Google Slides is a fantastic alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint that allows you to create high-quality presentations and collaborate with others. It is easy to use, free, and offers users a cloud-based solution for their presentation needs.

However, slides have some disadvantages. For example, in PowerPoint users can easily import PDF files to be part of your presentation platform. However, when Slides users want to include a PDF, they hit a brick wall. Slides has a Insert menu but cannot handle common external file types like PDF. Fortunately, there are some solutions that will allow you to get the information you need in your Slides presentation. This article will explain how you can quickly and easily insert a PDF into your Google Slides presentation.

How to insert a PDF into Google Slides

You can’t insert a PDF directly into Google Slides, but you can insert image files and link those image files to online resources. It’s not the most elegant solution, but it gets the job done.

That being said, let’s take a look at the methods you can use to insert a PDF into your Google Slides presentation.

Convert PDF to JPG

There are many programs and web services that allow you to convert PDF files to JPG, including TinyWow. PDF to JPG conversion tool. All you need is the PDF file you want to add to your presentation. Follow these easy steps to get started:

1. Visit TinyWow free conversion tool and select Upload from PC or Mobile or drag files.

   

   • Select the PDF file you want to convert, if you chose that option.

     

2. Click Download file.
   
   

3. The JPG will appear in your browser. Right click on it and select “Save Image As…” to save it to your local drive.

   

Now that you’ve converted your PDF to JPG, let’s see how to insert these images into your presentation.

Embed a PDF in Google Slides as screenshots

The first method is to take a screenshot of each page of the PDF. Follow these steps to use this method:

1. If you are using Windows, open the “Snipping tool.” If you are on Mac, open “Grab.”
   

2. Use the Crop tool either Grab to take screenshots of each page and save them as JPG images.
   
   

3. Open a presentation in Google Slides and select where you want to add the PDF.

   

4. Select “Insert > Image”.
   

5. Select the JPG you want to upload and drag it to the new window.
   

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each image file you want to use.

This method can be time-consuming, but it is the easiest way to add a PDF to your Google Slides presentation.

Embed a PDF in Google Slides as an image with a link

You can then simply add the first page of your PDF with a link to the online version.

Follow these steps to do this:

1. If you are using Windows, open the Crop tool. If you are on Mac, open Grab.
   

2. Use the Crop tool either Grab take a screenshot of the first page of the PDF, or a representative image, and save it as a JPG image.
   

3. Open a presentation in Google Slides and select where you want to add the PDF.
   
4. Select “Insert > Image”.
   

5. Select the image in the Slides document.
   
6. Select “Insert” and then “Link.”
   

7. Add the URL where you can access the PDF.
   

As long as the PDF file is accessible to those you are presenting to, it will be available both at the time of the presentation and later if you send the slideshow.

This is definitely the easiest method available, but it could affect the flow of your presentation as you will have to switch to a web browser to view it.

Insert a PDF into a PowerPoint presentation

If you decide that this method is too crude or too complicated, you can always use PowerPoint. While it costs money, most new Windows computers come with a copy of Office, even if it’s just a trial. Although Google Slides is a great free alternative, PowerPoint is still the gold standard for creating high-quality presentations.

Here’s how to insert a PDF into a PowerPoint presentation:

1. Open your PDF document and leave it open on your desktop.
   
2. Open your PowerPoint presentation and select the area where you want to insert the PDF.
   
3. Select “Insert > Images”.
   
4. Select “Screenshot” and the icon of your PDF in the list of available Windows.
   
5. Select “Screen snip” and drag and drop the cursor to select a section of the file to appear on the slide. Press “Escape” when I finish.
   

This works similarly to Google Sheets but inserts the entire PDF file behind the image. It is a more viable method as the PDF file does not need to be available separately. Instead, it’s embedded in your PowerPoint document.

You can also insert a PDF into a PowerPoint presentation as an object. This time you need to make sure that the PDF file is not open on your computer:

1. Open your PowerPoint presentation and select the area where you want to insert the PDF.
   
2. Select “Insert > Object”.
   
3. Select Create from file and browse to the file location.
   
4. Select the PDF file and “OK.”
   

The PDF should now be part of the slide and will remain as an object within the slide. Double click on the image to open the PDF.

Export PowerPoint to Google Slides

If you still want to open the presentation in Google Slides for any reason, you can create the presentation in PowerPoint and export it to Google Slides.

This sounds like a very complicated way of doing things, but it is actually quite effective and simple to achieve. If you have access to PowerPoint but need to use Google Slides for work or school, this is the best solution.

The first step is to take the PDF and turn it into a PowerPoint presentation. There are several different ways to achieve this.

If you have an Adobe Acrobat license, you can directly convert the document by following these steps:

1. Open the PDF in acrobat
   
2. Click on “Export PDF” in the right panel.
   

3. Choose “PowerPoint” as export format.
   

4. Click “Convert.”
   

5. Name the PowerPoint file and save it wherever you want.

If you don’t have Adobe Acrobat, you can use SmallPDF.com, a simple and reliable online converter. You can subscribe to the pro version of SmallPDF if you plan to do a lot of conversions, but for a one-time project, you can use the free service. To use this tool, follow these three quick steps:

1. Drag the PDF file to the SmallPDF icon or click “Choose file” and upload it through the file system.”
   
2. “Discharge” the converted PPT file.
   
3. Once you have the converted PPT file, you will need to upload the PowerPoint to your Google Drive. Simply right click on the file in Google Drive, select “To open with,” and select “Slideshow”.

That’s all about it. Your PDF file is now a Slides file and you can use it however you want within Slides.

Keep in mind that you may lose complicated formatting, so this process is best suited for simple PDF files.

Final thoughts

While it’s not as simple as most of us would like it to be, it is possible to insert a PDF into a Google Slides presentation using some creative solutions. And if all else fails, PowerPoint is always an option if you need to use a PDF in your presentation.

Do you know any other methods to add a PDF to a Google Slides presentation? Let us know in the comments below!