Pdf-ing powerpoint

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nick Dempsey
  • Start date Start date
N

Nick Dempsey

I work for a consultancy which is currently putting
together quarterly reports on a particular market which
are quite long and contain plenty of figures and
graphics. We originally decided to use Powerpoint to
create this, since everyone involved is great at using
it. We're having two major problems though. Creating
complex tables in powerpoint is very difficult and
sometimes requires us to create each cell as a text box.
Also there are hundreds of links in the document and when
we PDF it these are not captured, so we have to put these
in by hand. I was wondering whether anyone had
experienced these problems before and if so whether there
are any smart solutions for either of them.

Cheers
Nick
 
Nick,

Information about the links in pdfs (and possible solution)
http://www.rdpslides.com/psfaq/FAQ00051.htm

Tables....hmmmm...tables.....

What version of powerpoint?


I tend to create tables using a normal text box and "tabs" on the ruler. But
that's just what I prefer. It can get complicated...but at least I can make
them how I want them to look

Cheers
TAJ Simmons
microsoft powerpoint mvp

awesome - powerpoint backgrounds,
free powerpoint templates, tutorials, hints and tips etc
http://www.powerpointbackgrounds.com
 
The best way I've found show complex tables in PowerPoint
is to create the table in Excel, save it, highlight the
table and copy it.

Open PowerPoint
Edit > Paste special > select the radio button "Paste
link" > select "Microsoft Excel worksheet object" > press
OK.

You now have an Excel table in PowerPoint which will be
updated if you make changes in the Excel file. You can
have the same color pallette as your PowerPoint file by
Excel can have the same as follows:
Excel Tools menu > Options > click on the "Color" tab >
click on any of the color squares > click on the "modify"
button > when you are finished click "OK"

Cheers,

Laila
 
Hi Nick -

I'm having the same problem today, and I've just downloaded the demo version
of PREP4PDF (http://www.rdpslides.com/pptools/FAQ00061.htm), and it's not
putting in my animation or cropping the pages properly, but it is capturing
the links. The demo version stamps your pages "demo", and the real version
is US$89.95. That might be a solution for you - try the demo version first
to see if it does what you need it to.

Does anyone know if there is there a solution that will put in my animation?
I don't know Acrobat that well, and don't know how to work the animation in
it!

thanks
Christina
 
I'm having the same problem today, and I've just downloaded the demo
version
of PREP4PDF (http://www.rdpslides.com/pptools/FAQ00061.htm), and it's not
putting in my animation
Click to expand...

Hi.. Thanks for trying out Prep4PDF. I'm the perpetrator. ;-)
A few points:

PDF doesn't do animation; until it does, there's no way PPT animations can
be translated into PDF.
or cropping the pages properly,
Click to expand...

That appears to be partly due to a bug in Acrobat 5/6. I may have a
solution for it - let's chat by email. You can reach me at steve at-sign
pptools dot com

In the meanwhile, you can open the new PDF in Acrobat and choose Document,
Crop Pages (the command may wander between versions of Acrobat, but it's
there in all of them). You can reset the cropping box there.
but it is capturing
the links. The demo version stamps your pages "demo", and the real version
is US$89.95. That might be a solution for you - try the demo version first
to see if it does what you need it to.

Does anyone know if there is there a solution that will put in my animation?
I don't know Acrobat that well, and don't know how to work the animation in
it!
Click to expand...

There is none. That's what makes it so hard to find in the menu structure.
<g>
 
As Christina's suggested, our Prep4PDF add-in in conjunction with Acrobat,
JAWS PDF Creator or GhostScript will convert your links for you, assuming
they're valid.

I mention that because PowerPoint has problems with files that include lots
of links, particularly internal ones.
It has a limited amount of memory allocated to storing these things and when
that's exceeded, links start to go ... excuse the technospeak ... blooey.

As to tables, I'd suggest doing them in Excel. I realize that sounds
somewhere between obtuse and acutely painful, but once you work out a few
tricks, it's quite simple and *very* reliable.

Create the content in Excel, select it and then Copy. Switch to PPT, choose
Edit, Paste Special, click Link and OK.

If you don't want grids, turn them off in Excel (tools, options, view tab as
I recall)

You can rightclick the chart, choose Format and use Recolor to change the
colors of the text and lines and so on.
 
Hello Nick,

There appear to be a lot of different reasons why customers are choosing
*.PDF as a format for distributing or archiving presentations.

If you (or anyone else reading this message) have some suggestions as to
what additional capabilities could be added to PowerPoint which would
mitigate the need to convert your presentation to a *.PDF format, don't
forget to send your feedback to Microsoft at:

http://register.microsoft.com/mswish/suggestion.asp

As with all product suggestions, it's important that you not just state
your wish but also WHY it is important to you that your product suggestion
be implemented by Microsoft. Microsoft receives thousands of product
suggestions every day and we read each one but, in any given product
development cycle, there are only sufficient resources to address the ones
that are most important to our customers so take the extra time to state
your case as clearly and completely as possible.

IMPORTANT: Each submission should be a single suggestion (not a list of
suggestions)

John Langhans

Supportability Program Manager
Microsoft Office PowerPoint for Windows
Microsoft Office Picture Manager for Windows

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Use of any included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm
 
Hello Christina,

There appear to be a lot of different reasons why customers are choosing
*.PDF as a format for distributing or archiving presentations.

If you (or anyone else reading this message) have some suggestions as to
what additional capabilities could be added to PowerPoint which would
mitigate the need to convert your presentation to a *.PDF format, don't
forget to send your feedback to Microsoft at:

http://register.microsoft.com/mswish/suggestion.asp

As with all product suggestions, it's important that you not just state
your wish but also WHY it is important to you that your product suggestion
be implemented by Microsoft. Microsoft receives thousands of product
suggestions every day and we read each one but, in any given product
development cycle, there are only sufficient resources to address the ones
that are most important to our customers so take the extra time to state
your case as clearly and completely as possible.

IMPORTANT: Each submission should be a single suggestion (not a list of
suggestions)

John Langhans

Supportability Program Manager
Microsoft Office PowerPoint for Windows
Microsoft Office Picture Manager for Windows

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Use of any included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm
 
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