Merging PowerPoint presentations: Magic or Mayhem?

Take a look at these statistics: 

• 33% of presentation attendees say compelling visuals and aesthetics are key to their engagement 
• 47% of presenters said that it took them more than 8 hours to simply design the deck
• 52% of professionals reported lacking the design skills needed to create effective presentations
• 42% of professionals struggle with using presentation software effectively
• 23% of professionals feel very confident in their ability to design presentations

What do these numbers point to, from your perspective? 

It seems that – regardless of business acumen, people simply do not find it easy to create slide decks. However, design is of great importance. 

As you can imagine, then, it would be an obvious choice to “reuse” an existing template created for you by an expert presentation designer to reimagine old decks, containing other important content. 

But it’s not that easy, the design could get ruined. Let’s take a deeper look. 

 

Wanting to combine slides is not out of the ordinary 

This article is not meant to put you off from ever wanting to merge multiple sets of slides. Its purpose is simply to warn you that problems can arise, to describe what those problems are so that you understand the seriousness of them, and to provide you with some solutions. 

The idea of putting various sets of slide decks together is not uncommon. Consider the below scenarios. Have you found yourself in any of these situations before? (These scenarios can also help you understand what is meant by “combining” slides if you’re unsure of what is being referred to here.)

 

Scenario One: The new Head of Sales and the legacy decks

A seasoned sales professional has just landed the coveted role of Head of Sales at a company.  She’s eager to hit the ground running and impress her new team.  Part of her plan involves creating a presentation for upcoming investor meetings, highlighting the company’s impressive track record and ambitious goals.

She has a look at previous slide decks to wrap her head around where to begin, and two decks impress her. 

Deck A: A comprehensive presentation from last year, detailing successful sales strategies and an impressive client list.

Deck B: A more conceptual presentation created five years ago that outlines the long-term vision and the transformative power of the company’s offerings.

She decides it’s best to combine the decks. Instantly, problems arise – styles are different, fonts and logos are outdated, and slide ratios don’t match up. How will she solve this? 

 

Scenario Two: The business round-up

The Head of Marketing needs to present the quarterly achievements, wins, losses, and complications to the Executive team. She asks each manager in her department to report their statistics so that she can round them up. 

When she receives the results, she notices that each manager has used a different version of the branded company slides. Her time is limited but she needs to combine all the presentations so that they flow well and are consistent. How will she do it? 

 

Scenario Three: The company consolidation effort

An entrepreneur needs to do a presentation on various aspects of his company. He is trying to get investors to buy into his business so he can take it to the next level. 

The problem is that the information is scattered between multiple slide decks from the past. He then remembers that his most recent slide deck was created for him in a presentation design studio, by an expert designer. So he decides that he should use that as the template, the base set of slides, and then merge the rest of the presentations into it. 

What happens next?

 

Why merging two PowerPoint presentations on your own is risky 

Redesigning your PowerPoint presentations by merging slides might seem straightforward, especially if they were professionally designed. However, this process can be trickier than it appears. 

Many encounter challenges when attempting to combine slides independently, leading to potential loss of work, missed deadlines and heightened stress levels.

Should you decide to merge slides on your own, take precautions to mitigate the risks listed below. You should:

• Back up your original presentation 
• Thoroughly test to identify and address compatibility issues
• Break the merging process into smaller, manageable tasks to minimize errors and ensure a smoother transition

Nevertheless, here are just some of the challenges you’re facing when you attempt to combine presentations on your own.

 

1. Inconsistent formatting and design: 

One of the primary challenges, when you combine slides, is dealing with inconsistent formatting across different presentations.

Not only will each set of slides have its own font style, colors, and layout, but each set of slides will also be designed differently. The latter is where the major problem sits. The design. Most people do not have the skills necessary to deal with technical design complications. 

 

2. Differing slide sizes: 

Different decks could indeed have different sizes — for example, standard (which, in reality, is now the old ratio optimized for tools like projectors) or widescreen (the new standard) — making the merging of two or more PowerPoint presentations a messy task. 

Ensuring consistency in slide dimensions and orientations across the merged presentation requires careful adjustment and resizing.

 

3. Incompatible master slides: 

PowerPoint allows users to create custom master slides to ensure consistent formatting throughout a presentation. 

