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How to combine powerpoint presentations.

If you want to merge two PowerPoint files together, you have a few options you can try. Here's how to do it.

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Combining powerpoint files using the reuse slides option, copying and pasting powerpoint slides.

It's difficult for two or more people to work on a PowerPoint presentation simultaneously, as Office doesn't have the same collaboration features offered by  Google Slides . One way around this problem is to combine PowerPoint presentations into a single file.

Merging two PowerPoints can be done by either importing the slides using the "Reuse Slides" option or by using the copy-and-paste method instead. These instructions are designed to work for the latest versions of Office , including Office 2016 and 2019, as well as Office 365 and Online. You may find the instructions vary for older versions of PowerPoint.

Related: What's the Latest Version of Microsoft Office?

The "best" method for merging PowerPoint files, or at least the method that PowerPoint officially supports, is to use the "Reuse Slides" option. This feature merges the content of one presentation file into another, matching the theme of the new presentation file in the process.

To do this, open your PowerPoint presentation file---this is the file you're looking to merge into. In the "Home" tab on the ribbon bar, select the "New Slide" button and then click the "Reuse Slides" option at the bottom of the drop-down menu that appears.

A menu will appear on the right. Click the "Browse" button to locate the PowerPoint presentation file that you want to merge into your open file.

Locate your second PowerPoint file and then click the "Open" button to insert it.

A list of slides from your second presentation will appear in the "Reuse Slides" menu on the right.

First, you'll need to decide on the formatting for your inserted slides. If you want to keep the format (including the theme) from the original presentation, make sure that the "Keep Source Formatting" checkbox is enabled at the bottom of the "Reuse Slides" menu. If you don't check this, your inserted slides will have the style of the open presentation applied to them.

To insert individual slides, right-click a slide and then select the "Insert Slide" option. Otherwise, click the "Insert All Slides" to copy all of the slides into your open PowerPoint presentation.

Your slide (or slides) will then be inserted into the open presentation, immediately underneath the currently selected slide. With your PowerPoint files combined, you can then save your merged file by clicking File > Save or Save As.

While the "Reuse Slides" method allows you to change the format of your slides before you insert them, you can also combine PowerPoint files by copying the slides from one open PowerPoint file and inserting them into another.

To do this, open a PowerPoint presentation and select the slides you want to copy from the slide selection menu on the left. From there, right-click on the selected slides and then press "Copy" to copy them to your clipboard.

Switch to the PowerPoint presentation you're looking to paste your slides into and then, in the slide selection menu on the left, right-click at the position you want to stick your slides.

To paste the slides and apply the theme of the open presentation file to them, click the "Use Destination Theme" paste option.

To keep the original theme and formatting, select the "Keep Source Formatting" paste option instead.

The slides you paste will then appear in your new presentation at the position you selected. You can then save the merged file by clicking File > Save or Save As.

How to Combine PowerPoint Presentations With Different Templates

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Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to combine two or more presentations with different theme templates. PowerPoint includes a Keep Source Formatting option that retains the template format for each slide. For example, a presentation with the Ion template showcasing your current products can include some slides with the Organic template promoting your future products to help your clients view the contrast between your timely products.

Open your PowerPoint presentation in Normal view. If the left slide pane and command ribbon do not display, click the “Normal” button on the status bar.

Click the “Home” tab on the ribbon, click the “New Slide” down arrow in the Slides group to open a list and then click “Reuse Slides” to open the Reuse Slides pane.

Click the “Browse” button in the Reuse Slides pane and then click “Browse File” to bring up a list of your files in a dialog box. Click the PowerPoint file that contains the different template and then click “Open” in the dialog box to display the slides in the Reuse Slides pane.

Select the “Keep Source Formatting” check box at the bottom of the Reuse Slides pane.

Click the slide in the left pane where you want to insert the slide from the Reuse Slides pane. For example, click slide "3" if you want to insert a slide after this slide. A color border surrounds the selected slide.

Click the preferred slide in the Reuse Slides pane to copy to the left pane and presentation. Continue scrolling and selecting slides from the left pane and inserting slides from the right pane to expand your first PowerPoint presentation with the combined slides.

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  • Open the larger PowerPoint presentation to insert slides quickly from the smaller presentation.
  • Edit the slide presentations separately before you combine them.

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How to Combine PowerPoints: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Combine PowerPoints: A Step-by-Step Guide

Table of Contents

If you’re in sales, customer service, or work independently, you probably use similar slides in different presentations. But redoing them every time can be a hassle. That’s why learning to merge PowerPoint slides can be super useful.

When you merge slides in PowerPoint, you can take slides from other presentations and put them into one new presentation. This helps you update content, reinforce ideas, or include important information from previous presentations.

It’s pretty easy to do. Let us show you how to merge multiple PowerPoint presentations into one.

How to Combine Powerpoints ?

Here are five ways to combine PowerPoint slides:

  • Copy and Paste Slides
  • Reuse PowerPoint Slides
  • Use Insert Object to Merge PowerPoint Files (Limited Functionality)
  • Drag and Drop Slides
  • Merge with Compare Function

Method 1: Copy and Paste Slides

The easiest way to put together multiple PowerPoint slides is by copying and pasting. Here’s how you can merge two PowerPoint presentations using this method:

1. Open both presentations:  Launch Microsoft PowerPoint and open the two presentations you want to merge.

2. Navigate to the slides to copy:  In the presentation containing the slides you want to transfer, go to the slide thumbnail pane on the left side of the window.

3. Select slides:  Click on the desired slide(s) to copy. You can hold down the Ctrl key to choose multiple non-consecutive slides or Shift for consecutive slides.

4. Copy slides:  Right-click on the selected slides and choose “Copy” from the context menu. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C.

5. Navigate to the destination presentation:  Switch to the other presentation where you want to insert the copied slides.

6. Choose insertion location:  Click on the slide thumbnail where you want the copied slides to appear after. This will determine their order in the final presentation.

7. Paste slides:  Right-click on the chosen location and select “Paste” from the context menu. You can also use Ctrl+V.

8. Adjust formatting (optional):  If the pasted slides don’t match the formatting of your destination presentation, you can manually adjust them using the options in the “Home” and “Format” tabs.

Method 2: Reuse PowerPoint Slides

You can also combine PowerPoint slides using the “Reuse” option. It’s straightforward and lets you choose which slides you want to add and where you want them. Here’s how you do it:

1. Open the target presentation:  Launch PowerPoint and open the presentation where you want to include slides from another presentation.

2. Access the “Reuse Slides” pane:  Go to the “Home” tab in the ribbon. Click on the “New Slide” button and select “Reuse Slides” from the dropdown menu.

3. Browse for the source presentation:  In the “Reuse Slides” pane on the right, click on “Browse” and locate the presentation containing the slides you want to reuse. Select the file and click “Open.”

4. Choose slides to reuse:  In the “Reuse Slides” pane, you’ll see thumbnails of all slides from the source presentation. Click on the checkbox(es) next to the slides you want to include.

5. Insert the slides:  Click on the “Insert” button at the bottom of the “Reuse Slides” pane. The selected slides will be inserted at the current location in your target presentation.

Method 3: Use Insert Object to Merge PowerPoint Files

Note:  This method has limitations. It inserts the entire source presentation as an object within the target presentation. You cannot edit the content of the inserted slides directly, only their position and size.

2. Go to the “Insert” tab:  Click on the “Insert” tab in the ribbon.

3. Navigate to “Object”:  In the “Insert” tab, click on the “Object” button.

4. Select “Create from File”:  In the “Insert Object” window, choose the “Create from File” option.

5. Browse for the source presentation:  Click on “Browse” and navigate to the presentation containing the slides you want to insert. Select the file and click “Open.”

6. Insert the presentation (as an object):  Click “OK” in the “Insert Object” window. The entire source presentation will be inserted as an object on the current slide of your target presentation.

Method 4: Drag and Drop Slides

Another simple way to merge PowerPoint presentations is by dragging and dropping slides. This is handy if you’re working on different presentations or collaborating on a project. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Both Presentations:  Launch the presentations containing the slides you want to merge.

2. Arrange Side-by-Side:  Resize and position the presentation windows so you can view both presentations simultaneously.

3. Select and Drag:  In the presentation you’re copying from, click and hold the thumbnail of the desired slide in the left-side navigation pane.

4. Drop into New Location:  Drag the selected slide thumbnail and release it onto the preferred position within the other presentation’s navigation pane. The slide will be copied to the new location.

