How to Import PowerPoint Into ProPresenter

Have you ever wanted the functionality of ProPresenter while taking advantage of PowerPoint’s ease of use? Then you may want to consider importing your PowerPoint files into ProPresenter.

To import PowerPoint files into ProPresenter, open ProPresenter, go to File > Import > PowerPoint, select your file, choose import options, and click Import. Note that import options are only available on Mac, and are not available on Windows.

You’ll need to take special care when importing PowerPoint slides into ProPresenter on a Mac. This is because Mac offers import options; let’s discuss what that means.

How to Import PowerPoint Slides Into ProPresenter on Mac

ProPresenter was created for Mac and later made available for Windows users. What this means is that ProPresenter works slightly differently on both operating systems. With that in mind, let’s look at how to import PowerPoint slides into ProPresenter on a Mac.

Step 1: Go to File > Import > PowerPoint

The first step is to go to File > Import > PowerPoint in the top menu bar of ProPresenter.

Step 2: Select the PowerPoint File

The next step is to select the PowerPoint file you would like to import in Finder.

Step 3: Choose How Your File Will Be Imported

Next, you need to select how ProPresenter will import your presentation. This step is where Macs offer more options than Windows. You have options when importing PowerPoint slides into ProPresenter.

The option you choose will be the default for all future imports. You can change this down the line by clicking the “Options” button in the bottom left of your finder window. Let’s go over our three import options.

Import All Slides as JPEG Images

The first option is to import all of your PowerPoint slides as JPEG images. This means that you will not be able to make any changes to your slides once they are imported. To make changes you will have to edit your PowerPoint file, then re-import it into ProPresenter using the steps outlined above.

Make sure any slides you want to import into ProPresenter are visible, as hidden slides will not be imported. Any content made in the “notes” section of PowerPoint will transfer over and be shown on ProPresenter’s stage display.

Import Text Objects as ProPresenter Slide Elements

The second option is to import text objects as ProPresenter slide elements. It will import text from PowerPoint but will not import media. ProPresenter attempts to convert PowerPoint elements into its native slide elements. This includes things like boxes, shapes, lines, and other design elements added to PowerPoint.

ProPresenter will ignore photos, videos, and audio files from the original PowerPoint file. It’s important to note that slide builds, like sequencing or animation, will not be transferred over. Some examples of this are fly-ins and fade-ins. Any space in your original PowerPoint file that includes media will show up as a blank text element in ProPresenter.

What does this mean for your ProPresenter file? Any PowerPoint slide with slide builds or animations appears in its final state. For example, if you have three bullet points fading in sequentially in PowerPoint, ProPresenter will only show the final slide with all three bullet points.

Import Text and Graphic Objects as ProPresenter Slide Elements

This option imports text and graphic objects into ProPresenter as slide elements. This includes all of the same features as the previous option, but also includes the importing of media into ProPresenter as well. This method isn’t perfect, it’s constantly being updated and refined by Renewed Vision. Any media or elements in PowerPoint that cannot be imported properly will be displayed as an empty text element in ProPresenter.

How to Import PowerPoint Into ProPresenter on Windows

The process to import PowerPoint slides into ProPresenter 7 differs slightly between Windows and Mac, with more customization options for Macs. With that in mind, here are the steps to import PowerPoint slides into ProPresenter on Windows.

Step 1: Go to File > Import > PowerPoint

In the top menu bar, go to File > Import > PowerPoint.

Step 2: Select the PowerPoint File

Now, find your PowerPoint file in the file browser and select it by clicking on it.

Step 3: Click “Open”

Finally, click “Open” to finish the process of importing PowerPoint slides into ProPresenter.

This process imports each slide as an image. What this means is that you will not be able to change anything on the slides within ProPresenter. Instead, you’ll have to make changes in PowerPoint, and then re-import into ProPresenter.

PowerPoint Transitions in ProPresenter

If you’ve included slide transitions in your PowerPoint you’ll notice that, no matter which import option you pick, they don’t transfer over. This is because like slide builds and animations, slide PowerPoint slide transitions are not supported by ProPresenter.

There are two ways you can get around this if you don’t want to rebuild your slides in ProPresenter and specifically want PowerPoint transitions. The first is to run PowerPoint on a second computer and use a capture card to send it to ProPresenter. The downside here is that you need multiple computers and you cannot run your slides on your ProPresenter computer.

The second option is to run PowerPoint on the same computer as ProPresenter. You then use OBS or similar software to capture your PowerPoint window and export it as a virtual camera. This allows you to control your slides and ProPresenter from the same computer. The downside here is that your computer will need more processing power. For help on this topic, check out my guide to picking computers for ProPresenter.

Constraints of Importing PowerPoint Into ProPresenter

Though it works on both operating systems, ProPresenter was created for Mac. PowerPoint, on the other hand, is a Microsoft software. Opposite to ProPresenter, PowerPoint is optimized for Windows, even though it works on both operating systems. This can cause some issues when Microsoft updates their software, Renewed Vision then needs to adjust ProPresenter to ensure everything works as it should.

Another constraint is that Windows can only import PowerPoint files as JPEGs. The other import options, available on Mac, used to be available to Windows users in ProPresenter 6 for Windows but are no longer included in ProPresenter 7.

You will need the full version of PowerPoint to import into ProPresenter. Not only do you need the full version, but you will also need a newer version of PowerPoint 2016, and you cannot use PowerPoint viewer.

The final constraint that I’ll cover here is that transitions, slide builds, and animations cannot be imported into ProPresenter from PowerPoint. This restricts what you’ll be able to do in PowerPoint and adds more work in ProPresenter.