When different PowerPoint presentations are merged, they often bring along their unique master slides, which dictate the overall formatting and design elements such as backgrounds, headers, and footers. These master slides can vary significantly from one presentation to another.

When merged, PowerPoint tries to find a middle ground, but the result can be a visual disaster. Think of clashing fonts, jarring color schemes, and a confusing jumble of design styles.

The problem with incompatible master slides extends beyond just visual discrepancies. It can lead to confusion among viewers, disrupt the flow of information, and undermine the professionalism of the presentation.

 

4. Embedded objects and media: 

Visuals are a must if you want your presentation to be engaging and impactful. We all know this. That’s why most slide decks will contain embedded objects such as images, videos, and charts. 

When you try to combine slides with embedded objects you must be careful. Incorrect handling could render the media inaccessible. Links are also known to disappear in the merging process. 

 

5. Slide transitions and animations: 

Your slides flow better when you have slide transitions and animations. These elements add movement and interactivity to presentations.

If your separate slide decks have differing transitions and animation sequences, there can be a major disruption. The merging could lead to incorrect transitions being used or transitions could land in the wrong places. 

Getting this back into the right shape is a complex task if you’re not well-versed in presentation design techniques and skills. 

 

6. Slide content: 

Some of your presentations may contain complex slide content, such as SmartArt graphics, diagrams, or custom illustrations. After all, you’re doing all you can to get your audience gripped.

These elements are commonly not well preserved or aligned when slides are combined. They may end up looking disjointed if you don’t manage the transition properly. 

Ensuring their seamless integration requires meticulous attention to detail and, in many cases, manual adjustments to preserve the integrity and visual appeal of the content. 

You don’t want your presentation to lack impact because of confusing visuals. So be careful! 

 

7. Compatibility issues: 

PowerPoint versions and settings may vary across different computers and platforms, leading to compatibility issues when merging slide decks. 

The worst-case scenario of failed integration, due to technical issues relating to compatibility, is that you lose your content. 

 

8. Time and resource wastage: 

Trying to combine presentations is highly time-consuming  — particularly when you have large or complicated sets of slide decks. 

To combine multiple decks in PowerPoint, you have to have the time to work on it and try different things, watch YouTube tutorials, and follow guides. You probably don’t have that kind of time, and your time is better spent on the things you truly care about — like your product or service. 

Limited resources and tight deadlines are likely to exacerbate the difficulty of merging slide decks effectively.

Addressing these challenges requires careful planning, attention to detail, and often the assistance of experienced presentation designers to ensure a seamless and cohesive final product.

 

User experience: A commonly ignored consideration

While aesthetics often take center stage when discussing presentations, a crucial aspect frequently gets overlooked: user experience (UX).  Merging PowerPoint decks can be a tempting shortcut, but failing to address inconsistencies in design, formatting, and content can significantly impact how viewers perceive your message and your credibility as a presenter.

Imagine being bombarded with a presentation that’s a visual mishmash.  One slide is minimalist, the next includes outdated clip art and jarring fonts.  This inconsistency disrupts the flow of information, forcing the audience to decipher the presentation rather than engage with its content.  

A presentation riddled with mismatched styles can create an impression of carelessness or lack of attention to detail. If your presentation appears unprofessional, it casts doubt on the validity of your message and undermines your credibility as a presenter. 

A well-designed presentation, free of UX issues, ensures your message resonates and key takeaways are retained.  By prioritizing user experience, you transform your presentation from a confusing whirlwind into a clear and impactful communication tool.

 

Combine multiple decks in PowerPoint: What are my options? 

You have two main options — you can ask a professional or you can do it yourself by following a guide (if you’re really in a pinch). 

1. Ask a presentation designer

If you have one slide deck that’s already been created by a pro, you can approach them again and ask for help to combine presentations. They’ll likely still have your design saved somewhere and will be able to assist you easily, for a smaller fee than the original, since they will not have to redesign some elements. 

With me, you’d get a discount for decks using the template I created. You’d also receive your slides quickly, as I already know your preferences. 

Should you have never worked with a presentation expert before, you need not worry! You can find one online, on LinkedIn, or by asking around for a reference. Even though they won’t have your designs on hand, they will still be able to help. 

