You’ve created the perfect PowerPoint presentation, only for it to look terrible when it’s opened by someone who doesn’t have the same fonts. Now your slides can look perfect on any device. We’ll show you how.
If you’ve ever opened a PowerPoint presentation on another computer only to find the fonts have changed, you’re not alone. Missing fonts can disrupt your presentation’s design, alter layouts, and make slides look unprofessional.
The easiest way to avoid this is by embedding your them directly into your PowerPoint file. When fonts are embedded, they’re stored inside the .pptx file, ensuring your presentation displays exactly as intended—even on devices where those fonts aren’t installed.
How to Embed Fonts in PowerPoint
The process is quick and slightly different depending on whether you’re using Windows or Mac:
On Windows
- Open your presentation and select File.
- Click Options at the bottom of the left-hand menu.
- Select Save from the sidebar.
- Scroll down to Preserve fidelity when sharing this presentation.
- Tick Embed fonts in the file.
- Choose Embed all characters (best for editing by others).
- Click OK, then save your presentation.
On Mac
- Open your presentation and select PowerPoint from the menu bar.
- Click Preferences (or press ⌘ + ,).
- Under Output and Sharing, select Save.
- In the Font Embedding section, tick Embed fonts in the file.
- Select Embed all characters.
- Close the Preferences window and save your presentation.
Things to Keep in Mind
Before embedding fonts, there are a few important considerations:
Font Licensing
Not every font can be embedded. Some commercial or proprietary ones have licensing restrictions that prevent embedding. If this happens, PowerPoint will display a warning when you save the presentation.
File Size
Embedding fonts increases the size of your PowerPoint file, particularly if you choose to embed all characters. While the increase is usually modest, it’s worth considering if you’re sharing presentations by email or uploading them online.
Supported Font Types
PowerPoint supports embedding TrueType (.ttf) and OpenType (.otf) fonts. Older font formats, such as PostScript Type 1, cannot be embedded.
Final Thoughts
Embedding fonts is one of the simplest ways to ensure your PowerPoint presentation looks consistent across different computers and operating systems. It only takes a few moments to enable and can save you from unexpected formatting issues when presenting or sharing your slides.
We regularly update the Tech Tips with new articles and advice from the IT West team so be sure to check back for the latest technical tips, tricks and guidance from our team of business IT experts.