Write and print PowerPoint handouts in Word

You can use Word to work with and print your PowerPoint handouts.

1. (In PowerPoint 2016 and 2013) On the File tab, click Export.

   (In PowerPoint 2010) On the File tab, click Save & Send.

2. (In PowerPoint 2016 and 2013) Under Export, click Create Handouts, and under Create Handouts in Microsoft Word, click Create Handouts.
   
   
   

   (In PowerPoint 2010) Under File Types, click Create Handouts, and under Create Handouts in Microsoft Word, click Create Handouts.

3. In the Send to Microsoft Word box, click the page layout that you want, and then do one of the following:

   • To paste content that you want to remain unchanged when the content in the original PowerPoint presentation is updated, click Paste, and then click OK.

   • To make sure that any updates to the original PowerPoint presentation are reflected in the Word document, click Paste Link, and then click OK.

     

     The presentation opens as a Word document in a new window. You can edit, print or save as with any Word document.

     

Working around problems with exporting

The process of exporting a presentation to Word uses a lot of memory. The longer and larger the file, the more challenging it is for the programs and your computer to complete the process. If you get an error message that says, "PowerPoint couldn't write to Microsoft Word," try the process again after first restarting your computer and opening only PowerPoint. Restarting your computer will free up memory for the export process, and having other programs closed during the process will do the same.

If you have a very large file that still is not entirely exported, you can do a Save As operation on the presentation to make a second copy of it. From that copy, remove the slides that have already been exported, then run another export of the remaining slides that need to be exported. When that second export process is finished, combine the two .docx files into one.