5. Repeat for Additional Slides:  Continue dragging and dropping any other slides you want to transfer between presentations.

Method 5: Merge with Compare Function

This feature helps you merge your slides while keeping the formatting consistent. Here’s how to use it:

1. Open Destination Presentation:  Open the presentation where you want to merge all the slides from another presentation.

2. Access Compare Function:  Click on the “Review” tab from the top menu bar. Locate the “Compare” button within the “Compare” section and click on it.

3. Browse for Source Presentation:  A new window will appear. Click the “Browse” button and navigate to select the presentation containing the slides you want to merge.

4. Choose Merge Option:  From the “Compare” dropdown menu, select the “Merge” option.

5. Review and Select Slides (Optional):  A new pane will appear on the right, displaying slides from both presentations. You can choose to include or exclude specific slides from the merge process using the checkboxes beside each slide.

6. Complete the Merge:  Click the “Merge” button at the bottom of the pane. This will combine all selected slides from the second presentation into the first presentation.

Closing Thoughts

Learning to merge PowerPoint slides is a useful skill that can save you time and effort. With the different methods we covered, you can easily combine content from various presentations, keep formatting consistent, and create strong presentations that get your point across. So, the next time you’re putting together a presentation, remember that merging slides can be a valuable tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the overall look change if i put ppt slides together.

Usually, the look stays the same. But you can choose to keep the style or not when you merge them.

How can I put many locked PowerPoints into one?

To do this, you need to unlock the PowerPoints first. Then, open each one and go to File > Info > Protect Presentation > Encrypt with Password. Delete the password, click OK, and now you can mix the slides into one presentation.

Can I make one PDF from several PowerPoints?

Yes! Just copy and paste the slides from each PowerPoint into one big presentation or use the Reuse Slide option. After that, save it as a PDF by going to File > Save as > PDF or File > Save & Send > Create PDF/XPS Document > Publish .

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3 Ways to Combine Multiple PowerPoint Presentation Files

So you made two different PowerPoint presentations and are stuck with merging them together? Don’t worry. You want to match their themes or keep them original? Covered. You want to drop/keep transitions? Cool.PowerPoint got it all covered for you. However you want to merge slides, you can do it all in PowerPoint itself. This article will take you through different methods and options that will let you combine multiple PowerPoint Presentation files the way you please.

3 Ways to Combine Multiple PowerPoint Presentation Files

Table of Contents

Method 1: Reuse Slides

When to use:

  • If you do not want to keep the transitions and animations of the inserted presentation after merging it into the main presentation.
  • If you want to merge only a few slides of inserted presentation and not the whole presentation.

How to use:

1.Open the main presentation in which you want to insert another presentation.

2.Decide the two slides between which you want to insert the new slides and click between them.

3. A red line will appear.

Red line will appear on the presentation

4.Click on the ‘ Insert ’ menu.

5.Open the drop-down menu by clicking on ‘ New Slide ’.

6.At the bottom of the menu, click on ‘ Reuse Slides ’.

At the bottom of the menu, click on ‘Reuse Slides’

7.On the right-hand side, the Reuse Slides tab will appear.

8.If you want to keep the theme of the inserted presentation, check the ‘ Keep source formatting ’ checkbox at the bottom of the tab. Else, if you want it to take the theme of the main presentation, uncheck the box.

9.Now, browse the file you want to insert and click on OK.

10.You can now see all the slides of the presentation to be inserted.

See all the slides of the presentation to be inserted

11.If you want a few particular slides from this presentation to appear in the main presentation, simply click on the thumbnail . Else, right-click on any thumbnail and click on ‘ Insert all slides ’.

Right click on any thumbnail and click on ‘Insert all slides’

12.Adding a slide while having ‘ Keep source formatting ’ checked you will get something like this.

Adding a slide while having ‘Keep source formatting’ checked

And unchecking ‘Keep source formatting’ will give you.

And unchecking ‘Keep source formatting’

13.If you want the whole presentation with the theme of the inserted presentation, right-click on any thumbnail in the ‘ Reuse Slides ’ tab and click on ‘ Apply theme to all slides ’ and you will then get:

Right click on any thumbnail in ‘Reuse Slides’ tab and click on ‘Apply theme to all slides’

14.If you want to insert the new slides at different positions in the main presentation, then before clicking on any particular slide to be inserted in the ‘Reuse Slides’ tab, just click on that main slide thumbnail (on the left-hand side of the window), below which you want your inserted slide. You can do this for every inserted slide to get this:

Click on that main slide thumbnail (on the left hand side of window)

Method 2: Insert Object

  • If you want to keep the transitions and animations of the inserted presentation after merging it into the main presentation.
  • If you want to merge the whole presentation into the main presentation.

2. Add a blank slide at the position you want your inserted slide to be. You can do this by clicking on ‘ New Slide ’ in the insert menu and then clicking on ‘ Blank ’.

Click on ‘New Slide’ in insert menu and then clicking on ‘Blank’

3.Click on ‘ Object ’ in the insert menu.

Click on ‘Object’ in the insert menu

4.Select ‘ Create from file ’ radio button and browse the presentation you want to be inserted and click on OK.

5.You will see the first slide of the inserted presentation in the center of the blank slide you had inserted.

See the first slide of the inserted presentation in the center

6. Resize the inserted slide to fit the main slide completely by dragging the corners of the inserted slide.

7.Click on the Object.

8.Go to the Animations menu and click on ‘ Add Animation ’.

Go to the animations menu and click on ‘Add Animation’

9.Click on ‘ OLE action verbs ’ at the bottom of the drop-down menu.

11.In the dialog box, select ‘ Show ’ and click on OK.

In the dialog box, select ‘Show’ and click on OK

13.Go to the ‘ Animations ’ menu and click on ‘ Animation Pane ’.

14.On the right-hand side, a tab will open. You can see the inserted object in the tab.

15.Click on the downward pointer beside the object name and a list will open.

Click on the downward pointer besides the object name and a list will open

16.Select ‘ Start With Previous ’.

17.Now, s elect the object in the tab and click on the downward pointer again.

18.Select ‘ Effect Options ’. A dialog box will open.

19.In the ‘After Animation’ drop-down list, click on ‘ Hide After Animation ’.

In the ‘After Animation’ drop down list, click on ‘Hide After Animation

20.Now insert some object like a text box or an image on the main slide containing the inserted presentation object.

An image on the main slide containing the inserted presentation object

21.Right-click on it and select ‘ Send to Back ’.

Right click on it and select ‘Send to Back’

22. You now have your presentations merged.

Method 3: Copy-Paste

If you want to keep animations of the inserted presentation and want to keep/change the theme and transitions.

1.Open the presentation you want to insert and select the slides that you want to insert into the main presentation.

2.Press ‘ Ctrl+C ’ to copy them.

3.Open the main presentation.

4.Right-click in the left pane wherever you want to insert the slides.

Right click in the left pane wherever you want to insert the slides

5.Here you get two paste options:

1.USE DESTINATION THEME:

Selecting this will cause the inserted slides to adopt the theme and transitions of the main presentation while keeping the animations of inserted slides intact.

2.KEEP SOURCE FORMATTING:

Selecting this will keep the theme, transitions, and animations of inserted file itself.

6. Select the option you want and you are done.

There you go! You can now merge your presentations with any possible combinations.

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I hope the above steps were helpful and now you can easily Combine Multiple PowerPoint Presentation Files, but if you still have any questions regarding this tutorial then feel free to ask them in the comment section.

About The Author

Aditya Farrad

Aditya Farrad

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How To Merge Two PowerPoint Presentations? Detailed Guide On How To Combine PowerPoints

If you work in sales, customer service, or as an independent consultant, you may need to utilize the same templates in many of your presentations. Of course, you don’t want to keep making the same slides for different presentations. That’s why you should consider learning how to combine PowerPoints slides.

That’s where merging slides in PowerPoint comes in handy when creating presentations from previously generated slideshows. In your current presentation, you can reuse slides from prior presentations to modify content, strengthen concepts, debunk ideas, or reference facts.

It’s all quite simple. Allow us to demonstrate how to combine multiple powerpoints into one.

How To Merge PowerPoints?

