how to create a powerpoint presentation in indesign

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How to Convert InDesign to Powerpoint

InDesign is a very powerful piece of layout design software, but if it has a flaw, it’s the limited number of export options that are available once you’re finished creating your masterpiece. InDesign’s primary export format is the reliable standard Portable Document Format (PDF), but unfortunately, it doesn’t have the ability to export files as Powerpoint slideshows.

There are a number of complex technical reasons for this, but the simplest way to explain it is that Adobe and Microsoft have very different app development styles. 

Microsoft Powerpoint is intended for simple business presentations that can be easily edited by the typical computer user, while Adobe InDesign focuses on creating highly-designed documents that prioritize visual quality over ease of use. 

This mismatch of approaches makes it almost impossible to convert an InDesign document directly into a Powerpoint slideshow, but there is at least one way around it – as long as you’ve got Adobe Acrobat. 

Table of Contents

Step 1: Export to PDF

Step 2: adobe acrobat, step 3: polishing in powerpoint, using third-party plugins to convert indesign to powerpoint, do you really need powerpoint , a final word, convert indesign to powerpoint with adobe acrobat.

Before we get started, it’s important to point out that this is a very rough workaround instead of a smooth and seamless solution. PDF conversion will only give you a rough start to your Powerpoint presentation. 

If you absolutely must use Powerpoint, then the best way to create your presentation is by using Powerpoint from the very beginning. 

Now that we’ve managed the expectations let’s take a look at how you can use this workaround. To complete the conversion, you’ll need access to Adobe InDesign , Adobe Acrobat , and Microsoft Powerpoint . 

If you have access to InDesign through a subscription to the All apps plan from Adobe, then you’ve also got access to the full version of Adobe Acrobat, so be sure to check your Adobe Creative Cloud app to see if it can be installed. 

If you subscribe to InDesign through another plan, you should be able to use the trial version of Acrobat, although the trial is time-limited, so it’s not a long-term conversion solution. 

Note: This process will not work with the free Adobe Reader app .

Once you’re finished designing your document using InDesign, you’ll need to export it as a PDF file. 

Make sure that you’ve saved your document, then open the File menu and click Export . 

In the Export dialog window, open the Format dropdown menu and select Adobe PDF (Interactive) , then name the file and click the Save button. 

InDesign will open the Export to Interactive PDF dialog, which has some useful options for configuring your PDF file as a presentation in case you decide not to use the converted Powerpoint file in the end. For now, just click the Export button. 

Next, switch apps to Adobe Acrobat. In the File menu, click Open , then browse to select the PDF file you just created. 

Once your PDF file has loaded, open the File menu again, select the Export To submenu, and choose Microsoft Powerpoint Presentation . 

Give your new presentation a name, and click Save . 

Now comes the real work! Open your new Powerpoint presentation in Powerpoint, and compare the look of the two documents. Some graphical elements may not have converted properly, colors may be off, and even the text characters may require some adjustment too. 

If you’re lucky, and your InDesign file was very simple, then you may have good success with the conversion process, and there won’t be much to do. But if you’re starting with a more complex layout with lots of graphics, spot colors, and fancy typography, you may find yourself looking at a jumbled mess in Powerpoint. 

I tested this conversion process using a number of different PDFs that I had lying around, and only the most basic PDF files were converted acceptably. All the PDFs that had complex layouts and graphics had conversion issues, ranging from poor object placement to missing characters to completely missing objects. 

The unfortunate reality is that Powerpoint and InDesign are intended for two very different markets, and apparently, neither Adobe nor Microsoft see much point in creating better interoperability between the two apps. 

While Adobe and Microsoft don’t want to tackle this conversion issue, they’re far from the only software developers in the world. InDesign and Powerpoint are two very popular programs, so there’s a tiny industry of third-party developers who create conversion plugins to solve this problem. 

