How to Create PowerPoint (PPT & PPTX) Documents in Python

Creating PowerPoint presentations programmatically can save time and enhance efficiency in generating reports, slideshows, and other visual presentations. By automating the process, you can focus on content and design rather than manual formatting.

In this tutorial, we will explore how to create PowerPoint documents in Python using Spire.Presentation for Python. This powerful tool allows developers to manipulate and generate PPT and PPTX files seamlessly.

Table of Contents:

• Python Library to Work with PowerPoint Files
• Installing Spire.Presentation for Python
• Creating a PowerPoint Document from Scratch
  • Generate and Save a Blank Presentation
  • Add Basic Elements to Your Slides
  • Apply a Background Image or Color
• Creating PowerPoint Documents Based on a Template
• Best Practices for Python PowerPoint Generation
• Wrap Up
• FAQs

1. Python Library to Work with PowerPoint Files

Spire.Presentation is a robust library for creating, reading, and modifying PowerPoint files in Python , without requiring Microsoft Office. This library supports a wide range of features, including:

• Create PowerPoint documents from scratch or templates.
• Add text, images, lists, tables, charts, and shapes.
• Customize fonts, colors, backgrounds, and layouts.
• Save as or export to PPT, PPTX, PDF, or images.

In the following sections, we will walk through the steps to install the library, create presentations, and add various elements to your slides.

2. Installing Spire.Presentation for Python

To get started, you need to install the Spire.Presentation library. You can install it using pip:

pip install spire.presentation

Once installed, you can begin utilizing its features in your Python scripts to create PowerPoint documents.

3. Creating a PowerPoint Document from Scratch

3.1 Generate and Save a Blank Presentation

Let's start by creating a basic PowerPoint presentation from scratch. The following code snippet demonstrates how to generate and save a blank presentation:

from spire.presentation.common import *
from spire.presentation import *

# Create a Presentation object
presentation = Presentation()

# Set the slide size type
presentation.SlideSize.Type = SlideSizeType.Screen16x9

# Add a slide (there is one slide in the document by default)
presentation.Slides.Append()

# Save the document as a PPT or PPTX file
presentation.SaveToFile("BlankPowerPoint.pptx", FileFormat.Pptx2019)
presentation.Dispose()

In this code:

• Presentation : Root class representing the PowerPoint file.
• SlideSize.Type : Sets the slide dimensions (e.g., SlideSizeType.Screen16x9 for widescreen).
• Slides.Append() : Adds a new slide to the presentation. By default, a presentation starts with one slide.
• SaveToFile() : Saves the presentation to the specified file format (PPTX in this case).

3.2 Add Basic Elements to Your Slides

Now that we have a blank presentation, let's add some basic elements like text, images, lists, and tables.

Add Formatted Text

To add formatted text, we can use the following code:

# Get the first slide
first_slide = presentation.Slides[0]

# Add a shape to the slide
rect = RectangleF.FromLTRB (30, 60, 900, 150)
shape = first_slide.Shapes.AppendShape(ShapeType.Rectangle, rect)
shape.ShapeStyle.LineColor.Color = Color.get_Transparent()
shape.Fill.FillType = FillFormatType.none

# Add text to the shape
shape.AppendTextFrame("This guide demonstrates how to create a PowerPoint document using Python.")

# Get text of the shape as a text range
textRange = shape.TextFrame.TextRange

# Set font name, style (bold & italic), size and color
textRange.LatinFont = TextFont("Times New Roman")
textRange.IsBold = TriState.TTrue
textRange.FontHeight = 32
textRange.Fill.FillType = FillFormatType.Solid
textRange.Fill.SolidColor.Color = Color.get_Black()

# Set alignment
textRange.Paragraph.Alignment = TextAlignmentType.Left

In this code:

• AppendShape() : Adds a shape to the slide. We create a rectangle shape that will house our text.
• AppendTextFrame() : Adds a text frame to the shape, allowing us to insert text into it.
• TextFrame.TextRange : Accesses the text range of the shape, enabling further customization such as font style, size, and color.
• Paragraph.Alignment : Sets the alignment of the text within the shape.

