How to Print PowerPoint with Notes (Step-by-Step Guide for Windows & Mac)

Printing PowerPoint slides with speaker notes is essential for presentations, meetings, and study materials. The notes section allows you to include explanations, reminders, or additional talking points that do not appear on the slide itself.

How To Print ON Post-it Notes

The good news is that printing PowerPoint with notes is easy once you know where to find the correct settings. Both Windows and Mac versions of Microsoft PowerPoint include a Notes Pages printing option that prints each slide along with its notes underneath.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to print PowerPoint slides with notes on Windows and Mac, plus troubleshooting tips, common mistakes, and helpful printing tips.

Why Print PowerPoint with Notes?

Printing slides with notes is useful for several reasons:

• Helps presenters remember key talking points
• Allows instructors to provide explanations with slides
• Makes study materials easier to review
• Provides detailed handouts for meetings

Instead of printing slides alone, notes pages combine the slide image with written explanations, creating a more complete document.

How to Print PowerPoint with Notes on Windows

Follow these steps if you are using PowerPoint on Windows.

Step 1: Open Your PowerPoint Presentation

1. Open Microsoft PowerPoint.
2. Open the presentation that contains the notes you want to print.

To check your notes, click View → Notes at the bottom of the screen.

Step 2: Open the Print Menu

1. Click File in the top-left corner.
2. Select Print from the menu.

This will open the printing settings page.

Step 3: Choose “Notes Pages”

Under Settings, you’ll see a dropdown that usually says:

Full Page Slides

1. Click the dropdown menu.
2. Select Notes Pages.

This option prints:

• One slide per page
• Speaker notes below the slide

Step 4: Select Your Printer

Choose the printer you want to use from the Printer dropdown.

You can also adjust settings like:

• Number of copies
• Collation
• Color or grayscale

Step 5: Preview the Notes Pages

PowerPoint shows a print preview on the right side.

Make sure:

• Notes appear below the slide
• Formatting looks correct
• Text is readable

Step 6: Print the Document

Click Print.

PowerPoint will print each slide with the notes underneath.

How to Print PowerPoint with Notes on Mac

The process is slightly different on Mac but still simple.

Step 1: Open the Presentation

Open your PowerPoint file on your Mac.

Check that notes exist by viewing the Notes pane below the slide.

Step 2: Open the Print Window

1. Click File in the top menu.
2. Select Print.

Or press:

Command + P

Step 3: Change the Layout to Notes

In the print window:

1. Look for the Layout or Copies & Pages dropdown.
2. Select Microsoft PowerPoint if necessary.
3. Choose Notes or Notes Pages.

This tells PowerPoint to print slides with notes.

Step 4: Check the Preview

A preview will appear on the left side.

Confirm that:

• Each slide appears at the top
• Speaker notes appear below it

Step 5: Print

Click Print to start printing your notes pages.

How to Print Multiple Slides with Notes

PowerPoint normally prints one slide per page with notes. However, you may want to save paper by printing multiple slides.

Here are a few options.

Option 1: Export Notes to Word

PowerPoint allows you to export slides and notes into Microsoft Word.

Steps:

1. Click File
2. Select Export
3. Choose Create Handouts
4. Select Notes next to slides or Notes below slides

Once in Word, you can print multiple slides per page.

Option 2: Convert to PDF First

Another helpful method is:

1. Export PowerPoint as PDF
2. Open the PDF
3. Print multiple pages per sheet

This reduces paper usage.

Option 3: Adjust Printer Settings

Some printers allow:

• 2 pages per sheet
• 4 pages per sheet

Check the printer settings before printing.

Troubleshooting: PowerPoint Notes Not Printing

If your notes are not printing, try these fixes.

Notes Are Missing

Problem: Slides print but notes do not appear.

Solution:

• Go to Print Settings
• Ensure Notes Pages is selected

If Full Page Slides is selected, notes will not print.

Notes Text Is Cut Off

Problem: Some notes are missing or cut off.

Fix:

• Increase the size of the Notes Pane
• Edit notes in Notes Page View

Steps:

1. Click View
2. Select Notes Page

Adjust formatting so everything fits.

Printer Is Printing Blank Notes

Possible causes:

• Notes area is empty
• Printer driver issue
• Incorrect layout selected

Try:

• Updating printer drivers
• Restarting PowerPoint
• Exporting to PDF and printing

Formatting Looks Wrong

Sometimes formatting changes when printing.

Solutions:

• Check print preview
• Reduce font size in notes
• Adjust margins

Common Mistakes When Printing PowerPoint Notes

Avoid these common errors.

Selecting the Wrong Print Layout

Many users accidentally leave the default setting:

Full Page Slides

This prints slides without notes.

Always select:

Notes Pages

Not Checking Print Preview

Skipping preview may lead to:

• Cut-off text
• Missing notes
• Incorrect layout

Always review preview before printing.

Notes Are Too Long

If notes are extremely long:

• Text may shrink
• Formatting may break

Keep notes concise and readable.

Forgetting Color Settings

Slides may look different depending on:

• Color
• Grayscale
• Black and white

Choose the correct setting in Printer Properties.

Tips for Better PowerPoint Notes Printing

These tips improve readability and efficiency.

Keep Notes Short

Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs.

This makes printed notes easier to read during presentations.

Increase Font Size

Printed notes are easier to read if the font size is:

12–16 pt

Use PDF for Sharing

If you need to send notes to others:

1. Export PowerPoint as PDF
2. Share the PDF

This preserves formatting across devices.

Print Double-Sided

Save paper by enabling:

Duplex / Double-sided printing

Most modern printers support this feature.

Organize Notes Clearly

Structure notes using:

• Bullet points
• Short sentences
• Key phrases

This helps presenters quickly scan information.

FAQ: Printing PowerPoint with Notes

Can I print PowerPoint notes without slides?

Yes. You can copy the notes into Microsoft Word or export handouts and print the notes separately.

Why are my PowerPoint notes not showing when printing?

Most likely the print layout is set to Full Page Slides. Change it to Notes Pages in the print settings.

Can I print multiple slides with notes on one page?

PowerPoint does not support this directly. You need to:

• Export to Word, or
• Convert to PDF and print multiple pages per sheet.

How do I edit notes before printing?

Use Notes Page View:

1. Click View
2. Select Notes Page

This lets you edit how notes appear when printed.

Can I save PowerPoint notes as a PDF?

Yes.

Steps:

1. Click File
2. Select Export
3. Choose Create PDF/XPS
4. Set layout to Notes Pages

Conclusion

Printing PowerPoint slides with notes is a simple but powerful way to create presenter guides, study materials, and detailed handouts. By selecting the Notes Pages option in the print settings, PowerPoint will automatically print each slide with its speaker notes underneath.

Whether you’re using Windows or Mac, the process only takes a few steps: open the print menu, choose Notes Pages, preview the layout, and print.

If you encounter issues such as missing notes or formatting problems, checking the print layout and preview usually solves the problem quickly. You can also export slides to Word or PDF if you want more flexible printing options.

By following the steps and tips in this guide, you’ll be able to print PowerPoint presentations with notes clearly and efficiently every time.