However, despite the fact that they market themselves as problem solvers, you may not get better results than you do from the PDF conversion method described earlier. If you’re curious, though, Recosoft offers a plugin named ID2Office that might do what you need. 

I strongly recommend that you test out the free trial before purchasing the plugin , though, because you may discover that it’s not up to the job. 

Powerpoint has some good points (haha), but it’s far from the only way to create a good presentation. InDesign also allows you to create interactive PDFs that are perfect for on-screen presentations. 

The only trick is to treat each page as though it’s a slide, and then you can take advantage of all of InDesign’s advanced layout and design features while creating a PDF presentation that can be viewed on any device. 

Before you spend a lot of time trying to convert your InDesign file to a Powerpoint file, consider whether or not you can simply keep your file in the InDesign format and still get the results you need.

That covers everything that there is to know about converting InDesign files into Powerpoint files! While I wish there was a simpler process that created perfect Powerpoint files, the simple truth is that the two apps are intended for different markets. 

It doesn’t sound quick and easy, but it’s essential to use the proper app for the job from the very beginning. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and frustration! 

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How to convert your InDesign file into PowerPoint

In the world of Sales Enablement , working on your sales collateral is a must. To truly harvest the power of content, it needs to be impactful. And, when it comes to content creation, InDesign offers increased design capabilities. However, there may be situations where this format is not the most suitable. Just convert the file to the format you need right ? Well sadly, it is not that easy! Indeed, there is no straightforward conversion from InDesign to PowerPoint (or any Microsoft Office Suite software for that matter). In this article, we will give you a quick trick to successfully go from InDesign to PowerPoint in a few steps.

Related articles Top PowerPoint Shortcuts for efficient work How to create a video on PowerPoint in 4 steps?

What is InDesign ?

InDesign is a desktop publishing software developed by Adobe that has been part of Adobe's Creative Suite since its first release. InDesign enables users to layout and publish a wide array of documents such as brochures,flyers, newspapers and magazines to name a few. It integrates with other Adobe applications such as Acrobat Reader, Photoshop, or Illustrator for example.

InDesign is widely used by designers as well as creative professionals. As mentioned it can be used to create printed documents. However, it is also used to design electronic material such as email templates, online newsletters, or ads. This is very handy for designers who wish to add multimedia elements such as animations, sound to their otherwise static content pieces.

• InDesign offers professional, high-quality output destined for printing
• InDesign makes it easy to manage high-quality graphics image and other brand elements
• InDesign ensures a printed or digital outcome without compromises in terms of design
• InDesign material can be relatively easy to update (images and/or text) once the initial design is created
• InDesign is an unfamiliar software for non-designers.
• Changes to existing content require either an outsourced skilled designer or an employee with a certain level of expertise with InDesign
• If used internally, there is a cost of subscription
• As a specific skill is required to make modifications, last minutes changes can be especially tricky.

When is conversion necessary ?

If InDesign is a very powerful tool in terms of design capabilities, it requires specific skills to be used. In other words, if you are not familiar with the software you will not be able to modify a file according to your needs.

However, sales collateral often require additional adjustments and not everyone has the possibility to have a designer make those changes last minute. It is exactly in these situations where conversion can be a life saver! Not everyone is an InDesign expert, but we are pretty confident that a large majority of people know their way around PowerPoint.

InDesign vs PowerPoint for content creation

How to convert an InDesign file into PowerPoint ?

The first thing to note is that there is no straightforward method to convert InDesign to PowerPoint. It would be too easy otherwise right? If you want a PowerPoint result that remotely resembles the original InDesign input, there is a two step process that you can follow.

1. From InDesign to PDF

The first step is to convert your InDesign file to PDF. To do this, simply open your file in InDesign and go to File>Export.

In the Save As menu, select Adobe PDF (for print) as your file format.

How to integrate a PDF into a Word document?