Add an Image

To include an image in your presentation, use the following code snippet:

# Get the first slide
first_slide = presentation.Slides[0]

# Load an image file
imageFile = "C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\logo.png"
stream = Stream(imageFile)
imageData = presentation.Images.AppendStream(stream)

# Reset size
width = imageData.Width * 0.6
height = imageData.Height * 0.6

# Append it to the slide
rect = RectangleF.FromLTRB (750, 50, 750 + width, 50 + height)
image = first_slide.Shapes.AppendEmbedImageByImageData(ShapeType.Rectangle, imageData, rect)
image.Line.FillType = FillFormatType.none

In this code:

• Stream() : Creates a stream from the specified image file path.
• AppendStream() : Appends the image data to the presentation's image collection.
• AppendEmbedImageByImageData() : Adds the image to the slide at the specified rectangle coordinates.

You may also like: Insert Shapes in PowerPoint in Python

Add a List

To add a bulleted list to your slide, we can use:

# Get the first slide
first_slide = presentation.Slides[0]

# Specify list bounds and content
listBounds = RectangleF.FromLTRB(30, 150, 500, 350)
listContent = [
    " Step 1. Install Spire.Presentation for Python.",
    " Step 2. Create a Presentation object.",
    " Step 3. Add text, images, etc. to slides.",
    " Step 5. Set a background image or color.",
    " Step 6. Save the presentation to a PPT(X) file."
]

# Add a shape
autoShape = first_slide.Shapes.AppendShape(ShapeType.Rectangle, listBounds)
autoShape.TextFrame.Paragraphs.Clear()
autoShape.Fill.FillType = FillFormatType.none
autoShape.Line.FillType = FillFormatType.none

for content in listContent:
    # Create paragraphs based on the list content and add them to the shape
    paragraph = TextParagraph()
    autoShape.TextFrame.Paragraphs.Append(paragraph)
    paragraph.Text = content
    paragraph.TextRanges[0].Fill.FillType = FillFormatType.Solid
    paragraph.TextRanges[0].Fill.SolidColor.Color = Color.get_Black()
    paragraph.TextRanges[0].FontHeight = 20
    paragraph.TextRanges[0].LatinFont = TextFont("Arial")

    # Set the bullet type for these paragraphs
    paragraph.BulletType = TextBulletType.Symbol

    # Set line spacing
    paragraph.LineSpacing = 150

In this code:

• AppendShape() : Creates a rectangle shape for the list.
• TextFrame.Paragraphs.Append() : Adds paragraphs for each list item.
• BulletType : Sets the bullet style for the list items.

Add a Table

To include a table, you can use the following:

# Get the first slide
first_slide = presentation.Slides[0]

# Define table dimensions and data
widths = [200, 200, 200]
heights = [18, 18, 18, 18]
dataStr = [
    ["Slide Number", "Title", "Content Type"], 
    ["1", "Introduction", "Text/Image"], 
    ["2", "Project Overview", "Chart/Graph"],  
    ["3", "Key Findings", "Text/List"]
]

# Add table to the slide
table = first_slide.Shapes.AppendTable(30, 360, widths, heights)

# Fill table with data and apply formatting
for rowNum, rowData in enumerate(dataStr):
    for colNum, cellData in enumerate(rowData):  
        cell = table[colNum, rowNum]
        cell.TextFrame.Text = cellData
        
        textRange = cell.TextFrame.Paragraphs[0].TextRanges[0]
        textRange.LatinFont = TextFont("Times New Roman")
        textRange.FontHeight = 20
        
        cell.TextFrame.Paragraphs[0].Alignment = TextAlignmentType.Center

# Apply a built-in table style
table.StylePreset = TableStylePreset.MediumStyle2Accent1

In this code:

• AppendTable() : Adds a table to the slide at specified coordinates with defined widths and heights for columns and rows.
• Cell.TextFrame.Text : Sets the text for each cell in the table.
• StylePreset : Applies a predefined style to the table for enhanced aesthetics.

