PPTX creation, editing, and analysis

Overview

A user may ask you to create, edit, or analyze the contents of a .pptx file. A .pptx file is essentially a ZIP archive containing XML files and other resources that you can read or edit. You have different tools and workflows available for different tasks.

Reading and analyzing content

Text extraction

If you just need to read the text contents of a presentation, you should convert the document to markdown:

# Convert document to markdown
python -m markitdown path-to-file.pptx

Raw XML access

You need raw XML access for: comments, speaker notes, slide layouts, animations, design elements, and complex formatting. For any of these features, you'll need to unpack a presentation and read its raw XML contents.

Unpacking a file

python ooxml/scripts/unpack.py <office_file> <output_dir>

Note: The unpack.py script is located at skills/pptx/ooxml/scripts/unpack.py relative to the project root. If the script doesn't exist at this path, use find . -name "unpack.py" to locate it.

Key file structures

• ppt/presentation.xml - Main presentation metadata and slide references
• ppt/slides/slide{N}.xml - Individual slide contents (slide1.xml, slide2.xml, etc.)
• ppt/notesSlides/notesSlide{N}.xml - Speaker notes for each slide
• ppt/comments/modernComment_*.xml - Comments for specific slides
• ppt/slideLayouts/ - Layout templates for slides
• ppt/slideMasters/ - Master slide templates
• ppt/theme/ - Theme and styling information
• ppt/media/ - Images and other media files

Typography and color extraction

When given an example design to emulate: Always analyze the presentation's typography and colors first using the methods below:

1. Read theme file: Check ppt/theme/theme1.xml for colors (<a:clrScheme>) and fonts (<a:fontScheme>)
2. Sample slide content: Examine ppt/slides/slide1.xml for actual font usage (<a:rPr>) and colors
3. Search for patterns: Use grep to find color (<a:solidFill>, <a:srgbClr>) and font references across all XML files

Creating a new PowerPoint presentation without a template

When creating a new PowerPoint presentation from scratch, use the html2pptx workflow to convert HTML slides to PowerPoint with accurate positioning.

Design Principles

CRITICAL: Before creating any presentation, analyze the content and choose appropriate design elements:

1. Consider the subject matter: What is this presentation about? What tone, industry, or mood does it suggest?
2. Check for branding: If the user mentions a company/organization, consider their brand colors and identity
3. Match palette to content: Select colors that reflect the subject
4. State your approach: Explain your design choices before writing code

Requirements:

• ✅ State your content-informed design approach BEFORE writing code
• ✅ Use web-safe fonts only: Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Georgia, Courier New, Verdana, Tahoma, Trebuchet MS, Impact
• ✅ Create clear visual hierarchy through size, weight, and color
• ✅ Ensure readability: strong contrast, appropriately sized text, clean alignment
• ✅ Be consistent: repeat patterns, spacing, and visual language across slides

Color Palette Selection

Choosing colors creatively:

• Think beyond defaults: What colors genuinely match this specific topic? Avoid autopilot choices.
• Consider multiple angles: Topic, industry, mood, energy level, target audience, brand identity (if mentioned)
• Be adventurous: Try unexpected combinations - a healthcare presentation doesn't have to be green, finance doesn't have to be navy
• Build your palette: Pick 3-5 colors that work together (dominant colors + supporting tones + accent)
• Ensure contrast: Text must be clearly readable on backgrounds

Example color palettes (use these to spark creativity - choose one, adapt it, or create your own):

