| name | ppt-design-skill |
| description | 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, or comments. Includes 9 built-in design themes (5 magazine + 4 Swiss) and 32 layout templates. Trigger whenever the user mentions 'deck,' 'slides,' 'presentation,' or references a .pptx filename. |
| license | Proprietary. LICENSE.txt has complete terms |
PPT Design Skill
Quick Reference
| Task | Guide |
|---|
| Read/analyze content | python -m markitdown presentation.pptx |
| Edit or create from template | Read editing.md |
| Create from scratch | Read pptxgenjs.md |
| Design themes & layouts | Read design-system.md |
Reading Content
python -m markitdown presentation.pptx
python scripts/thumbnail.py presentation.pptx
python scripts/office/unpack.py presentation.pptx unpacked/
Editing Workflow
Read editing.md for full details.
- Analyze template with
thumbnail.py
- Unpack → manipulate slides → edit content → clean → pack
Creating from Scratch
Read pptxgenjs.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. Consider ideas from this list for each slide.
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.
Design System Quick Start
For pre-built themes and layout coordinates, see design-system.md. It provides:
- 9 built-in themes (5 magazine + 4 Swiss) with ready-to-use PptxGenJS color configs
- 32 layout templates with x/y/w/h coordinates for common slide patterns
- Font pairings for both magazine (serif) and Swiss (sans-serif) styles
7-Question Clarification (optional best practice when user has only a vague idea):
- Audience & scenario: Roadshow / internal share / tech launch / portfolio / academic?
- Duration & page count: 10-12 / 15-20 / 25+ slides?
- Existing materials: Documents / links / old PPT / data / images?
- Theme choice: See Color Palettes below — magazine (elegant/humanistic) or Swiss (minimal/rational)?
- Style preference: Serif titles with warm tones, or sans-serif with high-contrast accent colors?
- Language: Chinese / English / bilingual?
- Deliverables: PPTX only / also need cover images / also need web version?
Theme usage rhythm:
Cover → Main theme (consistent across deck)
Section → Same theme, variant switch (light/dark)
Data page → Same theme, light variant
Highlight → Same theme, dark variant
Closing → Same theme, dark variant or cover style
Rule: Never switch to a different theme mid-deck.
Color Palettes
Choose colors that match your topic — don't default to generic blue. Use these palettes as inspiration, or pick from the built-in design system themes below.
Built-in Design System Themes
Pre-configured themes with PptxGenJS-ready color values. See design-system.md for full config code.
Magazine Style (serif titles, warm tones, editorial feel):
| Theme | Ink (text/dark-bg) | Paper (light-bg) | Accent | Best for |
|---|
| Ink Classic | 0a0a0b | f1efea | d4a574 (warm gold) | General default, business, editorial |
| Indigo Porcelain | 0a1f3d | f1f3f5 | 4a90a4 (steel blue) | Tech, research, data, AI launch |
| Forest Ink | 1a2e1f | f5f1e8 | 6b8e5a (moss) | Nature, culture, non-fiction |
| Kraft Paper | 2a1e13 | eedfc7 | b87333 (copper) | Humanities, nostalgia, literature |
| Dune | 1f1a14 | f0e6d2 | c4a265 (sand) | Art, design, creative, gallery |
Swiss Style (sans-serif, grid-driven, high-contrast accent):
| Theme | Ink | Paper | Accent | Best for |
|---|
| Swiss IKB Blue | 1a1a1a | f5f5f5 | 002FA7 (Klein blue) | Minimal, data-driven, rational |
| Swiss Lemon Yellow | 1a1a1a | f5f5f5 | FFD700 (yellow) | Energetic, optimistic, bold |
| Swiss Lime Green | 1a1a1a | f5f5f5 | CCFF00 (lime) | Innovation, tech, futuristic |
| Swiss Safety Orange | 1a1a1a | f5f5f5 | FF5F00 (orange) | Warning, emphasis, high-impact |
General Inspiration Palettes
| 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 (image on one side, grid of content blocks on other)
- Half-bleed image (full left or right side) with content overlay)
Built-in layout templates (see design-system.md for coordinates):
Magazine Style (10 layouts): cover, section, big-number, two-column, image-grid, pipeline, question, quote, before-after, mixed
Swiss Style (22 layouts): S01-S22 grid-based layouts with strict 12-column alignment
Layout diversity rules (from references/checklist.md):
- Avoid using the same layout for every slide — vary columns, cards, and callouts
- Mix at least 4 different layout types per deck
- Never use the same layout type more than 3 times in a row
- Match information density to layout (cover = lowest, appendix = highest)
Data display:
- Large stat callouts (big numbers 60-72pt with small labels below)
- Comparison columns (before/after, pros/cons, side-by-side options)
- Timeline or process flow (numbered steps, arrows)
Visual polish:
- Icons in small colored circles next to section headers
- Italic accent text for key stats or taglines
Typography
Choose an interesting font pairing — don't default to Arial. Pick a header font with personality and pair it with a clean body font.
