Answered By: Taylor Vazquez
Last Updated: Feb 18, 2025 Views: 9685

Changing Slide Dimensions in PowerPoint

**You must set your slide dimensions before adding slide content.**

To adjust slide size:

  1. With PowerPoint open, click on Design in the menu ribbon
  2. On the right side of the screen, find and click on Slide Size and then Custom Slide Size
  3. Set the new width and height for your poster (36 in. x 48 in., 36 in. x 56 in., etc). Remember: Medical Library poster paper is 36 inches wide, so one side of your poster cannot exceed 36 inches!
  4. Make sure the orientation is set to Landscape
  5. Click OK and then click on either Maximize or Ensure Fit (selection does not matter as your slide should currently be empty)
  6. Your slide will resize and you can begin editing!

With PowerPoint open, the Design tab is the 4th option in the top menu ribbon. The option to change slide size is in the Customize section.


More Tips for Resizing Your Poster

  1. Set the dimensions of your slide/poster before adding content. Resizing your poster after adding content will cause formatting issues.
  2. PowerPoint's maximum length for a slide is 56 inches. To get a larger poster, set the dimensions in Custom Slide Size to be half of the desired print size.
    1. Example: to print a poster sized 36 in. x 72 in., set the slide dimensions to 18 in. x 36 in. We will print the poster at 200% for a final size of 36in. x 72in.
  3. Contact the Library for help or use one of our pre-made poster templates.