Save and optimise your presentation as PDF for sharing
2 min read·25 July 2026
Exporting your presentation as PDF is the standard for sharing — but there are a few pitfalls. Animations are lost, fonts may be missing, and the file size can be enormous. Here's how to do it right.
Why share presentations as PDF?
PDF presentations work on any device, preserve the design exactly as intended, don't require PowerPoint or Keynote to open, and are smaller than the original file. Ideal for sending to clients or publishing on a website.
Animations and transitions
PDFs don't support animations or transitions. When exporting to PDF, each "click" is typically shown as a separate page, or only the end state of animations is visible. Check the export result before sending.
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Embed fonts
If you use special fonts, make sure they're embedded in the PDF. PowerPoint and Keynote do this by default when exporting to PDF. If a font is missing, the viewer substitutes a default font — which disrupts your design.
Reduce file size
Presentations with many images can produce enormous PDFs (50–200 MB). Use PDFrust's compress tool after export. Or export with lower image quality from PowerPoint (File → Save As → PDF → Options).
Include notes or not?
PowerPoint offers the option to include presenter notes in the PDF (as additional pages). Make sure you consciously choose this per case — notes for internal use shouldn't accidentally end up with the client.
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