Shows how to combine powerpoint slides

Consider the following five approaches and their associated stages to know how to combine powerpoints:

  • Copy and Paste slides
  • Reuse PowerPoint Slides
  • Use Insert Object to Merge PowerPoint Files
  • Drag and Drop PowerPoint Slides
  • Merge with Compare Function

1. Copy and Paste Slides

The easiest option to combine multiple slides is the copy-and-paste option. Follow the below steps to learn how to merge two PowerPoint presentations:

  • Open both the slides that you want to combine.
  • Right-click on a slide and select “copy.” You can also copy it by using the Ctrl+C command.
  • Now, open the slide on which you want to combine this slide.
  • Choose a location in between your slides where you want to add the slide. You can do this from the left-side navigation pane. 
  • Right-click and choose “Paste”. Or you can use the “Ctrl+V” command. You can select “Use Destination Theme” or “Keep Source Formatting” to meet your needs.
  • Repeat this step for multiple slides.

2. Reuse PowerPoint Slides

Let’s learn how to combine powerpoints using the Reuse option. Reusing slides is the simplest technique for incorporating slides from one presentation into another. This strategy allows you to manage what slides you add and where you place them. The reuse slides approach appears in this example. Follow the below steps to understand how to merge powerpoints:

  • Open PowerPoint, then open the document to which you wish to add slides.
  • Select where you wish to add a slide or slides. Then, click between two existing slides.
  • In the ‘Main Menu,’ click the ‘Insert’ tab.
  • Then, on the left side of the menu, click the ‘New Slide’ option.
  • Then choose ‘Reuse Slides.’
  • Click the ‘Browse’ button to access the ‘Reuse Slides’ dialog box. If you click the option next to ‘Keep source formatting,’ the newly added slides will keep their original formatting. When you uncheck the box, their formatting will match the main presentation.
  • Insert your slide here. Browse the presentations, choose the one from which you wish to add the slides, and then click ‘Open.’
  • You will see the thumbnails of the available slides. Browse and pick the ones you want to include in your main document. You can import all slides from the external presentation by clicking ‘Insert All Slides.’
  • When choosing the slides to include, click the ‘Apply Theme to All Slides’ option to replace the theme of the primary presentation with that of the secondary presentation.

This strategy is perfect if you want to merge ppt slides. Use it for adding a slide or two to your PowerPoint presentation. It is also the best approach for including bits and pieces from other presentations in your primary presentation. Although you can use this approach to insert all slides from an external presentation, using the ‘Insert Object’ option is preferable.

3. how to combine powerpoints using Insert Object Methods?

The insert object method is best if you wish to insert all slides from an external presentation while keeping the animations and transitions between them.

Remember that after you include the slides in your new presentation, they will no longer be connected to the original file. As a result, any modifications you make to the original file will not affect the slides you include in your primary presentation.

Now that we’ve addressed that let’s examine how to merge powerpoints using the insert object technique. Follow the below steps to learn how to combine multiple powerpoints into one:

  • Open MS PowerPoint and the main presentation.
  • Go to the slide where you want to add another slide
  • In the Main Menu, choose the ‘Insert’ tab.
  • In the “Text” group, Select the ‘Object’ option.
  • The ‘Insert Object’ dialog box will appear. Choose the ‘Create from file’ option there.
  • Click “Browse” and select the slide you want to add.
  • Following that, you will only view the first slide of the imported presentation. The remaining slides are below, though you can’t see them now.
  • To prevent changes in the size of the slides after the presentation is played, stretch the added object to suit the size of the slide of your main presentation. After inserting the complete item into your main presentation, you can alter and tweak it to ensure its good performance.

4. Drag And Drop PowerPoint Slides

Let’s understand how to combine powerpoints using the drag & drop method. A drag-and-drop approach is one of the simplest methods of integrating two presentations. This feature is useful if you have two different presentations that you want to combine with PowerPoint or are working on a collective project. Follow the below steps to learn how to combine two powerpoints into one:

  • Open both presentations on your PC or Mac, and minimize the PowerPoint software so that you can view both simultaneously.
  • Long-press the slide you want to relocate and drag it to its new location with your mouse. You should do this for each slide; luckily, you can select all of them by clicking on the first slide, holding down the ‘Shift’ key, and then clicking on the final slide.
  • The slide’s position will be highlighted with a red line. Your final presentation will be updated to match the design of the receiving document. Of course, you can always change the document’s overall look by clicking the ‘Design’ button at the top of your presentation.

5. how to combine powerpoints with compare function

This compare function combines your multiple slides with uniform formatting. Follow the below steps to learn how to merge PowerPoint presentations:

  • Open the presentation in which you want to add another slide.
  • Select the “Review” Tab from the Top Menu.
  • Click on the “Compare” function.
  • Browse the presentation you want to combine and select “Merge.” It will combine all the slides from both presentations.

It’s great to learn how to combine powerpoints into one slide to increase the usability of slides and save time in creating new slides from scratch. The techniques described in this blog will assist you in taking your PowerPoint abilities to the next level. In minutes, you can combine and merge PowerPoint presentations like an expert.

Does the formatting change if I combine ppt slides?

The formatting isn’t usually affected. However, you can choose to keep formatting or not while merging.

What are some tips for effectively merging slides?

Organize your slides beforehand, ensure consistent formatting and styling across all slides, remove duplicate content, and thoroughly review the merged presentation to ensure accuracy and coherence.

Is there a limit to the number of presentations I can merge?

Usually, there is no limit to the number of presentations to merge.

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How to Combine Multiple PowerPoint Presentations

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Do you have multiple PowerPoint presentations that you need to combine or merge into one presentation? I’ve had to do this myself a couple of times and one of the most important aspects when merging presentations is whether you want to maintain the format and theme of the inserted presentation or have it match the theme of the main presentation. The second most important factor is whether you need to maintain any animations and transitions that might be included in the inserted presentation.

Depending on how you want the inserted slides to appear in the main presentation, you will need to choose between two different methods for joining the presentations. In this article, I’ll mention both methods along with the advantages and disadvantages for each method.

The first method uses the Reuse Slides option in PowerPoint and the second method uses the Insert Object option.

Reuse Slides Method

If you want the inserted slides to match the theme of your main presentation, then you have to use the Reuse Slides option. The inserted slides will simply take the slides exactly as they are in the external presentation and add them to the main presentation.

However, there is one big caveat: none of the animations or transitions will be carried over. Whatever you see on the slide in the normal viewing mode is what will get imported into the main presentation.

If you need to maintain all the animations or transitions, then skip down to the Insert Object method.

To get started with this method, open the main presentation and then click between the two slides you want to import the slides into. It’s worth nothing that this method also lets you pick and choose which slides you want to insert from an external presentation, whereas the Insert Object method will insert the entire presentation.

insert slide

Now click on the Insert menu and then click on the words New Slide  and you’ll see a menu appear. At the very bottom of that menu is an option called Reuse Slides .

reuse slides

When you click on that, a tab will appear on the right hand side. Click on the Browse button and then select Browse File . Check the Keep source formatting  box if you want keep the theme and text formatting of the external presentation.

If you uncheck that box, then when you go to insert the slides into the main presentation, the original formatting will not be kept. Instead the slides will use the theme and formatting of the main presentation.

insert slide from

Select the PowerPoint Presentation you want to insert and then click OK. Immediately, you should see a small thumbnail and the title of each slide displayed.

insert slides from ppt

As you can see above, the second presentation has a different theme than my first presentation. There are a number of things you can do at this point. Firstly, if you just want to insert one slide or a couple of slides from your external presentation, simply click on the slide and it will be inserted!

The formatting will depend on whether you checked the Keep source formatting box like I explained above. As shown below, I inserted just one slide from the external presentation and kept the source formatting.

powerpoint inserted slides

It will be inserted wherever you had clicked earlier with the red line. If you want to insert all the slides, just select the Insert All Slide s option that comes up when you right-click on any of the slides.

Lastly, you can apply the theme used in the external presentation to your main presentation by right-clicking and choosing Apply Theme to All Slides . This will apply the external presentation theme to the main presentation.

As mentioned earlier, you lose all animations, effects, transitions, etc when using this method. Now let’s talk about the other way to merge two presentations.

Insert Object Method

The second method will insert the entire external presentation into one slide as an object. You then have to configure some settings so that when you run your slideshow, it also runs through all the slides in the external presentation.

There are a couple of things that need to be mentioned before we get into how to use this method:

1. When you insert the presentation as an object, it is not a link to the presentation, but an actual full copy into the main presentation. This means that if you open the external presentation later after inserting it into the main presentation and make changes to it, those changes will not be reflected in the imported version inside the main presentation.

