How to Convert PDFs to PowerPoint Slides in Adobe Acrobat (PC & Mac)

This tutorial shows how to convert PDFs to PowerPoint slides in Adobe Acrobat.

The images below are from Adobe Acrobat DC. These steps will also work in Adobe Acrobat 2020 and Adobe Acrobat 2017. In addition, the steps are the same for a PC and Mac.

Adobe’s free PDF display software, Acrobat Reader, doesn’t provide a way to convert PDFs to PowerPoint files.

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.

Important Note about Page Orientation: The examples below feature a PDF page in landscape orientation. I have chosen to use landscape orientation because PowerPoint slides are typically presented in landscape. For information about using landscape orientation, please see my other tutorial “How to Change Page Orientation in Adobe Acrobat.”

How to Convert a PDF to PowerPoint Slides

Select the Tools tab.

Tools tab in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 1. Tools tab

Select Export PDF in the Tools Center.

Export PDF button in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 2. Export PDF button

Select Microsoft PowerPoint in the Export your PDF to any format screen.

Microsoft PowerPoint option in the "Export your PDF to any format" dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 3. Microsoft PowerPoint option

(Optional) Select the settings (gear) icon for additional options.

Settings icon in the "Export your PDF to any format" dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 4. Settings icon

(Optional) Select additional options in the Save As PPTX Settings dialog box:

- Include Comments includes the existing comments and markups in your PDF. Acrobat’s comments and markups do not always convert effectively to the PowerPoint format, so consider unchecking this option.
- Recognize text if needed uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to convert non-editable text, such as text in an image, to editable text. Strongly consider leaving this option checked. (It should be checked by default.)

Save As PPTX Settings dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 5. Include Comments and Text Recognition Settings options

(Optional) Select the Set Language button if you need to change the recognized language to something other than your default language.

Set Language button in the Save As PPTX Settings dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 6. Set Language button

Select the OK button.

OK button in the Save As PPTX Settings dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 7. OK button

Select the Export button in the Export your PDF to any format screen.

Export button in the "Export your PDF to any format" dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 8. Export button

(Optional) Uncheck Open file after export in the Save As dialog box if you don’t want the PowerPoint file to open in Microsoft PowerPoint after the export process is complete.

"Open file after export" option in the Save As dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 9. “Open file after export” option

Find and select the location where you want to save your PowerPoint file in the Save As dialog box.

The Save As dialog box will close automatically after you make your selection.

(Optional) Customize the file name in the second Save As dialog box.

File name text box in the second Save As dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 10. File name text box

Select the Save button.

Save button in the second Save As dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 11. Save button

If the “Open file after export” option was checked (see figure 7), your new PPTX file should now open in PowerPoint if PowerPoint is installed on your computer.

The conversion process may have changed some of the original PDF formatting, so you may have to adjust the appearance of individual slides within PowerPoint.