Why a presentation designer is the best option for combining slides

Asking a presentation designer to combine multiple slides in PowerPoint is a strategic move. It will streamline and enhance your final presentation, rather than leaving it in disarray. By leveraging the expertise of a skilled designer, you can ensure that the merging process is executed seamlessly, resulting in a cohesive and professional presentation. 

Your chosen designer will have the necessary experience, technical knowledge, creative aptitude, and proficiency in PowerPoint to avoid all the challenges listed in the previous section. They have seen it all before, and the intricacies of these tasks don’t phase them anymore!

One of the key advantages of involving a presentation designer in the task of combining multiple slides is their keen eye for aesthetics. Harmonizing disparate slide layouts, color schemes, and typography is what they’re made for. 

Whether they need to align branding elements, optimize slide layouts, or refine the visual hierarchy in your slide deck, the designer’s attention to detail will ensure that every aspect of the merged PowerPoint presentation is thoughtfully curated to enhance its impact.

In addition, collaborating with a presentation designer empowers you in more than one way. 

It allows you to: 

• Easily elevate the quality and professionalism of your presentation 
• Use your time to prepare what you’re going to say when you’re giving your presentation or to prepare for questions that you can anticipate  
• Ensure your presentation is clear, engaging, and memorable 
• Take time to rest and refresh before tackling the (sometimes) scary task of public speaking 
• Focus your energy on other tasks that require your specific skill set 

So before you decide to go it alone, at least take the time to weigh the pros and cons of hiring a presentation designer to help. Don’t lose out! 

 

2. Try it yourself (if you must)

We won’t go back into detail about the dangers of the DIY merging. We’ve covered that in detail. However, should you be forced to combine slides on your own due to exceptional and unforeseen circumstances you may have to attempt it.

Before we continue — a final warning — remember that the below should be exercised with extreme caution. Your slides are important and you don’t want to ruin or lose them!

To combine multiple decks in PowerPoint on your own, you should carefully follow a guide or work with a step-by-step YouTube tutorial.

 

How would a presentation designer go about it? 

It will also be useful to keep a presentation designer’s process in mind when you’re working on combining multiple slides in PowerPoint. Here are some of the steps an expert will follow: 

a. Using the most up-to-date template::

The designer uses the most up-to-date template, crafted and designed for the brand’s new look. They use the template, all the while keeping in mind what’s written in the template guidelines pdf and the brand’s CI guidelines set out to keep everything on brand and consistent.

b. Migrating Slides:

Using the Slides Sorter view, the designer will copy slides from relevant decks and paste them into the new presentation, ensuring to choose “Use Destination Theme” to maintain consistency. They will not select “Keep Source Formatting”.

A special consideration – Migrating from 4×3 to 16×9: 

When transitioning from standard 4×3 to widescreen 16×9 format,  you must re-insert/reset images to avoid distortion. In other words, you can reset and resize so that the distortion goes away.

c. Assigning Masters:

Each slide is then reviewed in Normal view,  assigned the correct master, and reset to ensure it looks as it is intended to. 

If the deck uses a template, a designer will also hit reset on each slide to ensure everything aligns with the master slide setup. However, in cases where new slides were not set up correctly, this will not have the desired outcome. The copy will become jumbled and move to incorrect placements.

d. Ensuring Consistency Across Slides:

Next, the designer will focus on headings, footers, logo placements and color, and page numbering of each slide to ensure consistency throughout the presentation. 

e. Adjusting Content:

Attention to detail is crucial at this point, as the designer ensures consistency in fonts, point sizes, colors, and so on — manually adjusting content as needed. Master slides are also checked to ensure nothing has gone array.

Pro Tip 1: Use margin guides to help align content uniformly.

Pro Tip 2: Use the Format Painter — a tool provided in PowerPoint — to quickly apply consistent formatting. It allows you to copy the formatting of one object and apply it to multiple other items in the presentation to ensure visuals are in the same style. 

 

Combining presentations: A professional is the prudent choice 

The world of presentation design is more complex than many people realize. As a result, tasks that seem simple on the surface — like merging presentations in PowerPoint — are not always as simple as 123. 

However, as we’ve explored in this guide, seeking the assistance of a professional presentation designer is undeniably the best choice. With their intricate knowledge of design principles, proficiency in PowerPoint, and keen eye for detail, an expert will ensure that the merging process is executed seamlessly and your final slide deck/s is polished to perfection.