2. If you do want to make changes to an already inserted presentation, you can edit it inside the main presentation. Again, those changes are only made to the version inside the main presentation.

In my opinion, this method is better than the Reuse Slides method because it lets you keep all your animations and transitions and it allows you to change or keep the theme of the inserted presentation.

To get started, open the main presentation and then insert a new slide. Make sure to delete any default text boxes or anything else on the new slide so that it is completely blank.

add new slide

Now click on the Insert tab and then click on Object .

insert object into slide

Select the Create from file radio button and click the Browse button. Select the external presentation you want to insert into your main presentation.

insert 2nd powerpoint

You’ll now see the first slide of the presentation inserted as a selectable object. All of the other slides are there, but you just can’t see them.

stretch window to slide

The next step is to move your cursor to the upper left corner of the inserted object until it turns into a double sided arrow. Click and then drag the corner to the upper left corner of the main slide. Now do the same thing with the bottom right corner of the object and drag it to the bottom right corner on the main slide.

Now the inserted object should be the exact same size as the slide that it was inserted onto. You want to do this so that there won’t be any change in the size of the slides when you are playing the presentation.

Once that is setup, we have to configure the second presentation to play when we hit that slide that we inserted the presentation into. To do this, select the object, click on the Animations ribbon, click on Add Animation and then scroll all the way to the bottom where it says OLE Action Verbs .

ole action verbs

Another dialog will pop up and you want to choose Show . If you were to play the presentation at this point, you would notice that when you reach the slide with the inserted presentation, it will show all the slides in the inserted presentation, but it will also include a still slide of the first slide at the front and back of the inserted presentation.

add show action verb

This was kind of annoying to me and luckily you can almost get rid of it. First, click on Animations again and then click on Animation Pane , which will show up at the right.

animation pane

In the Animation Pane, you will see the inserted object listed as Object 1 or Object 2, etc. and when you select it, there will be a small black arrow you can click on. This will bring up a few options and then first one you want to select is Start With Previous .

start with previous

Now when you play the presentation, it won’t show you that still image of the first slide but will actually play the first slide from the external presentation. To get rid of the still image at the end of the presentation, you have to select Effect Options from the menu above and then select Hide After Animation from the After animation dropdown box.

hide after animation

It’s not perfect because it still shows you the empty slide that the inserted presentation was put once before the presentation ends. Luckily, I found a simple hack for this too that works really well. Simply add something to the slide that has the external presentation object like a text box or whatever you like and then right-click on the object and choose Send to Back .

send to back

This will effectively hide the object behind the presentation object. Now when you play your presentation, it will hide the presentation object after the last slide because that is what we chose in the After animation option. When the presentation object is hidden, you’ll see any content that was hidden under it. It’s a great way to avoid having that blank slide show up during the presentation.

One last thing I wanted to mention was about editing the inserted presentation. You can right-click anywhere on the object and choose Presentation Object – Edit to edit any slide in the inserted presentation directly within the main presentation.

edit presentation

Hopefully, this was a detailed enough tutorial for anyone wanting to merge, combine or insert one PowerPoint presentation into another. If you have any questions, feel free to comment. Enjoy!

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How to Merge PowerPoints

It’s easy to merge your PowerPoint presentations

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What to Know

  • In your primary PowerPoint: Home > New Slide > Reuse Slides > Browse .
  • In your secondary PowerPoint: Open . Right-click individual slides and choose Insert Slide , or select Insert All Slides .

This article explains how to combine two or more PowerPoint presentations into one presentation. Whether you’re using Mac or PC versions of PowerPoint, it’s easy to combine PowerPoint presentations.

Method 1: Reuse Slides

Microsoft PowerPoint provides the option to Reuse Slides . This method doesn’t require you to open all of your PowerPoint presentations, so it’s the fastest and easiest way to combine presentations.

Open your main PowerPoint presentation. You can choose the largest presentation, or whichever one has formatting you want to keep.

When you insert slides, they’ll be inserted after the slide you have currently selected. Keep this in mind before inserting slides.

Go to the Home tab in the upper-left corner.

Click New Slide . A drop-down menu will open.

Newer versions of PowerPoint have a dedicated Reuse Slides button.

Select Reuse Slides , located at the bottom of the menu.

Click Browse .

Find your second PowerPoint file and click Open . The slides from your second presentation will appear in the Reuse Slides menu.

Make sure Keep source formatting is checked if you want your slides to keep their formatting. If it isn’t checked, the formatting of your main PowerPoint will be applied to the slides when you insert them.

If you want to insert individual slides, select them and click Insert Slide .

If you want to reuse all slides in the PowerPoint presentation, click Insert All . If you don't see this, right-click one slide and choose Insert All Slides .

After your slides are merged into your presentation, Save your work.

Method 2: Copy slides

If you need to combine slides from several different PowerPoint presentations, copying PowerPoint Sides is another quick method. It’s easy to choose where each batch of slides ends up in your final presentation.

Open the PowerPoint presentation with slides you want to move.

Select the slides you want to copy from the slide viewer on the left.

Right-click the selected slides and copy them.

Open your main PowerPoint presentation.

Right-click where you want your slides to be inserted. The Paste Options menu will appear.

You can also use CTRL + V to paste the slides. On Mac, use command + V . The Paste Options menu will still appear.

If you want your inserted slides to match your main PowerPoint, click Use Destination Theme on the left. This will adapt the copied slides to your main presentation.

If you want your inserted slides to maintain their theme, click Keep Source Formatting . Your slides will keep their original appearance.

After moving all of your slides, save your project.

First, combine PowerPoint presentations by copying and pasting slides into the primary presentation or using the  Reuse Slide  option. After combining slides into one merged document,  save your PowerPoint as a PDF . Go to  File  >  Save as  >  PDF  or  File  >  Save & Send  >  Create PDF/XPS Document  >  Publish .

To merge multiple locked PowerPoints, you need to know the passwords to unlock them. Once you have password access, open the PowerPoints and select  File  >  Info  >  Protect Presentation  >  Encrypt with Password  > delete the content in the  Password  field > and select  OK . Now you can reuse or copy slides into one main presentation.

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How to Combine PowerPoints on Mac or Windows

Last Updated: June 20, 2022 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA . Darlene Antonelli is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Darlene has experience teaching college courses, writing technology-related articles, and working hands-on in the technology field. She earned an MA in Writing from Rowan University in 2012 and wrote her thesis on online communities and the personalities curated in such communities. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 8,554 times. Learn more...

Do you want to use the slides from your other presentation in this one? The "Reuse Slides" function in Microsoft PowerPoint makes it easy to reuse slides from other presentations. It's also a helpful tool that will help you merge your presentations into one PowerPoint. If the "Reuse Slides" feature isn't available for your version of PowerPoint, you can also copy and paste slides, use the "Insert Object" menu, or drag and drop slides. This wikiHow article teaches you multiple ways you can combine PowerPoint presentations on your Windows or Mac computer.

Reusing Slides

Step 1 Open the presentation that you want to add slides to.

  • These imported slides will change to copy the theme and design of the other slides. If you don't want it to change, you can select Keep source formatting before you import them.

Step 2 Click where you want to add your slide.

  • If you want the slide(s) to maintain the original design theme and formatting, check the box next to Keep source formatting . [1] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
  • Once you've selected the slides from the original source, they will appear in the new PowerPoint immediately.

Step 7 Save your presentation.

Copy and Paste

Step 1 Open the presentations that you want to copy your slides from and add slides to.

  • Use this option if "Reuse slides" isn't available since this will allow you the same options.

Step 2 Copy the slide you want to use in your other presentation.

  • If you want to select more than one slide, press and hold Shift as you click multiple sides.

Step 3 Paste the copied slides to your presentation.

Insert Object

Step 1 Open the presentation that you want to add slides to.

  • Use this if there are animations with the slide that you want to preserve. You won't be able to fine-tune the slide like you would if you used "Reuse Slide," but it will have all the animations and slide transitions from the previous slideshow.

Step 2 Select a space where you want to insert the new slide.

  • If you don't see the "New Slide" option, make sure the Home tab is selected.

Step 4 Click Insert and select Object.

  • Stretch the image to fill the entire slide to prevent it from changing sizes randomly.

