How to Create Handouts in PowerPoint (Printable & Editable)

There are two ways to create handouts in PowerPoint. The first method lets you print the handouts directly from PowerPoint. The second method exports your handouts to Microsoft Word where you can edit them or add additional content (and of course, print them).

Are you on a Mac? Please see “How to Create Handouts in PowerPoint for Mac.”

Quick Links:

How to Create Printable PowerPoint Handouts
How to Create Editable PowerPoint Handouts with Microsoft Word

This tutorial is also available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.

Watch more than 100 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 and Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to PowerPoint 2019, PowerPoint 2016, and PowerPoint 2013.

How to Create Printable PowerPoint Handouts

Select the File tab in the ribbon.

File tab in PowerPoint 365 — Figure 1. File tab

Select Print in the Backstage view.

Print option in the Backstage view in PowerPoint 365 — Figure 2. Print option

(Optional) If you don’t want include all your slides, enter specific slide numbers separated by commas or a number range (e.g., 3,5,7,9-14) into the Slides text box.

Slides text box in the Print screen in the Backstage view of PowerPoint 365 — Figure 3. Slides text box

Select the Full Page Slides menu.

Full Page Slides menu in the Print screen in the Backstage view of PowerPoint 365 — Figure 4. Full Page Slides menu

Select an option from the Handout section in the menu. (You may need to use the scrollbar on the right side of the menu to see all the options shown here.)

- One slide per page
- Two slides per page
- Three slides per page with lines for notes
- Four horizontal slides per page
- Six horizontal slides per page
- Nine horizontal slides per page
- Four vertical slides per page
- Six vertical slides per page
- Nine vertical slides per page

Handouts options in the Print screen in the Backstage view in PowerPoint 365 — Figure 5. Handout options

(Optional in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 only) Uncheck Print slide numbers on handouts if you don’t want to include slide numbers.

"Print slide numbers on handouts" option in the Backstage view of PowerPoint 365 — Figure 6. “Print slide numbers on handouts” option

(Optional) Enter the number of copies into the Copies text box.

Copies text box in the Print screen in the Backstage view of PowerPoint 365 — Figure 7. Copies text box

Select the Print button.

Print button in the Backstage view in PowerPoint 365 — Figure 8. Print button

PowerPoint doesn’t provide a way to save the handout options you just chose. So, repeat these steps if you need to print additional handouts in the future.

How to Create Editable PowerPoint Handouts with Microsoft Word

Important Note: Some users may have difficulty exporting large PowerPoint files into Microsoft Word. If you encounter problems, please see the Microsoft Support website for two possible solutions.

Select the File tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
Select Export in the Backstage view.

Export option in the Backstage view in PowerPoint 365 — Figure 9. Export option

Select Create Handouts in the Export screen.

Create Handout option in the Export screen in the Backstage view in PowerPoint 365 — Figure 10. Create Handouts option

Select the Create Handouts button.

Create Handout button in the Export screen in the Backstage view in PowerPoint 365 — Figure 11. Create Handouts button

Select a page layout option from the Send to Microsoft Word dialog box. (The dialog box label may be abbreviated to “Send to Microsoft…”)

- Note next to slides
- Blank lines next to slides
- Notes below slides
- Blank lines below slides
- Outline only (This option only pastes the text from your slides, not the slides themselves.)

Send to Microsoft Word dialog box in PowerPoint 365 — Figure 12. Page layout options

Select the Paste or Paste link option. (These options won’t be available if you selected “Outline only” in step 5.)

- Paste duplicates your slides and notes (if applicable) into a Word document.
- Paste link duplicates your slides and notes (if applicable) into a Word document and creates a link between the files. Therefore, if you update your PowerPoint slides, the Word file will update also. (Unfortunately, the links don’t apply to PowerPoint notes.)

Paste and Paste link options in the Send to Microsoft Word dialog box in PowerPoint 365 — Figure 13. Paste and Paste link options

Select the OK button.

OK button in the Send to Microsoft Word dialog box in PowerPoint 365 — Figure 14. OK button

Your PowerPoint file will be pasted into a Word document. This process may take several moments if your PowerPoint file is large.

If Microsoft Word doesn’t open automatically, select the Word icon in the Windows taskbar.
Within Word, your slides and notes (if applicable) are placed in a table. Select the table selector to see the table rows and columns, which you can adjust or delete.

Table selector in Word 365 — Figure 15. Table selector in Microsoft Word

For more information about working with tables in Word, please see “Three Ways to Insert Tables in Microsoft Word.”

How to Update the Link between Your PowerPoint Slides and Your Word Handouts

If you selected Paste Link in step 6 but don’t see updates in your Word handouts after updating the PowerPoint slides, right-click the slide in the Word file and then select Update Link from the shortcut menu.

Update Link in the shortcut Menu in Word 365 — Figure 15. Update Link option (Microsoft Word)

Continue to add content to your new Word file, and then save and print it as you normally would.

How to Create Printable PowerPoint Handouts

How to Create Editable PowerPoint Handouts with Microsoft Word

How to Update the Link between Your PowerPoint Slides and Your Word Handouts

Related Resources

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