# 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; editing, modifying, or updating existing presentations; combining or splitting slide files; working with templates, layouts, speaker notes. Trigger whenever the user mentions 'deck', 'slides', 'presentation', or references a .pptx filename. Covers: create from scratch with python-pptx, read/extract with markitdown, edit via XML unpack/pack workflow, visual QA.

- Skill: `openxjarvis/pptx` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 61 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add openxjarvis/pptx`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/openxjarvis/pptx/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Docs & Writing
- Author: openxjarvis (https://skillmd.com/u/openxjarvis)
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/openxjarvis/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 | Read [python-pptx.md](python-pptx.md) |

---

## Reading Content

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

# Visual overview (thumbnail grid)
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

**Read [python-pptx.md](python-pptx.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.

### 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:

| 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
- Half-bleed image (full left or right side) with content overlay

**Data display:**
- Large stat callouts (big numbers with small labels below)
- Comparison columns (before/after, pros/cons)
- Timeline or process flow (numbered steps, arrows)

### Typography

Choose an interesting font pairing — don't default to Arial:

| Header Font | Body Font |
|-------------|-----------|
| Georgia | Calibri |
| Arial Black | Arial |
| Calibri | Calibri Light |
| Cambria | Calibri |
| Palatino | Garamond |

| Element | Size |
|---------|------|
| Slide title | 36-44pt bold |
| Section header | 20-24pt bold |
| Body text | 14-16pt |
| Captions | 10-12pt muted |

### 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 default to blue** — pick colors that reflect the specific topic
- **Don't create text-only slides** — add images, icons, charts, or visual elements
- **NEVER use accent lines under titles** — hallmark of AI-generated slides; use whitespace or background color instead

---

## QA (Required)

**Assume there are problems. Your job is to find them.**

### Content QA

```bash
python -m markitdown output.pptx
```

Check for missing content, typos, wrong order.

**Check for leftover placeholder text:**

```bash
python -m markitdown output.pptx | grep -iE "xxxx|lorem|ipsum|this.*(page|slide).*layout"
```

### 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.

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)
- Text overflow or cut off at edges/box boundaries
- Elements too close (< 0.3" gaps) or sections nearly touching
- Insufficient margin from slide edges (< 0.5")
- Columns or similar elements not aligned consistently
- Low-contrast text or icons
- Leftover placeholder content

For each slide, list issues or areas of concern, even if minor.
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

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

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

```bash
# Core Python libraries
uv pip install "python-pptx>=0.6.23" "markitdown[pptx]" Pillow

# System tools (macOS)
brew install libreoffice poppler
```

- `python-pptx` — create and edit .pptx programmatically
- `markitdown[pptx]` — text extraction from .pptx
- `Pillow` — thumbnail generation
- LibreOffice (`soffice`) — PDF conversion for visual QA
- Poppler (`pdftoppm`) — PDF to images