3.3 Apply a Background Image or Color

To set a custom background for your slide, use the following code:

# Get the first slide
first_slide = presentation.Slides[0]

# Get the background of the first slide
background = first_slide.SlideBackground

# Create a stream from the specified image file
stream = Stream("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\background.jpg")
imageData = presentation.Images.AppendStream(stream)

# Set the image as the background 
background.Type = BackgroundType.Custom
background.Fill.FillType = FillFormatType.Picture
background.Fill.PictureFill.FillType = PictureFillType.Stretch
background.Fill.PictureFill.Picture.EmbedImage = imageData

In this code:

• SlideBackground : Accesses the background properties of the slide.
• Fill.FillType : Specifies the type of fill (in this case, an image).
• PictureFill.FillType : Sets how the background image is displayed (stretched, in this case).
• Picture.EmbedImage : Sets image data for the background.

For additional background options, refer to this tutorial: Set Background Color or Picture for PowerPoint Slides in Python

Output:

Below is a screenshot of the PowerPoint document generated by the code snippets provided above.

4. Creating PowerPoint Documents Based on a Template

Using templates can simplify the process of creating presentations by allowing you to replace placeholders with actual data. Below is an example of how to create a PowerPoint document based on a template:

from spire.presentation.common import *
from spire.presentation import *

# Create a Presentation object
presentation = Presentation()

# Load a PowerPoint document from a specified file path
presentation.LoadFromFile("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\template.pptx")

# Get a specific slide from the presentation
slide = presentation.Slides[0]

# Define a list of replacements where each tuple consists of the placeholder and its corresponding replacement text
replacements = [
    ("{project_name}", "GreenCity Solar Initiative"),
    ("{budget}", "$1,250,000"),
    ("{status}", "In Progress (65% Completion)"),
    ("{start_date}", "March 15, 2023"),
    ("{end_date}", "November 30, 2024"),
    ("{manager}", "Emily Carter"),
    ("{client}", "GreenCity Municipal Government")
]

# Iterate through each replacement pair
for old_string, new_string in replacements:

    # Replace the first occurrence of the old string in the slide with the new string
    slide.ReplaceFirstText(old_string, new_string, False)

# Save the modified presentation to a new file
presentation.SaveToFile("Template-Based.pptx", FileFormat.Pptx2019)
presentation.Dispose()

In this code:

• LoadFromFile() : Loads an existing PowerPoint file that serves as the template.
• ReplaceFirstText() : Replaces placeholders within the slide with actual values. This is useful for dynamic content generation.
• SaveToFile() : Saves the modified presentation as a new file.

Output:

5. Best Practices for Python PowerPoint Generation

When creating PowerPoint presentations using Python, consider the following best practices:

• Maintain Consistency : Ensure that the formatting (fonts, colors, styles) is consistent across slides for a professional appearance.
• Modular Code: Break document generation into functions (e.g., add_list(), insert_image()) for reusability.
• Optimize Images : Resize and compress images before adding them to presentations to reduce file size and improve loading times.
• Use Templates : Whenever possible, use templates to save time and maintain a cohesive design.
• Test Your Code : Always test your presentation generation code to ensure that all elements are added correctly and appear as expected.

6. Wrap Up

In this tutorial, we explored how to create PowerPoint documents in Python using the Spire.Presentation library. We covered the installation, creation of presentations from scratch, adding various elements, and using templates for dynamic content generation. With these skills, you can automate the creation of presentations, making your workflow more efficient and effective.

7. FAQs

Q1. What is Spire.Presentation?

Spire.Presentation is a powerful library used for creating, reading, and modifying PowerPoint files in various programming languages, including Python.

Q2. Does this library require Microsoft Office to be installed?

No, Spire.Presentation operates independently and does not require Microsoft Office.

Q3. Can I customize the layout of slides in my presentation?

Yes, you can customize the layout of each slide by adjusting properties such as size, background, and the placement of shapes, text, and images.

Q4. Does Spire.Presentation support both PPT and PPTX format?

Yes, Spire.Presentation supports both PPT and PPTX formats, allowing you to create and manipulate presentations in either format.

Q5. Can I add charts to my presentations?

Yes, Spire.Presentation supports the addition of charts to your slides, allowing you to visualize data effectively. For detailed instruction, refer to: How to Create Column Charts in PowerPoint Using Python

Get a Free License

To fully experience the capabilities of Spire.Presentation for Python without any evaluation limitations, you can request a free 30-day trial license.