General Pairings
| Header Font | Body Font |
|---|
| Georgia | Calibri |
| Arial Black | Arial |
| Calibri | Calibri Light |
| Cambria | Calibri |
| Trebuchet MS | Calibri |
| Impact | Arial |
| Palatino | Garamond |
| Consolas | Calibri |
Design System Font Pairings
For built-in themes, use these pre-mapped pairings (see design-system.md):
Magazine Style (serif headers, editorial):
| Role | Font | Fallback |
|---|
| Title (serif) | Playfair Display | Noto Serif SC |
| Body (sans) | Noto Sans SC | Calibri |
| Mono (labels) | IBM Plex Mono | Consolas |
Swiss Style (sans-serif throughout, grid-driven):
| Role | Font | Fallback |
|---|
| Title (sans) | Inter | Helvetica |
| Body (sans) | Inter | Noto Sans SC |
| Mono (labels) | IBM Plex Mono | Consolas |
| Element | Size |
|---|
| Slide title | 36-44pt bold |
| Section header | 20-24pt bold |
| Body text | 14-16pt |
| Captions | 10-12pt muted |
Spacing
- 0.5" minimum margins
- 0.3-0.5" between content blocks
- Leave breathing room—don't fill every inch
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 skimp on size contrast — titles need 36pt+ to stand out from 14-16pt body
- Don't default to blue — pick colors that reflect the specific topic
- Don't mix spacing randomly — choose 0.3" or 0.5" gaps and use consistently
- Don't style one slide and leave the rest plain — commit fully or keep it simple throughout
- Don't create text-only slides — add images, icons, charts, or visual elements; avoid plain title + bullets
- Don't forget text box padding — when aligning lines or shapes with text edges, set
margin: 0 on the text box or offset the shape to account for padding
- Don't use low-contrast elements — icons AND text need strong contrast against the background; avoid light text on light backgrounds or dark text on dark backgrounds
- NEVER use accent lines under titles — these are a hallmark of AI-generated slides; use whitespace or background color instead
QA (Required)
Assume there are problems. Your job is to find them.
Your first render is almost never correct. Approach QA as a bug hunt, not a confirmation step. If you found zero issues on first inspection, you weren't looking hard enough.
Content QA
python -m markitdown output.pptx
Check for missing content, typos, wrong order.
When using templates, check for leftover placeholder text:
python -m markitdown output.pptx | grep -iE "xxxx|lorem|ipsum|this.*(page|slide).*layout"
If grep returns results, fix them before declaring success.
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. Subagents have fresh eyes.
Convert slides to images (see 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, stacked elements)
- Text overflow or cut off at edges/box boundaries
- Decorative lines positioned for single-line text but title wrapped to two lines
- Source citations or footers colliding with content above
- Elements too close (< 0.3" gaps) or cards/sections nearly touching
- Uneven gaps (large empty area in one place, cramped in another)
- Insufficient margin from slide edges (< 0.5")
- Columns or similar elements not aligned consistently
- Low-contrast text (e.g., light gray text on cream-colored background)
- Low-contrast icons (e.g., dark icons on dark backgrounds without a contrasting circle)
- Text boxes too narrow causing excessive wrapping
- Leftover placeholder content
For each slide, list issues or areas of concern, even if minor.
Read and analyze these images:
1. /path/to/slide-01.jpg (Expected: [brief description])
2. /path/to/slide-02.jpg (Expected: [brief description])
Report ALL issues found, including minor ones.
Pre-Flight Checklist
Before declaring success, run through references/checklist.md (P0-P3 levels):
P0 — Must fix before delivery:
P1 — Should fix:
P2 — Polish:
P3 — Nice to have:
Verification Loop
- Generate slides → Convert to images → Inspect
- List issues found (if none found, look again more critically)
- Fix issues
- Re-verify affected slides — one fix often creates another problem
- Repeat until a full pass reveals no new issues
Do not declare success until you've completed at least one fix-and-verify cycle.
Design System Reference
Converting to Images
Convert presentations to individual slide images for visual inspection:
python scripts/office/soffice.py --headless --convert-to pdf output.pptx
pdftoppm -jpeg -r 150 output.pdf slide
This creates slide-01.jpg, slide-02.jpg, etc.
To re-render specific slides after fixes:
pdftoppm -jpeg -r 150 -f N -l N output.pdf slide-fixed
Dependencies
pip install "markitdown[pptx]" - text extractionpip install Pillow - thumbnail gridsnpm install -g pptxgenjs - creating from scratch- LibreOffice (
soffice) - PDF conversion (auto-configured for sandboxed environments via scripts/office/soffice.py)
- Poppler (
pdftoppm) - PDF to images
