pptx

# PowerPoint (PPTX) Skill ## Overview This skill provides comprehensive PowerPoint presentation creation, editing, and automation capabilities using Python's `python-pptx` library. Create professional presentations programmatically with full control over layouts, themes, content, charts, and visualizations. ## Core Capabilities - **Presentation Creation**: New presentations, templates, metadata, page configuration - **Slide Management**: Add, duplicate, delete, reorder slides with predefined layouts - **Content Types**: Text, shapes, images, tables, charts, SmartArt, hyperlinks - **Design & Formatting**: Themes, color schemes, fonts, fills, borders, effects - **Advanced Features**: Transitions, animations, embedded objects, video/audio, comments ## Installation Install the required library: ```bash pip install python-pptx # or with uv uv pip install python-pptx ``` Basic imports: ```python from pptx import Presentation from pptx.util import Inches, Pt, Cm from pptx.dml.color import RGBColor from pptx.enum.text import PP_ALIGN, MSO_ANCHOR from pptx.chart.data import CategoryChartData from pptx.enum.chart import XL_CHART_TYPE ``` For complete library setup and supporting packages (Pillow, pandas, matplotlib), see `references/library-setup.md`. ## Core Workflows ### Workflow 1: Creating a Business Presentation **Goal:** Create a professional presentation with title slide, content slides, and conclusion. **Steps:** 1. **Initialize Presentation** - Create new presentation object - Set slide dimensions (standard 16:9 or 4:3) - Configure metadata (title, author, subject, keywords) 2. **Add Title Slide** - Use title slide layout (typically `prs.slide_layouts[0]`) - Set title and subtitle text - Apply formatting (font size, color, bold) 3. **Add Content Slides** - Use appropriate layouts (bullet, two-column, title-only, blank) - Populate placeholders or add text boxes - Format text with proper hierarchy 4. **Add Visual Elements** - Insert images with proper sizing and positioning - Add charts with formatted data - Create tables with cell styling 5. **Save Presentation** - Save to .pptx format - Verify file creation **Quick Example:** ```python from pptx import Presentation from pptx.util import Inches, Pt prs = Presentation() prs.slide_width = Inches(10) prs.slide_height = Inches(7.5) # Title slide slide = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[0]) slide.shapes.title.text = "Q4 Business Review" slide.placeholders[1].text = "Prepared by: Jane Doe\nDate: October 25, 2025" prs.save('presentation.pptx') ``` See `examples/business-presentation.md` for complete implementation. ### Workflow 2: Adding Charts **Goal:** Create data visualizations with bar, line, and pie charts. **Steps:** 1. Prepare chart data using `CategoryChartData` 2. Define categories and series 3. Add chart to slide with positioning 4. Format chart (legend, gridlines, labels) **Quick Example:** ```python from pptx.chart.data import CategoryChartData from pptx.enum.chart import XL_CHART_TYPE chart_data = CategoryChartData() chart_data.categories = ['Q1', 'Q2', 'Q3', 'Q4'] chart_data.add_series('2025', (9.5, 10.8, 11.2, 13.1)) chart = slide.shapes.add_chart( XL_CHART_TYPE.COLUMN_CLUSTERED, Inches(1), Inches(2), Inches(8), Inches(4.5), chart_data ).chart ``` See `examples/chart-examples.md` for all chart types. ### Workflow 3: Working with Images **Goal:** Add, position, and format images in presentations. **Steps:** 1. Add image with `slide.shapes.add_picture()` 2. Specify position (left, top) and size (width, height) 3. Calculate centered positioning if needed 4. Optimize images before adding (use Pillow for preprocessing) **Quick Example:** ```python # Add image with auto-scaled aspect ratio pic = slide.shapes.add_picture('logo.png', Inches(1), Inches(1), height=Inches(2)) # Center image on slide pic.left = int((prs.slide_width - pic.width) / 2) pic.top = int((prs.slide_height - pic.height) / 2) ``` See `examples/image-handling.md` for advanced techniques. ### Workflow 4: Creating Tables **Goal:** Add structured data tables with formatting. **Steps:** 1. Define table dimensions (rows, cols) 2. Add table with positioning 3. Set column widths 4. Populate headers with bold formatting and background color 5. Fill data cells with proper alignment **Quick Example:** ```python table = slide.shapes.add_table(4, 3, Inches(1.5), Inches(2), Inches(7), Inches(3)).table # Header formatting cell = table.cell(0, 0) cell.text = "Product" cell.text_frame.paragraphs[0].font.bold = True cell.fill.solid() cell.fill.fore_color.rgb = RGBColor(0, 51, 102) ``` See `examples/table-examples.md` for advanced formatting. ### Workflow 5: Editing Existing Presentations **Goal:** Modify existing PowerPoint files. **Steps:** 1. Open presentation with `Presentation('file.pptx')` 2. Iterate through slides to find content 3. Modify text, shapes, or add new elements 4. Save with same or different filename **Quick Example:** ```python prs = Presentation('existing.pptx') # Find and update text for slide in prs.slides: for shape in slide.shapes: if hasattr(shape, "text") and "Old Name" in shape.text: shape.text = shape.text.replace("Old Name", "New Name") prs.save('updated.pptx') ``` See `examples/editing-presentations.md` for slide copying and advanced editing. ### Workflow 6: Using Templates **Goal:** Apply consistent branding with master slides and templates. **Steps:** 1. Start with template file: `Presentation('template.pptx')` 2. Examine available layouts 3. Add slides using template layouts 4. Apply brand colors consistently **Quick Example:** ```python prs = Presentation('corporate_template.pptx') # Use template layouts title_slide = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[0]) content_slide = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[1]) # Layouts inherit master formatting prs.save('branded_presentation.pptx') ``` See `references/templates-and-themes.md` for master slide customization. ### Workflow 7: Bulk Slide Generation **Goal:** Generate multiple slides automatically from data. **Steps:** 1. Load data from CSV, JSON, or database 2. Create presentation object 3. Iterate through data records 4. Generate one slide per record 5. Populate slide with record data **Quick Example:** ```python import pandas as pd df = pd.read_csv('employee_data.csv') prs = Presentation() for _, row in df.iterrows(): slide = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[1]) slide.shapes.title.text = row['Name'] # Add employee details to slide body prs.save('employee_directory.pptx') ``` See `examples/bulk-generation.md` for complete implementations. ## Design Principles ### Color & Typography - Use 60-30-10 color rule (60% primary, 30% secondary, 10% accent) - Ensure WCAG AA contrast ratios (4.5:1 minimum) - Limit to 2 font families maximum - Minimum body text: 18pt for readability ### Layout & Composition - Follow rule of thirds for element placement - Maintain minimum 0.5" margins on all sides - Limit to 5-7 elements per slide - Use consistent alignment (snap to grid) ### Visual Hierarchy - Size indicates importance (larger = more important) - Use color contrast for emphasis - Follow Z-pattern for content flow ### Chart Best Practices - Choose appropriate chart type (bar for comparison, line for trends, pie for parts-of-whole) - Limit to 3-5 colors maximum - Always label axes and include data labels - Use gridlines sparingly For complete design guidelines, see `references/design-best-practices.md`. ## Common Patterns ### Brand Color Application ```python BRAND_COLORS = { 'primary': RGBColor(0, 51, 102), 'secondary': RGBColor(0, 153, 204), 'accent': RGBColor(255, 102, 0) } # Apply to text shape.text_frame.paragraphs[0].font.color.rgb = BRAND_COLORS['primary'] # Apply to fill shape.fill.solid() shape.fill.fore_color.rgb = BRAND_COLORS['secondary'] ``` ### Centered Element ```python def center_shape(shape, prs): """Center shape on slide.""" shape.left = int((prs.slide_width - shape.width) / 2) shape.top = int((prs.slide_height - shape.height) / 2) ``` ### Text Auto-Fit ```python from pptx.enum.text import MSO_AUTO_SIZE text_frame = shape.text_frame text_frame.auto_size = MSO_AUTO_SIZE.TEXT_TO_FIT_SHAPE # Shrink text # or text_frame.auto_size = MSO_AUTO_SIZE.SHAPE_TO_FIT_TEXT # Expand shape ``` ## Troubleshooting Quick Reference **"ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pptx'"** ```bash pip install python-pptx ``` **"AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute..."** - Check placeholder indices: `[p.placeholder_format.idx for p in slide.placeholders]` - Verify layout has expected placeholders **Images not found** - Use absolute paths: `os.path.abspath('image.png')` - Verify file exists: `os.path.exists(img_path)` **Text doesn't fit** - Enable auto-fit: `text_frame.auto_size = MSO_AUTO_SIZE.TEXT_TO_FIT_SHAPE` - Truncate long text with ellipsis **File size too large** - Compress images before adding (use Pillow) - Resize images to presentation dimensions (1920x1080 max) For complete troubleshooting, see `references/troubleshooting.md`. ## Helper Scripts The `scripts/pptx_helper.py` module provides utility functions: - `create_presentation()`: Initialize with defaults - `add_title_slide()`: Add formatted title slide - `add_bullet_slide()`: Add slide with bullet points - `add_image_slide()`: Add slide with centered image - `add_chart_slide()`: Add slide with chart - `add_table_slide()`: Add formatted table - `apply_brand_colors()`: Apply consistent color scheme - `optimize_images()`: Batch optimize images **Usage:** ```python from scripts.pptx_helper import create_presentation, add_title_slide, add_chart_slide prs = create_presentation(title="My Presentation") add_title_slide(prs, "Main Title", "Subtitle") add_chart_slide(prs, "Sales Data", chart_type='bar', categories=['Q1', 'Q2', 'Q3', 'Q4'], values=[10, 20, 15, 25]) prs.save('output.pptx') ``` ## Additional Resources ### Documentation - python-pptx: https://python-pptx.readthedocs.io/ - API Reference: https://python-pptx.readthedocs.io/en/latest/api/ - GitHub: https://github.com/scanny/python-pptx ### Detailed References - [Library Setup & Installation](./references/library-setup.md) - [Design Best Practices](./references/design-best-practices.md) - [Templates & Themes](./references/templates-and-themes.md) - [Advanced Techniques](./references/advanced-techniques.md) - [Common Pitfalls](./references/troubleshooting.md) ### Examples - [Complete Business Presentation](./examples/business-presentation.md) - [Chart Examples (Bar, Line, Pie)](./examples/chart-examples.md) - [Image Handling](./examples/image-handling.md) - [Table Examples](./examples/table-examples.md) - [Editing Existing Presentations](./examples/editing-presentations.md) - [Bulk Generation from Data](./examples/bulk-generation.md) ### Design Resources - Microsoft Design Templates: https://templates.office.com/powerpoint - Color Palette Tools: Coolors.co, Adobe Color - Free Stock Images: Unsplash, Pexels ## Best Practices Summary 1. Always use templates for consistent branding 2. Optimize images before adding to presentation 3. Limit text on each slide (5-7 bullet points max) 4. Use high contrast for readability 5. Test on target device before presenting 6. Keep file size manageable (<20MB for email) 7. Use speaker notes for detailed talking points 8. Follow 6x6 rule: Max 6 bullets, max 6 words per bullet 9. Validate data before creating charts 10. Use consistent spacing and alignment --- **When to Use This Skill:** - Creating business presentations from data - Automating report generation - Bulk slide creation from databases - Template-based presentations - Educational content with charts/images - Converting documents to slides