to ensure it’s all on one line.

Now, when you print your presentation, everything should be neatly on the page and no print cropping should occur.