PPTX Masters

pptx-masters

Extract PptxGenJS defineSlideMaster() code from corporate PowerPoint templates.

When to use this skill

Use when:

• The user has a corporate .pptx or .potx template and wants to create presentations programmatically
• The user is working with PptxGenJS and needs slide masters that match their corporate template
• The user mentions "slide masters", "PowerPoint template", "corporate slides", "PptxGenJS", or "programmatic presentations"

Step 1: List available layouts

First, show the user what layouts are in their template:

npx pptx-masters <template.pptx> --list

Ask the user which layouts they want. Many corporate templates have 15-25+ layouts — half are redundant. Typical essentials: title/cover, content, content with subtitle, divider/section, and end/closing.

Step 2: Extract selected masters

npx pptx-masters <template.pptx> -o ./slide-masters --layout "Title Slide" --layout "Content" --layout "Section Header"

Or by number (from --list):

npx pptx-masters <template.pptx> -o ./slide-masters --layout 1 --layout 2 --layout 5

Or extract all:

npx pptx-masters <template.pptx> -o ./slide-masters

This generates:

Step 3: Review the extraction

1. Read SLIDE_MASTERS.md — this is the primary reference for creating presentations. It documents every master, placeholder name, color, font, and positioning constant.
2. Read report.md for warnings about unsupported features (gradients, grouped shapes, etc.).
3. Open preview.pptx alongside the original template to visually compare. See QA: Converting to Images for automated comparison.

Step 4: Build the presentation

Read SLIDE_MASTERS.md — it contains the complete Quick Start code, all master/placeholder details, and key conventions. The pattern:

import { createPresentation, THEME, CHART_COLORS, FONT, POS } from './slide-masters/masters.js';

const pres = await createPresentation('Deck Title');

// Use placeholders for positioned elements
const slide = pres.addSlide({ masterName: 'CONTENT' });
slide.addText('Title', { placeholder: 'title' });

// Use POS for manual content placement
slide.addChart(pres.charts.BAR, data, { ...POS.body, chartColors: CHART_COLORS });

// Always specify fontFace — PptxGenJS masters don't cascade fonts
slide.addText('Note', { x: 0.5, y: 6, w: 5, h: 0.5, fontFace: FONT, fontSize: 10 });

await pres.writeFile({ fileName: 'output.pptx' });

Key gotchas (also documented in SLIDE_MASTERS.md):

• Always specify fontFace: FONT on every addText() call
• Footers, logos, and slide numbers are automatic — do not add them manually
• Use placeholder names from SLIDE_MASTERS.md (e.g., { placeholder: 'Title 1' })
• Use slide.background = { color: THEME.brand } for background overrides

Step 5: Design first, export last

For iterative design work:

1. Create HTML previews matching slide dimensions and brand colors
2. Get user approval on the visual design
3. Only then generate the PPTX using masters.js

This avoids slow PowerPoint open/close cycles during design iteration.

QA: Converting to Images

After generating a PPTX, convert slides to images for visual comparison with the original template. The approach depends on what software is available.

LibreOffice (macOS, Linux, Windows — free)

Works everywhere LibreOffice is installed:

libreoffice --headless --convert-to png --outdir ./slides output.pptx

This creates output-1.png, output-2.png, etc. Compare side-by-side with the original template.

If output is poor quality (LibreOffice can struggle with corporate fonts), try PDF as an intermediate:

libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf output.pptx
# Then convert PDF pages to images

PowerPoint for Mac (macOS with Microsoft 365)

Higher fidelity than LibreOffice. Use AppleScript via osascript:

osascript -e '
tell application "Microsoft PowerPoint"
  open POSIX file "/absolute/path/to/output.pptx"
  set thePresentation to active presentation
  set slideCount to count of slides of thePresentation
  repeat with i from 1 to slideCount
    set theSlide to slide i of thePresentation
    set paddedNum to text -2 thru -1 of ("0" & i)
    save theSlide in POSIX file ("/absolute/path/to/slides/slide-" & paddedNum & ".png") as save as PNG
  end repeat
  close thePresentation saving no
end tell
'

Important: Use absolute paths. Create the output directory first.

PowerPoint COM Automation (Windows with Microsoft 365)

Highest fidelity. Requires Python with pywin32:

import win32com.client, os
pptx_path = os.path.abspath('output.pptx')
ppt = win32com.client.Dispatch('PowerPoint.Application')
pres = ppt.Presentations.Open(pptx_path, ReadOnly=True, WithWindow=False)
for i in range(1, pres.Slides.Count + 1):
    pres.Slides(i).Export(os.path.abspath(f'slides/slide-{i:02d}.png'), 'PNG', 1920, 1080)
pres.Close()
ppt.Quit()

Choosing the right approach

For most QA, LibreOffice is sufficient. Use PowerPoint when exact font rendering matters.

Limitations (v1)

• Gradient fills — dominant color used as fallback
• Pattern fills — foreground color as fallback
• Grouped shapes not extracted
• Animations/transitions not supported
• SmartArt/diagrams not supported
• 3D effects not supported

Check report.md for specific warnings about your template.