How to Change PowerPoint Slide Orientation

Change orientation first so elements don't drop off the slide

By

Wendy Russell

Updated on December 21, 2020

Reviewed by

Jerrick Leger

MS Office

What To Know

In Windows: In Normal view, press Design > Slide Size > Custom Slide Size. Under Orientation, select Vertical, and set the Height and Width.
On the web: Design > Slide Size > Custom Slide Size > Portrait > OK. Then choose how slides fit the screen.
On a Mac: File > Page Setup. Select Portrait, adjust the size as needed, and press OK.

This article explains how to change the orientation of PowerPoint slides between portrait and landscape. Instructions in this article apply to PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2019, PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint 2013, PowerPoint 2010, PowerPoint 2007, PowerPoint for Mac, and PowerPoint Online.

Change Slide Orientation in PowerPoint for Windows

The steps used to change the page orientation between landscape and portrait are the same in all versions of PowerPoint 2013 for Windows and newer.

In the Normal view, click the Design tab.
Select Slide Size.
Select Custom Slide Size.
Use the buttons in the Orientation section to select a vertical orientation or enter dimensions in the Width and Height fields.
Select OK to apply the changes.

Change Slide Orientation in PowerPoint 2010 and 2007 for Windows

Follow these steps to change from landscape to portrait slide orientation in older versions of PowerPoint for Windows.

Select the Design tab, and in the Page Setup group, click Slide Orientation.
Choose Portrait.
Press OK to save your changes.

Change Slide Orientation in PowerPoint for Mac

To change the page orientation from landscape to portrait in PowerPoint for Mac 2011.

Select the File menu and choose Page Setup.
In the Page Setup dialog box, across from Slides, select the Portrait orientation. As an alternative, select custom dimensions in the Size section, making the height greater than the width.
Choose OK to apply the changes.

Change Slide Orientation in PowerPoint Online

For a long time, PowerPoint Online didn't offer a portrait orientation slide, but that has changed.

Select the Design tab.
Select Slide Size, then choose Custom Slide Size.
Select the Portrait orientation image.
Select OK to apply the changes.
You have the choice to either choose Maximize, which maximizes the use of the available slide space, or click Ensure fit, which makes sure that the slide content fits on the vertical portrait orientation.

Landscape and Portrait Slides in the Same Presentation

There is no simple way to combine landscape slides and portrait slides in the same presentation. If you've worked with slide presentations, you know that this is a basic feature. Without it, some slides won't present the material effectively, such as with a lengthy vertical list, for example. There is a workaround if you must have this capability.

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