PowerPoint can print several slide thumbnails on each sheet using Handouts. The setting is in the Print layout controls, not the slide design itself.
Steps
- Open the presentation and choose File > Print.
- Under Settings, open the layout menu that normally says Full Page Slides.
- Under Handouts, choose the number of slides per page and horizontal/vertical arrangement you want.
- Choose color, grayscale, framing, and printer settings as needed, then inspect Print Preview.
- Print a test page or print to PDF before producing a large set.
How it works
Three Slides per page includes note-taking lines; other handout layouts arrange thumbnails differently. Printer margins and orientation affect usable size. PowerPoint 2013’s interface is old but the handout concept remains.
Important considerations
PowerPoint 2013 is out of support. For important work, use a supported Microsoft 365/Office version and verify the current print preview.
Practical guidance
PowerPoint can also print Notes Pages or an Outline; these are different from Handouts. If recipients need space to write, the three-slide handout is often useful. For duplex printing, test page order and flip direction because printer drivers vary and a large handout job can waste paper quickly.
Additional details
If you need six or nine slides per page for study notes, remember that text on each slide becomes small. A PDF handout can be easier to distribute electronically. Speaker notes are not automatically printed in ordinary Handouts; choose Notes Pages when the notes themselves are the material recipients need.
Using the browser version? See how to print handouts in PowerPoint for the web.
Presenting from a browser? See how to play a presentation in PowerPoint for the web.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.