# PPTX > Use this skill any time a .pptx file is involved in any way — as input, output, or both. This includes: creating slide decks, pitch decks, or presentations; reading, parsing, or extracting text from any .pptx file (even if the extracted content will be used elsewhere, like in an email or summary); editing, modifying, or updating existing presentations; combining or splitting slide files; working with templates, layouts, speaker notes, or comments. Trigger whenever the user mentions "deck," "slides," "presentation," or references a .pptx filename, regardless of what they plan to do with the content afterward. If a .pptx file needs to be opened, created, or touched, use this skill. - Skill: `foxl-ai/pptx` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 58 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add foxl-ai/pptx` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/foxl-ai/pptx/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Docs & Writing - License: Proprietary. LICENSE.txt has complete terms - Author: foxl-ai (https://skillmd.com/u/foxl-ai) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/foxl-ai/pptx --- # PPTX Skill ## Quick Reference | Task | Guide | |------|-------| | Read/analyze content | `officecli view deck.pptx outline` / `text` | | SEE the slides | `officecli view deck.pptx screenshot --grid` - see Rendering | | Edit or create from template | Read [editing.md](editing.md) | | Create from scratch | Read [pptxgenjs.md](pptxgenjs.md) | --- ## OfficeCLI (the primary read/render tool) `officecli` is a single self-contained binary that reads and renders .pptx directly. No LibreOffice, no PowerPoint, no Office install. Verify first: ```bash officecli --version ``` If missing, install it (open a new shell if the binary still is not found): ```bash # macOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://d.officecli.ai/install.sh | bash # Windows (PowerShell) irm https://d.officecli.ai/install.ps1 | iex ``` Runs on macOS, Linux and Windows (x64 and arm64 on each, plus musl/Alpine Linux) - the installer picks the right binary. **Write output next to the deck or into a directory you created, not `/tmp`**: the examples below use `/tmp` for brevity, but it does not exist on Windows - use `$env:TEMP` there, or just a relative `out\` folder. Supported formats are exactly `.docx`, `.xlsx`, `.pptx` - legacy `.ppt` is not. --- ## Reading Content ```bash # Structure: slide count, titles, shape/picture counts per slide officecli view presentation.pptx outline # Plain text officecli view presentation.pptx text # Everything on one slide, as structured data officecli get presentation.pptx '/slide[1]' --depth 1 --json # Find shapes by property officecli query presentation.pptx 'shape[fill=FF0000]' # Problems (text overflow, missing alt text, low contrast) officecli view presentation.pptx issues --json # Visual overview - see Rendering below officecli view presentation.pptx screenshot --grid -o /tmp/overview.png # Raw XML python scripts/office/unpack.py presentation.pptx unpacked/ ``` Quote bracketed paths in bash/zsh (`'/slide[1]'`) - the shell glob-expands brackets otherwise. `shape[1]` is usually the title placeholder; content shapes start at `shape[2]`. --- ## Editing Workflow **Read [editing.md](editing.md) for full details.** 1. Analyze template with `thumbnail.py` 2. Unpack → manipulate slides → edit content → clean → pack --- ## Creating from Scratch **Read [pptxgenjs.md](pptxgenjs.md) for full details.** Use when no template or reference presentation is available. --- ## Design Ideas **Don't create boring slides.** Plain bullets on a white background won't impress anyone. Consider ideas from this list for each slide. ### Before Starting - **Pick a bold, content-informed color palette**: The palette should feel designed for THIS topic. If swapping your colors into a completely different presentation would still "work," you haven't made specific enough choices. - **Dominance over equality**: One color should dominate (60-70% visual weight), with 1-2 supporting tones and one sharp accent. Never give all colors equal weight. - **Dark/light contrast**: Dark backgrounds for title + conclusion slides, light for content ("sandwich" structure). Or commit to dark throughout for a premium feel. - **Commit to a visual motif**: Pick ONE distinctive element and repeat it — rounded image frames, icons in colored circles, thick single-side borders. Carry it across every slide. ### Color Palettes Choose colors that match your topic — don't default to generic blue. Use these palettes as inspiration: | Theme | Primary | Secondary | Accent | |-------|---------|-----------|--------| | **Midnight Executive** | `1E2761` (navy) | `CADCFC` (ice blue) | `FFFFFF` (white) | | **Forest & Moss** | `2C5F2D` (forest) | `97BC62` (moss) | `F5F5F5` (cream) | | **Coral