# PPTX

> Create, read, edit, and convert .pptx presentations using python-pptx and PptxGenJS, with design guidance for professional slide decks.

- Skill: `memento-teams/pptx` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 53 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add memento-teams/pptx`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/memento-teams/pptx/raw
- Safety review: CAUTION (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Docs & Writing, Presentations
- Tags: Markitdown, Pptx, Pptxgenjs, Presentation, Python Pptx, Slide Deck, Thumbnail
- License: Proprietary. LICENSE.txt has complete terms
- Author: Memento Teams (https://skillmd.com/u/memento-teams)
- Updated: 2026-07-06
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/memento-teams/pptx

---


# PPTX Skill

## Quick Reference

| Task | Guide |
|------|-------|
| Read/analyze content | `python -m markitdown presentation.pptx` |
| Edit or create from template | Read [editing.md](editing.md) |
| Create from scratch (default) | Use python-pptx — see Creating from Scratch below |
| Create from scratch (advanced) | Read [pptxgenjs.md](pptxgenjs.md) — requires Node.js |

---

## Reading Content

```bash
# Text extraction
python -m markitdown presentation.pptx

# Visual overview
python scripts/thumbnail.py presentation.pptx

# Raw XML
python scripts/office/unpack.py presentation.pptx unpacked/
```

---

## 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

Use `python-pptx` to create presentations (auto-installed, no extra setup needed).

### Basic Presentation

```python
from pptx import Presentation
from pptx.util import Inches, Pt, Emu
from pptx.dml.color import RGBColor
from pptx.enum.text import PP_ALIGN

prs = Presentation()
prs.slide_width = Inches(13.333)   # Widescreen 16:9
prs.slide_height = Inches(7.5)

# Title slide
slide_layout = prs.slide_layouts[0]  # Title Slide layout
slide = prs.slides.add_slide(slide_layout)
slide.shapes.title.text = "Presentation Title"
slide.placeholders[1].text = "Subtitle text"

prs.save('output.pptx')
```

### Adding Text Boxes

```python
from pptx.util import Inches, Pt
from pptx.dml.color import RGBColor

slide_layout = prs.slide_layouts[6]  # Blank layout
slide = prs.slides.add_slide(slide_layout)

# Add text box
txBox = slide.shapes.add_textbox(Inches(1), Inches(1), Inches(8), Inches(2))
tf = txBox.text_frame
tf.word_wrap = True

# First paragraph
p = tf.paragraphs[0]
p.text = "Title Text"
p.font.size = Pt(36)
p.font.bold = True
p.font.color.rgb = RGBColor(0x1E, 0x27, 0x61)

# Additional paragraph
p2 = tf.add_paragraph()
p2.text = "Body text content"
p2.font.size = Pt(16)
p2.space_before = Pt(12)
```

### Adding Images

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

# Add image with position and size
slide.shapes.add_picture('image.png',
    left=Inches(1), top=Inches(1),
    width=Inches(5))  # height auto-calculated from aspect ratio
```

### Adding Tables

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

rows, cols = 4, 3
table = slide.shapes.add_table(rows, cols,
    Inches(1), Inches(1.5), Inches(8), Inches(3)).table

# Set column widths
table.columns[0].width = Inches(3)
table.columns[1].width = Inches(2.5)
table.columns[2].width = Inches(2.5)

# Header row
headers = ['Name', 'Role', 'Status']
for i, header in enumerate(headers):
    cell = table.cell(0, i)
    cell.text = header
    for paragraph in cell.text_frame.paragraphs:
        paragraph.font.bold = True
        paragraph.font.size = Pt(14)

# Data rows
data = [['Project A', 'Active', 'On track'],
        ['Project B', 'Planning', 'Pending'],
        ['Project C', 'Complete', 'Done']]
for i, row_data in enumerate(data):
    for j, text in enumerate(row_data):
        table.cell(i+1, j).text = text
```

### Adding Shapes

```python
from pptx.enum.shapes import MSO_SHAPE

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

# Rectangle shape
shape = slide.shapes.add_shape(
    MSO_SHAPE.ROUNDED_RECTANGLE,
    Inches(1), Inches(1), Inches(4), Inches(2))
shape.fill.solid()
shape.fill.fore_color.rgb = RGBColor(0x06, 0x5A, 0x82)
shape.text = "Content"
shape.text_frame.paragraphs[0].font.color.rgb = RGBColor(0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF)
shape.text_frame.paragraphs[0].font.size = Pt(18)
```

### Slide Backgrounds

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

# Solid color background
background = slide.background
fill = background.fill
fill.solid()
fill.fore_color.rgb = RGBColor(0x1E, 0x27, 0x61)  # Dark navy
```

### Speaker Notes

```python
slide = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[6])
notes_slide = slide.notes_slide
notes_slide.notes_text_frame.text = "Speaker notes go here"
```

### Advanced: Creating with PptxGenJS (requires Node.js)

For advanced chart types, icons, or features not supported by python-pptx, use PptxGenJS. Read [pptxgenjs.md](pptxgenjs.md) for full details.

```bash
npm install -g pptxgenjs  # One-time setup
```

---

## 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.

Convert slides to images (see [Converting to Images](#converting-to-images)), 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. /path/to/slide-01.jpg (Expected: [brief description])
2. /path/to/slide-02.jpg (Expected: [brief description])

Report ALL issues found, including minor ones.
```

### Verification Loop

1. Generate slides → Convert to images → 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
5. Repeat until a full pass reveals no new issues

**Do not declare success until you've completed at least one fix-and-verify cycle.**

---

## Converting to Images

Convert presentations to individual slide images for visual inspection:

```bash
python scripts/office/soffice.py --headless --convert-to pdf output.pptx
pdftoppm -jpeg -r 150 output.pdf slide
```

This creates `slide-01.jpg`, `slide-02.jpg`, etc.

To re-render specific slides after fixes:

```bash
pdftoppm -jpeg -r 150 -f N -l N output.pdf slide-fixed
```

---

## Dependencies

**Auto-installed (via metadata.dependencies):**
- **python-pptx**: Creating and editing presentations (default)
- **Pillow**: Thumbnail generation, image processing
- **markitdown[pptx]**: Text extraction

**Manual install (for advanced features):**
- **pptxgenjs (npm)**: `npm install -g pptxgenjs` — advanced presentation creation
- **LibreOffice** (`soffice`): PDF conversion — `brew install --cask libreoffice` (macOS) / `apt install libreoffice` (Linux)
- **Poppler** (`pdftoppm`): PDF to images — `brew install poppler` (macOS) / `apt install poppler-utils` (Linux)