How to Export PowerPont Handouts to Microsoft Word

Export Handouts from PowerPoint and Edit in Microsoft Word

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated April 16, 2017

Applies to: Microsoft® PowerPoint® and Word® 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016 (Windows)

It's easy to export handouts from Microsoft PowerPoint presentations to Word. If you decide to export handouts to Word, you will be able to edit the handouts but you won't have the same choices in terms of format as handouts printed in PowerPoint (such as 6 slides horizontal).

If you're printing handouts in PowerPoint, you'll be offered a number of options (the following are available in 2016 but are similar in other versions):

However, if you export to Microsoft Word, you can edit the handouts. One of the most common choices for handouts that are exported from PowerPoint to Word is with blank lines next to the slides.

After you've exported the handouts to Word, a table will usually be created with columns for slide number, slide images and, most often, lines on the right. You can delete any of the columns in the Word document by selecting the column, right-clicking and then choosing Delete Columns from the context menu.

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Export PowerPoint handouts to Word 2013 and 2016

To export handouts from PowerPoint to Word in 2013 and 2016:

Open the PowerPoint 2013 or 2016 presentation you'd like to export to Word as handouts.
Click the File tab in the Ribbon and select Export. A new menu appears.
Click the Create Handouts menu item.
Click the Create Handouts button. A dialog box appears.
Select Blank lines next to slides or another option.
Select Paste or Paste link (if you wish the Word file to update when the PowerPoint presentation is changed).
Click OK. A Word document will open with the selected options. If you've chosen Blank lines next to slides, a table is created with the slide number, images of the slides and blank lines on the right.

Below are the options that appear when you click on the Create Handouts button in PowerPoint 2013 or 2016:

Export PowerPoint handouts to Word 2010

To export handouts from PowerPoint to Word in 2010:

Open the PowerPoint 2010 presentation you would like to export to Word as handouts.
Click the File tab in the Ribbon and select Save and Send. A new menu appears.
Click the Create Handouts menu item.
Click the Create Handouts button. A dialog box appears.
Select Blank lines next to slides or another option.
Select Paste or Paste link (if you wish the Word file to update when the PowerPoint presentation is changed).
Click OK. A Word document will open with the selected options. If you've chosen Blank lines next to slides, a table is created with the slide number, images of the slides and blank lines on the right.

Below are the options that appear when you click on the Create Handouts button in PowerPoint 2010:

Export PowerPoint handouts to Word 2007

To export handouts from PowerPoint to Word in 2007:

Open the PowerPoint 2007 presentation you would like to export to Word as handouts.
Click the Office button in the Ribbon and select Publish. A new menu appears.
Click the Create Handouts in Microsoft Office Word menu item.
Click the Create Handouts button. A dialog box appears.
Select Blank lines next to slides or another option.
Select Paste or Paste link (if you wish the Word file to update when the PowerPoint presentation is changed).
Click OK. A Word document will open with the selected options. If you've chosen Blank lines next to slides, a table is created with the slide number, images of the slides and lines on the right.

Below are the options that appear when you click on the Create Handouts button in PowerPoint 2007:

Editing the handouts in Word

In Word, you may want to add page numbers in the header or footer as they are not automatically created during the export process. You could also delete columns or insert another column in the table if you wish to enter other information for the audience.

Below is a sample of slides and lines next to slides in Microsoft Word where the slide number column has been deleted and headers and footers have been added:

If you'd like to add a heading above the table:

Select the first cell of the table.
Click the Table Tools Layout tab and click Split Table. You'll then be able to type a title above the table.

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How to Export PowerPoint Handouts to Microsoft Word

Export Handouts from PowerPoint and Edit in Microsoft Word