Start from a clean template, give each slide one idea, and use a consistent set of fonts, colours and image styles. Keep text short, show numbers as simple charts and put your brand on every slide. Export a PDF and an editable file, then check both on another device before you send.
A pitch deck is a design job before it's anything else. The content is yours; the design is what gets it read. And the design has one awkward requirement: it has to survive being moved. It gets emailed, opened on a laptop you've never seen, shared on a video call and sometimes printed. A deck that looks lovely on your screen and broken on theirs has failed at the one thing design is there to do.
So this page is about the look and the file, not about what you say on the slides. Here's how I'd lay out the job.
Five design moves, one slide at a time
1. Pick a structure and write one headline per slide
Start from a clean template and a structure, then write a single headline for every slide that states its point. If you can't write that headline, the slide doesn't have one idea yet. One idea per slide keeps the design simple, because you're only ever laying out one thing. Slidebean's AI pitch deck creator can generate a first structure if a blank page is what's stopping you.
2. Set a small brand system and apply it everywhere
Choose two fonts at most, a short colour palette and a fixed spot for your logo, then apply them across the whole deck. Consistency reads as polish. Pitch's page describes brand guardrails with uploaded media and custom fonts, which stops anyone editing a slide from drifting off-brand. Decide your image style at the same time, photos or illustrations, so the deck doesn't look assembled from three different places.
3. Choose fonts you can embed, at a size people can read
Fonts are the first thing to break when a file moves between computers, so pick ones you can embed or export. Keep body text large enough to read on a screen share, where your slide may be squeezed into a small window. Microsoft PowerPoint can embed fonts in a presentation shared as a file, and the next section explains why that matters so much.
4. Give every set of numbers one chart and one sentence
Turn numbers into one simple chart per slide and write the takeaway above it in plain words. A chart with a stated takeaway beats a table nobody reads. Beautiful.ai lists data visualisation alongside Smart Slides, layouts that align themselves, which helps when you're not a designer and want charts to sit neatly.
5. Export twice and open both somewhere else
Export a PDF for viewing and an editable file for changes, then open both on a different device. Check the fonts, the spacing and every image. The version you send must look the way you designed it, and the only way to know is to see it on a machine that isn't yours.
When the fonts go missing on someone else's laptop
Microsoft Support's page on the benefits of embedding custom fonts sets out the problem plainly. If you share a document with someone who doesn't have the same fonts installed, embedding means the fonts, layout and styling won't change, and special characters won't turn into rectangles. It also notes that embedding is still useful for non-standard fonts, or when a deck will be viewed or edited offline.
Think about what that means for a designed deck. You've chosen a distinctive heading font, sized every headline to sit on one line and lined everything up. Without embedding, the layout and styling can shift on a machine that lacks your font, and special characters can show up as empty boxes. Nobody on the other end knows it was ever different. They just see a messy deck.
So embed the fonts in the editable file where your software allows it, choose fonts that can be embedded or exported in the first place, and send a PDF alongside it for viewing. Then do the second-device check from step five. It takes a few minutes, and it's the only way to see what the recipient will see.
Small habits that make slides easier to read
- One headline per slide, written as a statement rather than a label.
- Plenty of space around text; crowded slides read as rushed.
- Your logo in the same position on every slide.
- The takeaway written above each chart, not buried in a legend.
- One image style across the whole deck.
None of these need a designer. They need a decision made once and applied everywhere, which is what templates and brand controls in presentation software are there to help with. For a head start, these ready-made pitch deck templates give you a structure to fill in rather than a blank canvas.
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Five presentation tools compared
Each of these handles a different part of the job. Some generate a first draft for you, some keep a team on-brand, and one is the place most people check how a file behaves when it's shared.
| Tool | Type | What it helps with |
|---|---|---|
| Pitch | Presentation software | Team collaboration on slides, brand guardrails with custom fonts, and importing an existing deck from a PPTX file |
| Beautiful.ai | Presentation software | Smart Slides with auto-aligning layouts, brand control and data visualisation |
| Slidebean | AI pitch deck creator and design service | An AI deck creator, plus a done-for-you pitch deck design service |
| Decktopus | AI presentation tool | Describe a topic and it generates a deck in your colours and fonts, exportable to PPT and PDF |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Presentation software | Font embedding, so a shared presentation keeps its layout on another computer |
If you're weighing up builders that draft slides for you, there's a fuller list of AI tools that generate a pitch deck from a prompt, and a broader look at deck design software for teams if you make more than one kind of presentation.
My verdict on designing a deck that travels
Spend less time hunting for a clever template and more time on the dull decisions: two fonts, a short palette, one idea per slide, and an export you've checked on another device. A plain deck that opens cleanly everywhere does its job. A beautiful one that breaks on the recipient's screen doesn't, however good it looked on yours.
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Frequently asked questions
How many slides should a pitch deck have?
That depends on your audience, and none of the tools' pages set a number. Keep one idea per slide and cut any slide that doesn't support your point.
Can I import a deck I already made?
Pitch's page says you can upload a PPTX file, and exporting from Google Slides or Keynote to PPTX lets you use its importer. Decktopus's page describes importing a PDF, PowerPoint or HTML file.
Which file format should I send?
Decktopus's page lists export to PPT and PDF. Send a PDF for viewing and keep an editable file for changes.
Do I need a designer?
Not always. Slidebean's page offers a pitch deck design service as well as an AI tool, so you can choose whether to do it yourself.
How do I keep my brand consistent across slides?
Set your fonts, colours and logo position once and apply them to every slide. Beautiful.ai lists brand control for exactly this.
