How to Print PowerPoint With Notes (Windows, Mac and Web)

I still like a printed copy of my talk notes. Laptops die, clickers stop working and presenter screens sometimes refuse to appear. A few sheets of paper on the lectern mean I can keep going whatever the tech decides to do.

Printing notes trips people up because the obvious handout layouts leave them out entirely. Here's where the Notes setting lives on Windows and Mac, how to print the words without the slide pictures, and what to do if you're working in the browser.

Printing PowerPoint notes pages on Windows

1. Open your presentation and select File, then Print.
2. Under Printer, choose the printer you want.
3. Under Settings, select the down arrow next to Full Page Slides.
4. Under Print Layout, select Notes Pages.
5. Pick which slides to print and how many copies, then select Print.

Microsoft says Notes Pages prints one slide per page with your speaker notes underneath, and you can't fit more than one slide and its notes on a printed page. Check the preview on the right before you print. It shows exactly how the page will come out.

Printing PowerPoint slides with notes on a Mac

1. On the File menu, select Print.
2. In the print dialog, under PowerPoint, open the Layout drop-down.
3. Select Notes.
4. Set any other options, such as the slide range, then select Print.

If you only see the standard Mac print panel, look for a drop-down or a Show Details button that reveals the PowerPoint section. The Layout option sits there, not in the general printer settings.

Why PowerPoint handouts don't include your speaker notes

This is the mix-up I see most. People choose a handout layout with three or six slides on a page and wonder where their notes went. According to Microsoft, every Handouts option and the other Print Layout choices print only the slides or slide content. Only Notes Pages carries your speaker notes.

Layout you choose	What prints	Speaker notes included?
Full Page Slides	One slide filling each page	No
Notes Pages	One slide on top, notes underneath	Yes
Outline	Slide text only	No
Handouts	Several slides per page for your audience	No

Handouts are for the people listening. Notes Pages are for you. Once you think of them that way, the menu makes a lot more sense.

Printing PowerPoint notes without the slide thumbnails

Sometimes you want just your script, in big text, with no slide picture taking up half the sheet. PowerPoint has no single setting for this. Microsoft's method is to remove the picture from each notes page by hand:

1. Go to View, then Notes Page.
2. On each notes page, click the slide thumbnail and press Delete.
3. Repeat for every slide you want to print.
4. Go to File, Print, choose Notes Pages and print.

Don't panic about the Delete key. Microsoft confirms this removes the picture from the notes page only. The slide itself stays in your presentation.

For a long deck, there's a quicker route. Go to File, Export, Create Handouts, then select Create Handouts again. In the Send to Microsoft Word box, choose Notes next to slides or Notes below slides, select Paste and then OK. You'll get a Word document you can reformat, enlarge or trim before printing.

Printing speaker notes from PowerPoint for the web

In the browser version, printing is handed over to your web browser. You select File, then Print, choose the kind of sheets you want and finish in your browser's own print window. Microsoft notes that advanced printing layout options need a desktop version of PowerPoint, and anything added through an add-in won't print successfully from the web.

If your notes layout isn't available or looks wrong, open the file in the desktop app and print from there. It's the most dependable route.

Making printed PowerPoint notes easier to read on the day

A few tweaks make a real difference when you're glancing down mid-sentence:

• Choose Grayscale in the colour setting. Microsoft says it usually looks crisper for charts and tables on a black-and-white printer than printing in Color.
• Pick Pure Black and White if you want all text printed black with no grey shading.
• Edit the Notes Master to change fonts across every notes page. Microsoft says those changes show on printed notes pages, not in the Notes pane you type in.
• Add a picture or reminder in Notes Page view. It'll print on that notes page but won't appear on screen in Normal view.

For workshops and client sessions, I usually print my notes for me and a separate handout for the room. If you'd rather design a branded handout or worksheet from scratch, Canva is handy, and my walkthrough on numbering the pages of a Canva document helps keep a multi-page pack in order. You can also match the look of your slides by uploading your brand fonts to Canva.

If PowerPoint prints the notes pages wrong

• Notes missing: you've picked a Handouts or Full Page Slides layout. Switch to Notes Pages.
• Notes cut off: long notes can run past the box. Shorten them, or use the Create Handouts export to Word and reformat there.
• Hidden slides not printing: on Windows, select Print Hidden Slides in the slide range options.
• Wrong slides printing: use Custom Range and type the slide numbers you need, separated by commas.

Frequently asked questions

Why aren't my speaker notes printing in PowerPoint?

You're probably using a Handouts or Full Page Slides layout. Microsoft says only Notes Pages prints your speaker notes, so change the Print Layout setting to Notes Pages.

Can I print more than one slide with notes on a page?

Not with Notes Pages. Microsoft says you can only have one slide and its notes on each printed page. For a denser layout, export to Word with Create Handouts and choose Notes next to slides.

How do I print just the notes without the slide?

Open View, then Notes Page, delete the slide thumbnail on each notes page, then print as Notes Pages. Microsoft confirms this doesn't delete the slides from your presentation.

Where is the notes print option on a Mac?

On the File menu, select Print, then choose Notes from the Layout drop-down in the PowerPoint section of the print dialog.

Can I print notes from PowerPoint for the web?

Printing on the web goes through your browser, and Microsoft says advanced printing layout options need a desktop version of PowerPoint. If the notes layout isn't right, print from the desktop app instead.