1. Classic Blue: Deep navy (#1C2833), slate gray (#2E4053), silver (#AAB7B8), off-white (#F4F6F6)
2. Teal & Coral: Teal (#5EA8A7), deep teal (#277884), coral (#FE4447), white (#FFFFFF)
3. Bold Red: Red (#C0392B), bright red (#E74C3C), orange (#F39C12), yellow (#F1C40F), green (#2ECC71)
4. Warm Blush: Mauve (#A49393), blush (#EED6D3), rose (#E8B4B8), cream (#FAF7F2)
5. Burgundy Luxury: Burgundy (#5D1D2E), crimson (#951233), rust (#C15937), gold (#997929)
6. Deep Purple & Emerald: Purple (#B165FB), dark blue (#181B24), emerald (#40695B), white (#FFFFFF)
7. Cream & Forest Green: Cream (#FFE1C7), forest green (#40695B), white (#FCFCFC)
8. Pink & Purple: Pink (#F8275B), coral (#FF574A), rose (#FF737D), purple (#3D2F68)
9. Lime & Plum: Lime (#C5DE82), plum (#7C3A5F), coral (#FD8C6E), blue-gray (#98ACB5)
10. Black & Gold: Gold (#BF9A4A), black (#000000), cream (#F4F6F6)
11. Sage & Terracotta: Sage (#87A96B), terracotta (#E07A5F), cream (#F4F1DE), charcoal (#2C2C2C)
12. Charcoal & Red: Charcoal (#292929), red (#E33737), light gray (#CCCBCB)
13. Vibrant Orange: Orange (#F96D00), light gray (#F2F2F2), charcoal (#222831)
14. Forest Green: Black (#191A19), green (#4E9F3D), dark green (#1E5128), white (#FFFFFF)
15. Retro Rainbow: Purple (#722880), pink (#D72D51), orange (#EB5C18), amber (#F08800), gold (#DEB600)
16. Vintage Earthy: Mustard (#E3B448), sage (#CBD18F), forest green (#3A6B35), cream (#F4F1DE)
17. Coastal Rose: Old rose (#AD7670), beaver (#B49886), eggshell (#F3ECDC), ash gray (#BFD5BE)
18. Orange & Turquoise: Light orange (#FC993E), grayish turquoise (#667C6F), white (#FCFCFC)

Visual Details Options

Geometric Patterns:

• Diagonal section dividers instead of horizontal
• Asymmetric column widths (30/70, 40/60, 25/75)
• Rotated text headers at 90° or 270°
• Circular/hexagonal frames for images
• Triangular accent shapes in corners
• Overlapping shapes for depth

Border & Frame Treatments:

• Thick single-color borders (10-20pt) on one side only
• Double-line borders with contrasting colors
• Corner brackets instead of full frames
• L-shaped borders (top+left or bottom+right)
• Underline accents beneath headers (3-5pt thick)

Typography Treatments:

• Extreme size contrast (72pt headlines vs 11pt body)
• All-caps headers with wide letter spacing
• Numbered sections in oversized display type
• Monospace (Courier New) for data/stats/technical content
• Condensed fonts (Arial Narrow) for dense information
• Outlined text for emphasis

Chart & Data Styling:

• Monochrome charts with single accent color for key data
• Horizontal bar charts instead of vertical
• Dot plots instead of bar charts
• Minimal gridlines or none at all
• Data labels directly on elements (no legends)
• Oversized numbers for key metrics

Layout Innovations:

• Full-bleed images with text overlays
• Sidebar column (20-30% width) for navigation/context
• Modular grid systems (3×3, 4×4 blocks)
• Z-pattern or F-pattern content flow
• Floating text boxes over colored shapes
• Magazine-style multi-column layouts

Background Treatments:

• Solid color blocks occupying 40-60% of slide
• Gradient fills (vertical or diagonal only)
• Split backgrounds (two colors, diagonal or vertical)
• Edge-to-edge color bands
• Negative space as a design element

Layout Tips

When creating slides with charts or tables:

• Two-column layout (PREFERRED): Use a header spanning the full width, then two columns below - text/bullets in one column and the featured content in the other. This provides better balance and makes charts/tables more readable. Use flexbox with unequal column widths (e.g., 40%/60% split) to optimize space for each content type.
• Full-slide layout: Let the featured content (chart/table) take up the entire slide for maximum impact and readability
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