An Optimal Solution for Printing PowerPoint Slides Online

Prerequisite: Printing Powerpoint slides off of the Internet requires the user to have the Microsoft Powerpoint software installed on his or her computer.

Identifying Different Powerpoint Formats Online

A hyperlink to a Powerpoint slide on a web page can be in one of two formats. The slides can be linked on a webpage in PPT format (standard format) or can be in HTML format as a regular webpage. The user can determine the format the slides are in immediately by clicking on the hyperlink required to access the Powerpoint slides. The format of the Powerpoint slides determines how the slides are printed. It is important to ask the instructor of the class in which you are downloading the Powerpoint slides what format the powerpoints have been arranged in.

Powerpoint Format (Standard Format)

If a user clicks on a hyperlink to a Powerpoint slide and a dialog box appears asking the user to "Open", "Save", or "Cancel" then the slides are in .PPT format meaning it is saved as a Powerpoint file. Keep in mind however that slides might be saved in Powerpoint format even if a dialog box does not appear. Once the user clicks on the link and opens the Powerpoint he or she should always check the title bar or the address box at the top of the browser and look to see if the file contains a .PPT extension at the end. If the file has a .PPT extension at the end of the address then the slides have been linked as a regular Powerpoint slideshow. (see printing instructions)

HTML Format (saved as web page)

An instructor might also create a Powerpoint slide using HTML format. The benefit of using HTML format is that the web user can view the slideshow on any computer connected to the Internet regardless of whether or not the Powerpoint software is installed. Once the link to the desired Powerpoint is clicked, and if the slides are in HTML format, the slides will appear instantly and will appear as if they are a regular web page. To verify whether the Powerpoint is in HTML format check the title bar or the address box at the top of the browser and look to see if the file contains a .htm or a html extension at the end. If the file has one of these extensions at the end of the address then the slides have been saved as a normal web page. (see printing instructions)

Powerpoint slides saved with the extension .MHTML or .MHT are also considered to be in web page (HTML) format. Please note that this format can only be printed one slide at a time via the browser.

Printing Different Powerpoint Formats

Printing Slides in Powerpoint Format (Standard Format)

Once the Powerpoint slides have been opened and it has been determined that the Powerpoint is in Standard Format follow the steps below...

Click on the File menu at the top (In Office 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button at the top left of the screen)
Choose Print...
The Print dialog box will appear as shown in Fig 1 below.

Fig 1
In the Print range section the user can choose to print all the slides or a specified range of slides. To print a range of slides click on the circle next to the Slides: option and enter the desired range.
NOTE: To conserve paper users should avoid printing one slide per page. To print multiple slides per page users have two printing options available to them.

Handouts Printing Option

This option allows the user to print 6 slides to a single page.

In the Print dialog box, under the Print range section, choose Handouts from the Print what drop-down box.
After the Handouts option is selected the dithered Handouts section to the right of the drop-down box will become enabled (see Fig 1).
Under the Handouts section select a minimum of '6' from the Slides per page: drop-down box. Six slides should be printed per page (standard 8x11).
Choose the Pure Black and White option from the Color/grayscale: drop-down box.
After all options have been set as detailed above press the OK button to begin printing.

Outline View Printing Option

This option allows the user to print a Powerpoint in a detailed outline format consisting of text only with headings and bulleted items.

In the Print dialog box, under the Print range section, choose Outline View from the Print what drop-down box.
Choose the Pure Black and White option from the Color/grayscale: drop-down box.
After all options have been set as detailed above press the OK button to begin printing.

Printing Slides in HTML Format (saved as web page)

Once the Powerpoint slides have been opened and it has been determined that the Powerpoint is in web page format follow the steps below...

With the browser window open displaying the Powerpoint slides, click on the File menu at the top.
Choose Edit with Microsoft Office Powerpoint.. from the File menu. If this option is not available then the user's computer does not have the Powerpoint software installed and therefore will not be able to print the slides.
Once the user chooses to Edit with Microsoft Office Powerpoint the slides will open within the Powerpoint program in Read Only mode.
From within the Powerpoint program click on the File menu at the top.
Choose Print.. from the File menu.
The Print dialog box will appear as shown in Fig 1 above.
In the Print range section the user can choose to print all the slides or a specified range of slides. To print a range of slides click on the circle next to the Slides: option and enter the desired range.
NOTE: To conserve paper users should avoid printing one slide per page. To print multiple slides per page users have two printing options available to them.