Energy** | `F96167` (coral) | `F9E795` (gold) | `2F3C7E` (navy) | | **Warm Terracotta** | `B85042` (terracotta) | `E7E8D1` (sand) | `A7BEAE` (sage) | | **Ocean Gradient** | `065A82` (deep blue) | `1C7293` (teal) | `21295C` (midnight) | | **Charcoal Minimal** | `36454F` (charcoal) | `F2F2F2` (off-white) | `212121` (black) | | **Teal Trust** | `028090` (teal) | `00A896` (seafoam) | `02C39A` (mint) | | **Berry & Cream** | `6D2E46` (berry) | `A26769` (dusty rose) | `ECE2D0` (cream) | | **Sage Calm** | `84B59F` (sage) | `69A297` (eucalyptus) | `50808E` (slate) | | **Cherry Bold** | `990011` (cherry) | `FCF6F5` (off-white) | `2F3C7E` (navy) | ### For Each Slide **Every slide needs a visual element** — image, chart, icon, or shape. Text-only slides are forgettable. **Layout options:** - Two-column (text left, illustration on right) - Icon + text rows (icon in colored circle, bold header, description below) - 2x2 or 2x3 grid (image on one side, grid of content blocks on other) - Half-bleed image (full left or right side) with content overlay **Data display:** - Large stat callouts (big numbers 60-72pt with small labels below) - Comparison columns (before/after, pros/cons, side-by-side options) - Timeline or process flow (numbered steps, arrows) **Visual polish:** - Icons in small colored circles next to section headers - Italic accent text for key stats or taglines ### Typography **Choose an interesting font pairing** — don't default to Arial. Pick a header font with personality and pair it with a clean body font. | Header Font | Body Font | |-------------|-----------| | Georgia | Calibri | | Arial Black | Arial | | Calibri | Calibri Light | | Cambria | Calibri | | Trebuchet MS | Calibri | | Impact | Arial | | Palatino | Garamond | | Consolas | Calibri | | Element | Size | |---------|------| | Slide title | 36-44pt bold | | Section header | 20-24pt bold | | Body text | 14-16pt | | Captions | 10-12pt muted | ### Spacing - 0.5" minimum margins - 0.3-0.5" between content blocks - Leave breathing room—don't fill every inch ### Avoid (Common Mistakes) - **Don't repeat the same layout** — vary columns, cards, and callouts across slides - **Don't center body text** — left-align paragraphs and lists; center only titles - **Don't skimp on size contrast** — titles need 36pt+ to stand out from 14-16pt body - **Don't default to blue** — pick colors that reflect the specific topic - **Don't mix spacing randomly** — choose 0.3" or 0.5" gaps and use consistently - **Don't style one slide and leave the rest plain** — commit fully or keep it simple throughout - **Don't create text-only slides** — add images, icons, charts, or visual elements; avoid plain title + bullets - **Don't forget text box padding** — when aligning lines or shapes with text edges, set `margin: 0` on the text box or offset the shape to account for padding - **Don't use low-contrast elements** — icons AND text need strong contrast against the background; avoid light text on light backgrounds or dark text on dark backgrounds - **NEVER use accent lines under titles** — these are a hallmark of AI-generated slides; use whitespace or background color instead --- ## QA (Required) **Assume there are problems. Your job is to find them.** Your first render is almost never correct. Approach QA as a bug hunt, not a confirmation step. If you found zero issues on first inspection, you weren't looking hard enough. ### Content QA ```bash python -m markitdown output.pptx ``` Check for missing content, typos, wrong order. **When using templates, check for leftover placeholder text:** ```bash python -m markitdown output.pptx | grep -iE "xxxx|lorem|ipsum|this.*(page|slide).*layout" ``` If grep returns results, fix them before declaring success. ### Visual QA **⚠️ USE SUBAGENTS** — even for 2-3 slides. You've been staring at the code and will see what you expect, not what's there. Subagents have fresh eyes. Render the slides to images (see [Rendering](#rendering-this-is-how-you-see-the-slides)), then use this prompt: ``` Visually inspect these slides. Assume there are issues — find them. Look for: - Overlapping elements (text through shapes, lines through words, stacked elements) - Text overflow or cut off at edges/box boundaries - Decorative lines positioned for single-line text but title wrapped to two lines - Source citations or footers colliding with content above - Elements too close (< 0.3" gaps) or cards/sections nearly touching - Uneven gaps (large empty area in one place, cramped in another) - Insufficient margin from slide edges (< 0.5") - Columns or similar elements not aligned consistently - Low-contrast text (e.g., light gray text on cream-colored background) - Low-contrast icons (e.g., dark icons on dark backgrounds without a contrasting circle) - Text boxes too narrow causing excessive wrapping - Leftover placeholder content For each slide, list issues or areas of concern, even if minor. Read and analyze these images: 1. /tmp/slide-1.png (Expected: [brief description]) 2. /tmp/slide-2.png (Expected: [brief description]) Report ALL issues found, including minor ones. ``` ### Verification Loop 1. Generate slides → render to PNG (`officecli view ... screenshot`) → inspect 2. **List issues found** (if none found, look again more critically) 3. Fix issues 4. **Re-verify affected slides** — one fix often creates another problem. Re-render just the slide you touched: `officecli view output.pptx screenshot --start N --end N -o /tmp/slide-N.png` 5. Repeat until a full pass reveals no new issues Run `officecli view output.pptx issues --json` alongside the visual pass - it catches text overflow, missing alt text and low contrast mechanically. It does NOT replace looking at the slides. **Do not declare success until you've completed at least one fix-and-verify cycle.** **Re-render, do not trust a cached image.** A stale PNG at the same path reads as a passing check. Write to a fresh `-o` path (or delete the old file first) whenever you re-verify. --- ## Rendering (this is how you SEE the slides) `officecli` renders the real slide layout, so you can look at your own deck and fix what is visibly wrong. This replaces the old PDF-then-rasterize two-step - do not convert to PDF just to look at slides. ```bash # ONE slide (default is slide 1) officecli view output.pptx screenshot -o /tmp/slide-01.png # A specific slide officecli view output.pptx screenshot --start 3 --end 3 -o /tmp/slide-03.png # Contact sheet: every slide tiled into ONE image, for a whole-deck pass officecli view output.pptx screenshot --grid -o /tmp/overview.png officecli view output.pptx screenshot --grid 4 -o /tmp/overview.png # A slide range, wider raster (default 1600x1200) officecli view output.pptx screenshot --start 1 --end 4 --grid 2 \ --screenshot-width 1920 -o /tmp/first-four.png # Crop to one shape officecli view output.pptx screenshot --range '/slide[1]/shape[@id=100000]' -o /tmp/shape.png # Vector render of a single slide (sharpest for text/equation checks). # NOTE: svg mode ignores -o and writes to STDOUT - redirect it yourself. officecli view output.pptx svg --start 3 --end 3 > /tmp/slide-03.svg # Static HTML snapshot, or a live auto-refreshing preview officecli view output.pptx html -o /tmp/deck.html officecli watch output.pptx # http://localhost:26315 officecli unwatch output.pptx ``` **`screenshot` writes ONE PNG, never a numbered series.** A `--start/--end` range is stacked vertically into that single image and `--grid` tiles it - there is no `slide-01.png, slide-02.png` output mode. For per-slide files, loop: ```bash # macOS / Linux for i in $(seq 1 12); do officecli view output.pptx screenshot --start "$i" --end "$i" -o "out/slide-$i.png" done ``` ```powershell # Windows PowerShell - officecli ships win-x64 and win-arm64 binaries 1..12 | ForEach-Object { officecli view output.pptx screenshot --start $_ --end $_ -o "out\slide-$_.png" } ``` `-o` is effectively required: with no `-o`, officecli writes a random temp file and prints its path. PNG capture needs a headless browser on the machine (Playwright / Chrome / Edge / Firefox, auto-detected); the renderer itself is built in. `--render native` (real PowerPoint rasterization) is Windows-only and errors elsewhere with `native_unavailable`. **Flush before a non-officecli program reads the deck.** officecli keeps a resident process, so python-pptx / an upload / a validator may otherwise read a stale file: ```bash officecli save output.pptx # flush, keep resident warm officecli close output.pptx # flush + release ``` Also worth running on a finished deck: ```bash officecli validate output.pptx # OpenXML schema (structure only) officecli view output.pptx issues --json # overflow, missing alt text, contrast ``` --- ## Dependencies - **officecli**: reading, rendering (PNG/SVG/HTML), validation. `curl -fsSL https://d.officecli.ai/install.sh | bash` - verify with `officecli --version`. This is the primary tool. - **a headless browser** (Playwright / Chrome / Edge / Firefox): only for `view ... screenshot`; auto-detected. - `npm install -g pptxgenjs` - creating decks from scratch - `pip install Pillow` - only if you build custom thumbnail grids yourself (`officecli view ... screenshot --grid` already makes contact sheets) - `pip install "markitdown[pptx]"` - optional alternative text extraction (`officecli view ... text` covers this) Not required: LibreOffice, PowerPoint, Poppler/`pdftoppm`. Legacy `.ppt` is not supported by officecli - ask for a `.pptx`, and do not assume a converter exists (probe first: `command -v soffice` on macOS/Linux, `Get-Command soffice -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue` in PowerShell).