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

Unprotect a Word Document Without the Password

  • ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/reuse-import-slides-from-another-presentation-c67671cd-386b-45dd-a1b4-1e656458bb86#OfficeVersion=Windows
  • ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/copy-and-paste-your-slides-1fe39ace-4df6-4346-b724-30a6e2c0aeab#OfficeVersion=Windows

About This Article

Darlene Antonelli, MA

1. Open the presentation that you want to add slides to. 2. Click where you want to add your slide. 3. Click the Home tab. 4. Click the arrow next to "New Slide" and select Reuse Slides . 5. Click Open a PowerPoint File and double-click the file you want to use. 6. Click a slide to add to your PowerPoint. 7. Save your presentation. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Combine Multiple PowerPoints into One

How to Combine Multiple PowerPoints into One | Quick Tips & Tutorial for your presentations

PowerPoint is one of the most widespread and widely used Microsoft tools in the world, allowing you to make high quality presentations in a simple, fast and super visual way. Maybe that's why presentations have triumphed in the world of business and education! 

Whether you're a professional or a student, you surely must have had to make more than one presentation throughout your career. That's a piece of cake when you have Slidesgo and its templates! In this post we want to lend you a hand and help you become a true master of this program: today you will learn how to combine different PowerPoint presentations .

How to merge PowerPoint presentations

If you want to join two or more different presentations in the same file, you want to add some extra slides or you need to merge the collaborative work of different teams, all you have to do is follow these steps: 

  • Open the first presentation. For this example we are going to use the template Minimalist Grayscale Pitch Deck .
  • Go to the Start menu > New Slide. Click on the drop-down, not on the button. A menu will open with different options, select "Reuse slides".
  • A menu will open on the right with recommended presentations. To add yours, click on Browse. We are going to add slides from the presentation Investment Business Plan .
  • Go to the place in the presentation where you want the new content to appear.
  • Choose which slides you want to add and add them one by one by clicking Insert Slide. You can also add the whole presentation by clicking on Insert All.

Pro tip : We recommend that you keep the "Use source formatting" checkbox checked. This feature makes the presentation you are adding keep its original style instead of adapting to the layout of the new one. 

Simple, isn't it? There is also another method, just as quick and easy, using the ancient technique known as "copy and paste". It consists of the following:

  • Open the presentation where you want the new slides to appear.
  • Open the other presentation and choose the slides you want to add. You can select more than one by pressing Control and clicking on them or you can select all of them by pressing Control + E. For this example we are going to add three slides from the Business Plan with Elegant Backgrounds template.
  • Right click and press copy or press Control + C.
  • Now go to the first presentation, choose the location and right click > Paste or press Control + V. Remember to select "Keep source formatting", this will keep the slides from losing their layout.

Now that you know how to put together your favorite presentations and slides, take a look at our website and download the ones that best suit your needs. You can choose resources from different designs and put them together to create the perfect presentation. 

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How to Merge Files in Powerpoint: A Step-by-Step Guide

Merging files in PowerPoint is a handy skill to have when you’re looking to combine information from different presentations or when you’re collaborating with others on a project. It might sound like a tricky task, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. In just a few simple steps, you can have all your slides together in one impressive presentation.

Step by Step Tutorial: How to Merge Files in PowerPoint

Before we dive into the steps, let’s understand what we’re about to do. Merging files in PowerPoint is all about bringing slides from different presentations into one. This can be very useful when you’re working on a group project or need to consolidate information. So, let’s get started!

Step 1: Open Your Main PowerPoint Presentation

Open the PowerPoint presentation where you want to add slides from another presentation.

When you’ve opened your main PowerPoint file, make sure it’s the one where you want all the merged slides to end up. Think of it as the ‘mother ship’ that’s about to welcome all the ‘little ship’ slides into its deck.

Step 2: Select the Slides You Want to Merge

Go to the “Home” tab, click on “New Slide,” and then choose “Reuse Slides” from the drop-down menu.

A pane will appear on the right side of the PowerPoint window. This is where you’ll be able to browse and select the slides you want to add to your main presentation.

Step 3: Browse and Choose the Presentation File

Click on “Browse” and then “Browse File” to select the PowerPoint file you want to merge with your main presentation.

You’ll need to navigate to the location of the PowerPoint file you want to merge. Once you find it, click on it and then click “Open” to bring up the slides in the Reuse Slides pane.

Step 4: Insert the Slides

Click on each slide you want to insert into your main presentation or check “Keep source formatting” and click “Insert All.”

You can select individual slides by clicking on them or insert all the slides from the secondary presentation. If you want to maintain the original design and formatting of the inserted slides, make sure to check “Keep source formatting.”

Step 5: Save Your Merged PowerPoint

Save your newly merged PowerPoint presentation by clicking on “File” and then “Save As.”

After you’ve merged all the slides you need, don’t forget to save your presentation. You can choose to overwrite the original file or save it as a new file with a different name.

After completing these steps, you’ll have a single PowerPoint presentation with slides from different files merged together. Now, you’ll be able to present all your information seamlessly without having to switch between different files.

Tips: Making the Most of Merging Files in PowerPoint

  • Ensure that the presentation you’re adding slides to is saved before you start merging, just in case something goes awry.
  • Use the “Keep source formatting” option if you want to retain the original design of the slides you’re merging. This is especially helpful if they come from a presentation with a different theme or layout.
  • Consider the sequence of the slides. Make sure they are in the order that best supports your presentation’s flow.
  • If you’re merging files from multiple team members, check for consistency in font, size, and color to maintain a professional look.
  • It’s a good idea to review the final presentation to check for any formatting issues or duplications that may have occurred during the merge.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i merge powerpoint presentations with different themes.

To merge presentations with different themes, use the “Keep source formatting” checkbox when inserting the slides. This will preserve the original theme and formatting of the slides being merged.

Can I merge multiple PowerPoint files at once?

While you can’t select multiple files to merge simultaneously, you can repeat the process of merging for each file you want to add to your main presentation.

What happens if I don’t select “Keep source formatting”?

If you don’t select “Keep source formatting,” the inserted slides will adopt the theme and formatting of your main presentation, which might change their original look.

Can I merge specific slides from a presentation?

Yes, you can choose individual slides to merge by clicking on them in the “Reuse Slides” pane instead of selecting “Insert All.”

Will animations and transitions be preserved when merging slides?

Yes, if you check “Keep source formatting,” animations and transitions should be preserved. However, it’s always good to double-check the final presentation.

  • Open your main PowerPoint presentation.
  • Select “Reuse Slides” from the “New Slide” drop-down menu.
  • Browse and choose the PowerPoint file you want to merge.
  • Click on individual slides or “Insert All” to merge.
  • Save your newly merged presentation.

Merging files in PowerPoint is a straightforward process that can save you a ton of time and hassle. Whether you’re pulling together a group project or consolidating your work, knowing how to merge presentations effectively can make you the PowerPoint guru among your peers. Remember to save your work frequently, check for consistency, and review your final presentation for any mishaps that might have occurred during the merging process. With this new skill in your back pocket, you’re ready to tackle any presentation challenge that comes your way. Happy merging!

Matt Jacobs Support Your Tech

Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.

His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.

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How to Combine Multiple PowerPoint Presentations

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Do you have multiple PowerPoint presentations that you need to combine or merge into one presentation? I’ve had to do this myself a couple of times and one of the most important aspects when merging presentations is whether you want to maintain the format and theme of the inserted presentation or have it match the theme of the main presentation. The second most important factor is whether you need to maintain any animations and transitions that might be included in the inserted presentation.

Depending on how you want the inserted slides to appear in the main presentation, you will need to choose between two different methods for joining the presentations. In this article, I’ll mention both methods along with the advantages and disadvantages for each method.

The first method uses the Reuse Slides option in PowerPoint and the second method uses the Insert Object option.

Reuse Slides Method

If you want the inserted slides to match the theme of your main presentation, then you have to use the Reuse Slides option. The inserted slides will simply take the slides exactly as they are in the external presentation and add them to the main presentation.

However, there is one big caveat: none of the animations or transitions will be carried over. Whatever you see on the slide in the normal viewing mode is what will get imported into the main presentation.

If you need to maintain all the animations or transitions, then skip down to the Insert Object method.

