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

By Erin Wright

Projector screen in meeting room with text overlay "How to Convert PDFs to PowerPoint in Adobe Acrobat

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

  1. Select the Tools tab.
Tools tab in Adobe Acrobat
Figure 1. Tools tab
  1. Select Export PDF in the Tools Center.
Export PDF button in Adobe Acrobat
Figure 2. Export PDF button
  1. 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
  1. (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
  1. (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
  1. (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
  1. Select the OK button.
OK button in the Save As PPTX Settings dialog box in Adobe Acrobat
Figure 7. OK button
  1. 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
  1. (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
  1. 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.

  1. (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
  1. 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.

Related Resources

How to Convert PDFs to Microsoft Word Files in Adobe Acrobat

How to Combine Files into One PDF in Adobe Acrobat

How to Attach Files to PDFs in Adobe Acrobat

How to Save Shapes and Objects as Images in PowerPoint

How to Create Handouts in PowerPoint (Printable & Editable)

Updated August 29, 2021

Filed Under: Adobe Acrobat Tagged With: Adobe Acrobat DC, formatting, PowerPoint

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Hello! My name is Erin. I am a technical writer and editor who shares writing-related software tutorials on this website and on YouTube.

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