PowerPoint Processing

Creating Presentations (Python)

from pptx import Presentation
from pptx.util import Inches, Pt

prs = Presentation()

# Add title slide
title_slide_layout = prs.slide_layouts[0]
slide = prs.slides.add_slide(title_slide_layout)
title = slide.shapes.title
subtitle = slide.placeholders[1]
title.text = "Hello, World!"
subtitle.text = "python-pptx demo"

# Add content slide
bullet_slide_layout = prs.slide_layouts[1]
slide = prs.slides.add_slide(bullet_slide_layout)
shapes = slide.shapes
title_shape = shapes.title
body_shape = shapes.placeholders[1]
title_shape.text = "Key Points"
tf = body_shape.text_frame
tf.text = "First bullet point"
p = tf.add_paragraph()
p.text = "Second bullet point"
p.level = 1

prs.save('presentation.pptx')

Adding Images

from pptx.util import Inches

blank_layout = prs.slide_layouts[6]
slide = prs.slides.add_slide(blank_layout)

left = Inches(1)
top = Inches(1)
width = Inches(5)
slide.shapes.add_picture('image.png', left, top, width=width)

Adding Tables

rows, cols = 3, 4
left = Inches(1)
top = Inches(2)
width = Inches(6)
height = Inches(1.5)

table = slide.shapes.add_table(rows, cols, left, top, width, height).table

# Set column widths
table.columns[0].width = Inches(2)

# Add content
table.cell(0, 0).text = "Header 1"
table.cell(1, 0).text = "Data 1"

Adding Charts

from pptx.chart.data import CategoryChartData
from pptx.enum.chart import XL_CHART_TYPE

chart_data = CategoryChartData()
chart_data.categories = ['East', 'West', 'Midwest']
chart_data.add_series('Sales', (19.2, 21.4, 16.7))

x, y, cx, cy = Inches(2), Inches(2), Inches(6), Inches(4.5)
slide.shapes.add_chart(
    XL_CHART_TYPE.COLUMN_CLUSTERED, x, y, cx, cy, chart_data
)

Editing Existing Presentations

prs = Presentation('existing.pptx')

# Access slides
for slide in prs.slides:
    for shape in slide.shapes:
        if shape.has_text_frame:
            print(shape.text_frame.text)

# Modify text
slide = prs.slides[0]
slide.shapes.title.text = "New Title"

prs.save('modified.pptx')

Best Practices

• •Use slide layouts for consistency
• •Keep text minimal, use visuals
• •Use Inches() or Pt() for sizing
• •Save frequently during creation

Design & Aesthetics (Practical Rules)

Use these guidelines when generating or editing slides so the deck looks intentional, modern, and consistent.

Layout & Grid

• •Prefer a simple grid (e.g., 12-column feel) and align everything to consistent left edges.
• •Keep a single dominant focal point per slide (one headline + one visual or one chart).
• •Use generous margins/whitespace. As a rule of thumb, keep key content inside ~10% padding from slide edges.
• •Keep consistent spacing between elements (e.g., 8/16/24/32 px style steps). Avoid “almost equal” gaps.

Typography & Hierarchy

• •Use 1 font family (or 2 at most: one for headings, one for body). Avoid mixing many fonts.
• •Establish clear hierarchy:
  • •Title: ~36–44 pt
  • •Section header: ~28–34 pt
  • •Body: ~18–24 pt
  • •Caption/footnote: ~12–14 pt
• •Keep line length comfortable; avoid long paragraphs. Prefer bullets with strong nouns/verbs.
• •Use bold for emphasis, avoid underlines; italics only sparingly.

Color System

• •Use a restrained palette:
  • •1 primary accent color
  • •1 neutral dark (text)
  • •1 neutral light (background)
  • •Optional 1 secondary accent
• •Maintain contrast: dark text on light background (or vice versa). Avoid low-contrast gray-on-gray.
• •Use color to encode meaning consistently (e.g., success=green, risk=red) and keep it consistent across slides.

Visuals (Icons / Images / Shapes)

• •Prefer high-quality visuals with consistent style (all flat icons, or all line icons—not mixed).
• •Avoid stretching images; preserve aspect ratio and crop intentionally.
• •Use subtle shape styling: thin strokes, soft shadows (if any), consistent corner radius.
• •Avoid decorative clutter: every icon/shape should clarify structure or meaning.

Images / Illustration Direction

• •Prefer one visual style per deck: photo-real, 3D renders, flat illustration, or line illustration. Don’t mix styles.
• •Resolution: use sufficiently large images (avoid blurry screenshots). If an image will be full-width, it should be at least ~1920px wide.
• •Cropping: crop for composition (rule of thirds, clear subject). Avoid awkward cut-offs (hands/heads) unless intentional.
• •Backgrounds: prefer clean backgrounds; remove busy backgrounds when they distract. If needed, place images on a solid/blurred panel.
• •Color & tone: keep color temperature and contrast consistent across slides; apply the same tint/duotone treatment if used.
• •Text on images: ensure readability with overlay scrims/gradient, and keep contrast high. Avoid putting text over noisy areas.
• •Icon usage: keep icon stroke weight and corner style consistent; avoid mixing filled and outline icons in the same row.
• •Captions & sources: if the deck is external-facing, add a small caption/source line for non-original images.
• •Licensing: use properly licensed assets; avoid random web images for public decks unless attribution/license is clear.

Charts & Tables

• •Remove chart junk: minimize gridlines, borders, and unnecessary labels.
• •Use one highlight color to direct attention; keep other series neutral.
• •Prefer direct labels over legends when possible.
• •Keep tables minimal: light row separators, consistent number formats, right-align numbers.

Consistency Checklist (Quick)

• •Same title position across slides
• •Same font sizes for same roles (title/body/caption)
• •Same color usage for same semantics
• •Same alignment rules (left edges, baseline alignment)
• •No overlapping elements; equal spacing; no “almost aligned” objects