To get started with this method, open the main presentation and then click between the two slides you want to import the slides into. It’s worth nothing that this method also lets you pick and choose which slides you want to insert from an external presentation, whereas the Insert Object method will insert the entire presentation.

insert slide

Now click on the Insert menu and then click on the words New Slide  and you’ll see a menu appear. At the very bottom of that menu is an option called Reuse Slides .

reuse slides

When you click on that, a tab will appear on the right hand side. Click on the Browse button and then select Browse File . Check the Keep source formatting  box if you want keep the theme and text formatting of the external presentation.

If you uncheck that box, then when you go to insert the slides into the main presentation, the original formatting will not be kept. Instead the slides will use the theme and formatting of the main presentation.

insert slide from

Select the PowerPoint Presentation you want to insert and then click OK. Immediately, you should see a small thumbnail and the title of each slide displayed.

insert slides from ppt

As you can see above, the second presentation has a different theme than my first presentation. There are a number of things you can do at this point. Firstly, if you just want to insert one slide or a couple of slides from your external presentation, simply click on the slide and it will be inserted!

The formatting will depend on whether you checked the Keep source formatting box like I explained above. As shown below, I inserted just one slide from the external presentation and kept the source formatting.

powerpoint inserted slides

It will be inserted wherever you had clicked earlier with the red line. If you want to insert all the slides, just select the Insert All Slide s option that comes up when you right-click on any of the slides.

Lastly, you can apply the theme used in the external presentation to your main presentation by right-clicking and choosing Apply Theme to All Slides . This will apply the external presentation theme to the main presentation.

As mentioned earlier, you lose all animations, effects, transitions, etc when using this method. Now let’s talk about the other way to merge two presentations.

Insert Object Method

The second method will insert the entire external presentation into one slide as an object. You then have to configure some settings so that when you run your slideshow, it also runs through all the slides in the external presentation.

There are a couple of things that need to be mentioned before we get into how to use this method:

1. When you insert the presentation as an object, it is not a link to the presentation, but an actual full copy into the main presentation. This means that if you open the external presentation later after inserting it into the main presentation and make changes to it, those changes will not be reflected in the imported version inside the main presentation.

2. If you do want to make changes to an already inserted presentation, you can edit it inside the main presentation. Again, those changes are only made to the version inside the main presentation.

In my opinion, this method is better than the Reuse Slides method because it lets you keep all your animations and transitions and it allows you to change or keep the theme of the inserted presentation.

To get started, open the main presentation and then insert a new slide. Make sure to delete any default text boxes or anything else on the new slide so that it is completely blank.

add new slide

Now click on the Insert tab and then click on Object .

insert object into slide

Select the Create from file radio button and click the Browse button. Select the external presentation you want to insert into your main presentation.

insert 2nd powerpoint

You’ll now see the first slide of the presentation inserted as a selectable object. All of the other slides are there, but you just can’t see them.

stretch window to slide

The next step is to move your cursor to the upper left corner of the inserted object until it turns into a double sided arrow. Click and then drag the corner to the upper left corner of the main slide. Now do the same thing with the bottom right corner of the object and drag it to the bottom right corner on the main slide.

Now the inserted object should be the exact same size as the slide that it was inserted onto. You want to do this so that there won’t be any change in the size of the slides when you are playing the presentation.

Once that is setup, we have to configure the second presentation to play when we hit that slide that we inserted the presentation into. To do this, select the object, click on the Animations ribbon, click on Add Animation and then scroll all the way to the bottom where it says OLE Action Verbs .

ole action verbs

Another dialog will pop up and you want to choose Show . If you were to play the presentation at this point, you would notice that when you reach the slide with the inserted presentation, it will show all the slides in the inserted presentation, but it will also include a still slide of the first slide at the front and back of the inserted presentation.

add show action verb

This was kind of annoying to me and luckily you can almost get rid of it. First, click on Animations again and then click on Animation Pane , which will show up at the right.

animation pane

In the Animation Pane, you will see the inserted object listed as Object 1 or Object 2, etc. and when you select it, there will be a small black arrow you can click on. This will bring up a few options and then first one you want to select is Start With Previous .

start with previous

Now when you play the presentation, it won’t show you that still image of the first slide but will actually play the first slide from the external presentation. To get rid of the still image at the end of the presentation, you have to select Effect Options from the menu above and then select Hide After Animation from the After animation dropdown box.

hide after animation

It’s not perfect because it still shows you the empty slide that the inserted presentation was put once before the presentation ends. Luckily, I found a simple hack for this too that works really well. Simply add something to the slide that has the external presentation object like a text box or whatever you like and then right-click on the object and choose Send to Back .

send to back

This will effectively hide the object behind the presentation object. Now when you play your presentation, it will hide the presentation object after the last slide because that is what we chose in the After animation option. When the presentation object is hidden, you’ll see any content that was hidden under it. It’s a great way to avoid having that blank slide show up during the presentation.

One last thing I wanted to mention was about editing the inserted presentation. You can right-click anywhere on the object and choose Presentation Object – Edit to edit any slide in the inserted presentation directly within the main presentation.

edit presentation

Hopefully, this was a detailed enough tutorial for anyone wanting to merge, combine or insert one PowerPoint presentation into another. If you have any questions, feel free to comment. Enjoy!

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How to Merge Two PowerPoint Presentations Together and Maintain the Format

By Anni Martin

Awkward transitions between Microsoft PowerPoint presentations can be a deal breaker. After your own presentation finishes and you sit down, your client can lose interest in what your company has to offer while your colleague’s presentation loads. By combining two presentations into one seamless whole, the transition is smooth and you both look professional. In PowerPoint, you pull together individual presentations using the Reuse Slides feature and maintain original formatting for each presentation. You can also use the Merge feature to compare two presentations and choose what to keep or discard.

Reuse Slides

Open PowerPoint and one of the presentations. In the Slides pane, scroll through your slides and then click where to add the slides from the second presentation.

Click the “Home” tab, click the “New Slide" down arrow and then click “Reuse Slides” to open the Reuse Slides pane.

Click “Open a PowerPoint File” in the Reuse Slides pane.

Browse and select the presentation you want to add to the first presentation and then click “Open.” The slides from the presentation open in the Reuse Slides pane.

Select the “Keep Source Formatting” check box at the bottom of the Reuse Slides pane. Right-click on any of the slides in the Reuse Slides pane. Click “Insert All Slides” to combine slides from the second presentation with the first and maintain the formatting from each presentation. You can also add individual slides by clicking on the slide to add it to the presentation.

Save the combined slides by clicking the “File” tab and then “Save.” If you want to give the combined presentations a different name, click the “File” tab and “Save As.” Type a new filename in the File Name box and click “Save.”

Merge the Documents

Open PowerPoint and one of the presentations. Click the “Review” tab.

Click the “Compare” button in the Compare group. Browse and select the second presentation to combine. Click “Merge.” The presentations merge and the Revisions pane opens to the right of the merged presentations. The Revisions pane shows the differences between the two documents and allows you to accept or reject changes.

Scroll through the Presentation Changes section in the Revisions pane. This area shows slides from the second presentation to add to the first presentation. Click a slide title to display a revision check box. Select the revision check box to accept the proposed revision.

Scroll through the Slide Changes section in the Revisions pane. This area shows the differences between the two slide presentations. Click a slide change in the Slide Changes section to display a revision check box. Select the revision check box to accept the proposed revision.

Click “File” and then click “Save As” to save the presentation once you are done with changes to the two documents. Type a filename and then click “Save” to save the merged documents.

  • Microsoft Office: Reuse (Import) Slides from Another Presentation
  • Microsoft Showcase: Compare and Merge PowerPoint Presentations
  • Missouri State University: Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2010

Translating technical jargon into everyday English is one of Anni Martin’s specialties. She is an educator and writer who spent over 13 years teaching and creating documentation at the University of Missouri. She holds a Master’s Degree in educational technology as well as Bachelor’s degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Missouri.

PresentationTools

How to combine and merge PowerPoint-presentations

combine powerpoint presentations keep formatting

In my work as an AV-technician on conference and events, I receive Powerpoint presentations from speakers that represents different companies. My job is to make sure that these are displayed on the projector/screen at the right moment exactly as they were made. To simplify this task, we made Auto Presentation Switcher (APS) which lets you open and display new presentations using keyboard-shortcuts and network-commands. But you may ask, isn’t this something that can be done from within PowerPoint? How can we merge and switch PowerPoint presentations without using third-party software?