2. From PDF to PowerPoint

There are several websites online that allow you to convert a PDF file into PowerPoint for free. Do not hesitate to give the following a try:

• Adobe PDF to PPT

If you've got the Pro version of Adobe PDF, the conversion option is included in your app.

PowerPoint vs Google Slides: which one is the right fit for your company? How to reduce your PowerPoint file size?

• A similar process can also be used to convert an InDesign file into a Word document for example ( Adobe PDF to Word ). However, it is important to note that when it comes to file format conversion from InDesign to the Microsoft Office suite results are not perfect. Indeed, bear in mind that the quality of your file might be affected by the conversion but that the key design elements will translate.

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Captivate your audience with stylish, professional presentations.

Design effective slide decks that help you make a lasting impression with Adobe InDesign. 

Tell a visual story to create engaging presentations.

Create dazzling pitch decks, business presentations and summaries of research findings or share ideas with a slide deck. But even the best presentation software is only as good as the slideshow you design with it — and a weak deck can undermine even a great presenter — so keep these principles in mind as you build your presentation.

Stick to a visual theme. A cohesive look with consistent typography and a simple colour scheme will help your audience stay focused on the content of your slides.

Keep it simple. Avoid cluttering your deck with endless charts, tables or bullet points too small for everyone to read. Allow for plenty of white space on each slide so crucial information stands out.

Find the right tools for every job. Pie charts are great for demonstrating percentages. Vertical bar charts show changes over time better than horizontal bar charts, which are best for comparing quantities. Try an infographic to help your audience visualise your data.

Incorporate video, audio or animations. Get people to pay more attention with animated presentations that feature video, audio and elegant transitions to break up static slides.

Do more with tools from Adobe Creative Cloud.

Access other Creative Cloud tools that make InDesign an even more effective presentation maker.

Choose unique fonts. Pick from over 17,000 high-quality fonts from Adobe Fonts to make your information organised and easy to read. User-friendly font styles make slides simpler to digest.

Start with Adobe Stock. Find inspiration with Stock assets. Use Stock photos for stunning background images or transitional slides and use Stock to find a presentation template as a basis for your customised design.

How to design a presentation from scratch.

With some creativity and these simple steps, you can create a customised presentation with InDesign.

Find the right page size. Whether you’re presenting a keynote on a massive screen or creating for mobile devices, start by selecting the dimensions you’ll use for your presentation.

Choose your background.

Pick a striking background image that works with text overlay. The deck’s title can also become part of the background. 

Create paragraph styles. 

Create no more than three text styles so you can keep the title font, body font and footnote font consistent throughout the presentation. Set paragraph styles to change font and size with a click of a button.

Set up master pages. 

Create a few master pages to help ensure your presentation looks professional and well designed. Add image and text frames to the master pages so you can drop your content in later without having to overthink the layout.  

Add images and text.

Drag and drop Photoshop (PSD) files, PDFs, Illustrator (AI) files, JPEGs, PNGs or GIFs into the image frames. To add text, just copy and paste text files or select the Type tool from the toolbar and type directly into the text frame.

Add page numbers.

Insert page numbers to keep you and your audience on the same page. InDesign can automatically number the slides. 

Add finishing touches.

From films and sound clips to hyperlinks, cross references and page transitions, you’ve got plenty of interactive options to make your story more compelling.

Export your slide deck.

The final step is to export your presentation in a format that can be projected or distributed in any presentation programme. Exporting as Adobe PDF (Interactive) lets you play or click through interactive content in real time during the presentation. 

Discover more presentation design skills.

Explore these tutorials to start mastering design tools and techniques to help you to create beautiful presentations with InDesign.

Create stylish layouts.

Learn how to design slide layouts with text and graphics that will effectively deliver information and impress your audience in projected or online presentations.

Keep it organised.

Enhance your slideshows with tables that clearly display information and can be adjusted to different sizes with ease.

Make it interactive.

Bring animated videos, hyperlinks, slide transitions and more into your slideshow with interactive presentations in PDF format.

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