Not knowing what PowerPoint slide size to use? What happen if the PowerPoint aspect ratio of your slides differ from the equipment used in your presentation venue? If you require help, please check out our PowerPoint presentation services.
Meanwhile in this article, we will explain two methods on how you can change the PowerPoint aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9 and vice versa. We will also explain how to correct distorted images when the slide ratios are changed. Such knowledge is critical as we should never underestimate the importance of an effective PowerPoint design.
For PowerPoint 2010 and earlier versions, their default aspect ratio is 4:3 ratio. But from PowerPoint 2013 onward, the default has been changed to the 16:9. This is in line with the shift towards the widescreen format for current audio-video (AV) equipment.
Although it is quite easy to change PowerPoint aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9 and vice versa, some issues may arise. To change the aspect ratio, click on the “Design” tab on the top left-hand corner. The “Slide Size” on the top right-hand corner will appear. Click on the small dropdown arrow to select either the 4:3 or 16:9 slide ratio.
However, if you are using an old presentation that was created in the 4:3 aspect ratio and you want to copy a slide over to a new 16:9 presentation, the text may be copied over correctly but the image may be stretched to fit the widescreen format.
To overcome this problem when we change PowerPoint aspect ratio, we can use either of the two methods below:
Change PowerPoint Aspect Ratio – Method 1
- Start a new blank PowerPoint presentation in 16:9 aspect ratio.
- Copy and paste the contents of each slide into your new presentation all at once. This can be done by clicking on a single item on your slide. Then hold down the Ctrl key and click the ‘A’ key to select everything on the slide.
- Hold down the Ctrl key and click the ‘C’ key to copy everything that is selected. Go to your new 16:9 slide and click in the middle of it. Hold down the Ctrl key and click ‘V’ to paste everything into it.
- Repeat for all your other slides.
By using the above method, you will retain the aspect ratio of your images and prevent them from getting distorted. After that, you can make the necessary adjustments, if required, to fill up the additional wide spaces in your slide that appear in the widescreen format (see picture below).
Change PowerPoint Aspect Ratio – Method 2
If you copy the entire slide in the 4:3 aspect ratio instead of the individual contents inside each slide and paste them into your new 16:9 presentation, the images in it may get stretched and distorted (see image below).
However, if you have a lot of content to move over, you may find it easier to copy the entire slide over and then adjust the images separately. To fix the distorted images, follow the steps below:
1. Right click on the image and select “Format Picture”.
2. Click on “Format Picture” and a column will appear on the right-hand side. Select the “Size & Properties” icon.
3. This will bring up a few fields such as “Lock Aspect Ratio”, “Scale Height”, “Scale Width” and “Lock aspect ratio”.
4. Set the “Scale Height” and “Scale Width” to 100% and this will resize your picture to its original proportion.
5. If your images keep losing their aspect ratio when copied between presentations, check the “Lock Aspect Ratio” field.
Although it is not too difficult to change PowerPoint aspect ratio, it can be tedious nevertheless. This is especially so when you have a large presentation. What happens if you find out your PowerPoint aspect ratio does not match the equipment in your presentation venue? To avoid such a scenario, find out what you need to take note of when designing your presentation. For this, please check out our Effective Presentation Design and Eight Common PowerPoint Presentation Mistakes to avoid. This could potentially save you lots of trouble later.
For those working in an education institution, the Education PowerPoint Design will offer you an insight into what students like or dislike about their lecturers’ PowerPoint presentations.
If you require help in designing or re-designing your presentation, check out our very affordable PowerPoint presentation services. At PowerPoint Creatives Singapore, we provide three very affordable PowerPoint design services using advanced animation and 3D effects. You can check out some of our PowerPoint design ideas or work here. If you are interested, you can learn more about our PowerPoint design process.
In addition, we provide cinemagraph and infographic design services to help spice up your presentation. And for businesses that require cost-effective videos for advertising campaign, check out our PowerPoint video design services.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any queries. Beside creating PowerPoint presentations from scratch, we also offer slide design or enhancement services.
If you prefer to design your own presentation, you can download our free PowerPoint diagrams to help with your slides design.