And yes, as it turns out, Powerpoint has methods for combining slides and linking presentations. Today we will show different ways to work with multiple PowerPoint presentations for live events, and focus on 3 methods:

  • Paste and reuse slides
  • Switch presentations with APS
  • Use hyperlinks

After reading this blogpost, you should be a master of combining and merging PowerPoint-presentations. This can solve a lot of problems if you work as an event-producer or AV-technician on live events.

1. Paste and reuse Powerpoint slides

Some event-organizers want to have all the slides from the different speakers in one master-presentation. Then they can control everything from one presentation-clicker, and never exit the presentation during the show.

To create this presentation, you can paste the slides you need into one master-presentation. Or you can use the Reuse Slides method, which is an option in Powerpoint to import multiple slides. When pasting and reusing slides, there is one pitfall that you should be aware of, which can easily be overlooked: By default, if you bring slides from one presentation into another, PowerPoint can automatically make those slides look like the new presentation, by applying the destination theme to them. If you want the pasted slides to look identical to the original, you need to apply the option “Keep Source Formatting”

Pasting and reusing slides on Mac

This video shows how to paste slides and keep source formatting when using Mac:

There is an easier way to import multiple slides: using the “Reuse Slides” method. However, when I tested this for Mac, I couldn’t find a way to keep the source formatting. Notice in the video below that the popup-square for the theme-options doesn’t appear after reusing the slides. So, unless I did something fundamentally wrong here, the “reuse slides” method on Mac can´t be used in my workflow. The reused slides wont be identical to the originals.

Paste and reuse slides on PC

It seems that these things work better on Windows: When I paste slides, the formatting-options appear as an option before the slide is inserted, making it harder to miss: 

Pasting slides in PowerPoint for PC

And when re-using slides, the “keep original formatting” is chosen as the default option: 

This is one example where the PC version of PowerPoint is more developed than the Mac counterpart. If your workflow relies heavily on combining slides from different presentations, I recommend using the Windows version.

2. Use APS to switch between different PowerPoint presentations

The method of pasting and reusing slides takes time, and it’s easy to screw up the formatting. And, if the presentations have different aspect-ratio of let’s say 16:9 and 4:3, then combining the slides becomes more difficult. For these reasons, I think its a good idea to have alternative solutions for working with multiple Powerpoint presentations. One of the reasons we made APS was to solve this problem of quickly and seamlessly displaying content from different presentations. With APS, you don’t need to edit the presentations at all, instead you get shortcuts and network-commands to open and display new presentations. And with the seamless switching method , the audience wont notice the switch: The transitions will look the same as if you progress to the next slide.

3. Link PowerPoint presentations with internal hyperlinks

If you don’t want to use a third-party program like APS to switch presentations, you can try the internal solution presented by Powerpoint: Hyperlinks. This lets you create buttons in a slide that jumps to another presentation. This video shows how it’s done: 

The Hyperlink-button switches seamlessly to the next presentation. When pushing “escape”, you go back to the presentation with the hyperlink. I recently had a discussion on Reddit where the user u/SteveRindsberg explained how he used Hyperlinks to display different Powerpoint presentations: He has one presentation which only consists of one slide with hyperlinks to all the other speaker-presentations. The hyperlink-slide acts as a remote control. To exit the speaker-presentations and return to the hyperlink-slide, he push “escape”. In this setup, the presentation with the hyperlink is always in slideshow-mode but hidden behind the speaker-presentations started from the hyperlink. I think this is a sound method, and a viable alternative to APS. However, in my biased opinion, being the founder of APS, I do want to point out some advantages of using APS compared to using hyperlinks:

  • Easier preparation. With APS you just need to sort the presentations in a folder. Creating a master-slide with the hyperlinks can be more intimidating if you don’t know Powerpoint very well.
  • You get more ways to trigger the command to switch presentations. The commands can be controlled from Companion and Stream Deck, making APS compatible with professional A/V networks. With Hyperlinks you can only start the presentations by pushing the links with the mouse
  • Switching presentations with APS are seamless, whereas with the Hyperlink-method there is no way to avoid displaying the slide with all the hyperlinks. Arguably, you can use a video-switcher to smooth out the transitions, but with APS these things are taken care of within the computer.

Summary: The best way to combine and merge Powerpoint presentations for professional live A/V

In this blogtext we have shown different ways you can merge slides and switch presentations, and if you are a professional A/V technician working with presentations, I think its useful to know all of them:

  • Pasting and reusing slides can be a good solution if you have time to prepare this, and the organizer wants to have all the slides in one presentation
  • APS works great to quickly and seamlessly switch between different presentations with a minimum of preparation
  • Hyperlinks works well if you are experienced with Powerpoint, you like to have a page with links to all your presentations, and you don’t need the seamless transitions between the presentations.

As always, bring different tools to your arsenal, and be prepared for any request the client might have. But before we finish this text I want to repeat one thing: If you decide to paste slides or reuse slides, remember to turn on the setting for Keep Source Formatting. Otherwise the speakers can be in for a surprise when they see the presentation on the projector. 

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Girish M

Let us refer to the section ‘Merge and compare presentations’ in the following link and check if it helps:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/what-s-new-in-powerpoint-2010-HA010336563.aspx

You may also refer to the suggestions in the following thread to protect the contents of the presentation and check:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2010-powerpoint/protect-a-slideshow/f4927c25-97d9-49fa-93d1-58dfb05e0f81    

I hope the above information helps. If you need further assistance, you may reply and I’ll be happy to assist you.

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 Yes you can merge them into one file by the method already suggested click on  the drop down arrow  on New Slides in the Home tab then click on reuse slides. This will then open up a pane and from here you can easily incorporate all your other slides into the presentation you are viewing. You can keep the existing formats or have the incorporated  slides to adopt the formatting of the host presentation the easy to follow instructions are all in the pane when you right click on the slides in the pane, if you want your slide to keep it's formatting before being incorporated click the check box at the bottom of the pane.  Just take your time an read the instructions carefully should you decide to do it. They will keep all their existing attributes. As for security PPT is not like Excel where you have a whole raft of security measures. The best way is don't let them near your slide show or make it clear they are not to  be altered. You can add a pass word to the file you create from the merged presentation.  When you click File and then save as, Give your file a name and decide where your going to store it, don't save yet, then next to the save button it says tools, click the drop down arrow and click on general options this will open a box where you can apply a pass word to open the file and you can also apply a pass word to modify, this may stop alterations it does in Word docs.  If you forget the passwords you file is gone for ever.

I just want to merge two presentations with different masters (2010,) but can only find info on merge/compare. How do I do former?

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combine powerpoint presentations keep formatting

Reuse (import) slides from another presentation

You can add one or more slides to your presentation from another, without having to open the other file.

(By default, a copied slide inherits the design of the slide you're inserting it after in the destination presentation. However, you can choose to keep the formatting of the slide you're copying instead.)

When you import a slide from one presentation to another, it is simply a copy of the original. Changes you make to the copy do not affect the original slide in the other presentation. 

Open the presentation that you want to add a slide to.

In the slide thumbnail pane on the left, click where you want to add a slide.

The red horizontal line indicates where the new slide or slides will be inserted.

On the Home tab of the ribbon, in the Slides group, click the arrow below New Slide , and then select Reuse Slides .

combine powerpoint presentations keep formatting

In the Reuse Slides pane, click Open a PowerPoint File .

Browse to locate a presentation

In the Browse dialog box, locate and click the presentation file that contains the slide that you want, and then click Open .

If you want the slide that you are adding to the destination presentation to maintain the formatting of the original presentation, select the Keep source formatting check box before you add the slide to the destination presentation. (When this check box is not selected, the copied slides inherit the styling of the slide they're inserted after.) Then, in the Reuse Slides pane, do one of the following:

To add a single slide, click the slide.

To add all of the slides, right-click any slide, and then select Insert All Slides .

Select the "Keep Source Formatting" option if you want the inserted slides to maintain the styling used in the original presentation.

Open an existing presentation or create a new presentation that you want to insert slides into.

In Normal view, in the navigation pane, click the slide that you want to insert the other slides after.

On the Home tab, under Slides , click the arrow next to New Slide , and then click Reuse Slides .

The New Slide menu includes a Reuse Slides command.

In the dialog box, find the presentation that you want to insert, and select it. Click OK .

Note:  In PowerPoint for the web, you can insert reused slides from other presentations only one at a time.

Open the presentation that you want to insert slides to.

In the slide thumbnail pane on the left, click the slide you want to add slide after.

Select Reuse slides

Import slides from another presentation to the current one

In the thumbnail pane on the left, select the slide after which you want to insert the imported slides.

On the Home tab, select Reuse Slides .

The Reuse Slides button

The Reuse Slides pane opens on the right. Your recent presentations are shown.

Select a presentation from the list to see the individual slides in it.

Click a slide thumbnail to copy it into the current presentation.

By default, an imported slide keeps the colors and formatting of the presentation it comes from.

When you're done importing slides from the selected presentation, you can close the pane or search for other slides to import.

The Reuse Slides pane has a Search box at the top

More details

A search box at the top of the Reuse Slides pane lets you search for any presentation, whether it's stored on your computer's hard drive or on SharePoint or OneDrive for work or school.

A Browse button under the search box lets you explore your folders for what you want.

By default, a slide you import keeps the formatting of the presentation it comes from. But three formatting options are available. When a slide is inserted, it appears in the thumbnail pane on the left and a (Ctrl) pop-up menu appears on the thumbnail. Click it to see three Paste options:

Copy and paste your slides

Use Slide Libraries to share and reuse PowerPoint slides

Add, rearrange, duplicate, and delete slides in PowerPoint

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Keep source formatting with copy-paste between presentations in Powerpoint (Work arounds)

Basic question:.

In Powerpoint, when copying slides from one presentation to another how can I maintain the source background, colors, and other formatting?

Traditional Answer:

When things are working right:

  • Get both presentations into the same view (e.g. Normal vs. slide sorter)
  • Highlight the slides in the source presentation and drag or Copy/Paste to the desired location in the destination presentation.
  • By default, it will adopt the corresponding styles from the destination template (specifically, that of the slide just before the paste destination)
  • In the small floating Copy/paste drop-down menu, select "Keep Source Formatting"

This will keep the source formatting and add the corresponding template of master slides to the destination presentation.

Question here is: What if that doesn't work?

Example: in the latest version of Powerpoint 2016 under Mac OSX (16.17 (180909)), selecting "Keep source formatting" does not make any changes. Instead, the check mark never moves, and the format is stuck with the undesired destination formatting.

  • microsoft-powerpoint

Community's user avatar

Work around:

  • Open the Master view in each presentation
  • Select the top (larger) master slide from the source and copy it to the end of the list of master slides in the destination. This will copy not just one slide format, but the full template of slide formats as an alternate template in the destination. Existing slides there will not change
  • Return both to normal view
  • Copy slides to destination, attempt to use the drop down to select "Use destination formatting." Chances are this won't work or you wouldn't be reading this part so...
  • For the newly copied slides, select the Layout button from the Home ribbon and scroll down till you see the source template and select the correct slide type.

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combine powerpoint presentations keep formatting

COMMENTS

  1. How to Combine PowerPoint Presentations

    Click the "Browse" button to locate the PowerPoint presentation file that you want to merge into your open file. Locate your second PowerPoint file and then click the "Open" button to insert it. A list of slides from your second presentation will appear in the "Reuse Slides" menu on the right. First, you'll need to decide on the formatting for ...

  2. How to Combine PowerPoint Presentations With Different Templates

    3. Click the "Browse" button in the Reuse Slides pane and then click "Browse File" to bring up a list of your files in a dialog box. Click the PowerPoint file that contains the different ...

  3. How to Combine PowerPoint PPT Presentation Files Quickly

    To use Compare and Combine, open the presentation that you want to merge slides into. Then, find the Review tab on PowerPoint's ribbon and open it up. In the Compare group, find and click on the Compare button. Go to Review > Compare to begin the process of merging two PPT slide decks together.

  4. How to Combine PowerPoints: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Here's how you do it: 1. Open the target presentation: Launch PowerPoint and open the presentation where you want to include slides from another presentation. 2. Access the "Reuse Slides" pane: Go to the "Home" tab in the ribbon. Click on the "New Slide" button and select "Reuse Slides" from the dropdown menu. 3.

  5. 3 Ways to Combine Multiple PowerPoint Presentation Files

    How to use: 1.Open the main presentation in which you want to insert another presentation. 2.Decide the two slides between which you want to insert the new slides and click between them. 3. A red line will appear. 4.Click on the ' Insert ' menu. 5.Open the drop-down menu by clicking on ' New Slide '.

  6. How To Combine PowerPoints? Detailed Guide

    Follow the below steps to learn how to combine multiple powerpoints into one: Open MS PowerPoint and the main presentation. In the "Text" group, Select the 'Object' option. The 'Insert Object' dialog box will appear. Choose the 'Create from file' option there. Click "Browse" and select the slide you want to add.

  7. How to Combine Multiple PowerPoint Presentations

    To get started, open the main presentation and then insert a new slide. Make sure to delete any default text boxes or anything else on the new slide so that it is completely blank. Now click on the Insert tab and then click on Object. Select the Create from file radio button and click the Browse button.

  8. How to Merge PowerPoints

    It's easy to merge your PowerPoint presentations. In your primary PowerPoint: Home > New Slide > Reuse Slides > Browse. In your secondary PowerPoint: Open. Right-click individual slides and choose Insert Slide, or select Insert All Slides. This article explains how to combine two or more PowerPoint presentations into one presentation.

  9. How to Combine PowerPoints: Merging and Reusing Slides

    Click a slide to add to your PowerPoint. If you want to select multiple slides, hold Shift as you click the other slides or right-click the empty space and click Select All. If you want the slide(s) to maintain the original design theme and formatting, check the box next to Keep source formatting.

  10. How to Combine Multiple PowerPoints into One

    Go to the place in the presentation where you want the new content to appear. Choose which slides you want to add and add them one by one by clicking Insert Slide. You can also add the whole presentation by clicking on Insert All. Pro tip: We recommend that you keep the "Use source formatting" checkbox checked.

  11. How to Merge Files in Powerpoint: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Step 3: Browse and Choose the Presentation File. Click on "Browse" and then "Browse File" to select the PowerPoint file you want to merge with your main presentation. You'll need to navigate to the location of the PowerPoint file you want to merge. Once you find it, click on it and then click "Open" to bring up the slides in the ...

  12. Merge PowerPoint Presentations

    In this video I demonstrate how to combine or merge two PowerPoint presentations, (the same method can be used to combine any number of slide decks). When ...

  13. How to Combine Multiple PowerPoint Presentations

    When you click on that, a tab will appear on the right hand side. Click on the Browse button and then select Browse File.Check the Keep source formatting box if you want keep the theme and text formatting of the external presentation.. If you uncheck that box, then when you go to insert the slides into the main presentation, the original formatting will not be kept.

  14. How to merge multiple PowerPoint Presentations into one

    Browse to select the file that you want to merge. Then click on the arrow button. It will reveal all the sides available on that slide. Click on the slide you want to insert, and it will instantly ...

  15. How to Merge Two PowerPoint Presentations Together and Maintain the Format

    Open PowerPoint and one of the presentations. Click the "Review" tab. Click the "Compare" button in the Compare group. Browse and select the second presentation to combine. Click "Merge.". The presentations merge and the Revisions pane opens to the right of the merged presentations. The Revisions pane shows the differences between ...

  16. How to merge slides and keep formatting consistent?

    First replace the required font using replace font tool and save it as seperate file. Start copying entire slide from the font changed file and paste it, then select use destination theme (or as per you requirement) If that doen't work good copy the element and paste it as keep source formatting it would be easy.

  17. How to combine and merge PowerPoint-presentations

    2. Use APS to switch between different PowerPoint presentations. The method of pasting and reusing slides takes time, and it's easy to screw up the formatting. And, if the presentations have different aspect-ratio of let's say 16:9 and 4:3, then combining the slides becomes more difficult.

  18. Need to merge multiple Power Point Presentation files in to one

    Hi. Yes you can merge them into one file by the method already suggested click on the drop down arrow on New Slides in the Home tab then click on reuse slides. This will then open up a pane and from here you can easily incorporate all your other slides into the presentation you are viewing.

  19. Reuse (import) slides from another presentation

    Open the presentation that you want to add a slide to. In the slide thumbnail pane on the left, click where you want to add a slide. On the Home tab of the ribbon, in the Slides group, click the arrow below New Slide, and then select Reuse Slides. In the Reuse Slides pane, click Open a PowerPoint File. In the Browse dialog box, locate and click ...

  20. How To Merge Slides in PowerPoint and Why It's Useful

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