Files and export
Fonts in PowerPoint, Word and PDF exports
In short
Slaide draws pages with its own fonts, so PDF, PNG and JPG files look like the editor on every device. PowerPoint and Word files only name the font and do not embed it: the text looks the same where that font is installed and is replaced where it is not. Fonts you upload under Brand are used to draw your pages, but in PowerPoint and Word they must be installed on the computer that opens the file.
Which fonts does Slaide offer?
The font list in the editor offers 135 families, from sans serifs such as Inter, Montserrat and Roboto to serifs such as Lora and Playfair Display, plus display, handwriting and monospace fonts. Brand fonts you uploaded and fonts embedded in an imported file appear there too. Nearly all of them are open-source fonts under the SIL Open Font License, so you can install the same fonts on another computer.
Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman, Cambria, Courier New and Georgia are in the list as well. Slaide draws them with metric-compatible look-alikes (for example Carlito for Calibri), and the exported file names the Office font itself. A font that Slaide does not have is replaced by the closest one it does have.
How do fonts end up in PDF, PowerPoint and Word?
| Format | How the font is handled | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| PDF, PNG, JPG | Slaide draws the pages with its own fonts, exactly as in the editor. | Nothing. They look the same on every device. |
| PowerPoint (.pptx) | Each text box names its font. The font file is not embedded. | The font installed on the computer that opens the file. |
| Word (.docx) | Each piece of text names its font. The font file is not embedded. | The font installed on the computer that opens the file. |
A light or medium weight can be written as its own font name, such as “Inter Light”, when the family has that weight. Install the whole family so that PowerPoint finds every weight.
What happens when a font is missing?
- On the computer that opens a PowerPoint or Word file: the program substitutes another font. Install the font to see the original.
- In Slaide, for a font Slaide does not have: Slaide uses the closest font it has. On the Brand page such a font is marked not available, with an upload button and a suggested substitute.
- In an imported file: fonts embedded in the file are used to draw the pages. Others are replaced in the preview, and line breaks can differ.
- In a PDF, PNG or JPG: nothing can be missing, because Slaide draws these files itself.
To find out what changed in a file you received, follow Why an export can look different.
Can I use my own fonts?
Yes, under Brand. You can add fonts by name or upload font files (TTF, OTF, WOFF, WOFF2, up to 2 MB each), up to 12 files per brand. While that brand is active, Slaide uses the files to draw your pages in the editor, PDF, PNG and JPG.
Step 1: Open Brand
Click Brand in the top bar of the library.
Step 2: Open your brand
Choose a saved brand or click Add brand, then go to the fonts of the brand card.
Step 3: Upload the font file
Click Upload font and choose the file, or drop it on Drop a font file here.
Step 4: Check the badge
The font shows available when Slaide has the file and included in Slaide for built-in fonts. A font with only a name shows not available with an upload button.
How do I avoid font surprises?
- Send the PDF when the layout must be exact. It looks like the editor on every device.
- For PowerPoint or Word files that go to people you do not know, choose Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman, Cambria, Courier New or Georgia. Office computers usually have them.
- For your own fonts, install them on the presenting computer before the meeting and open the file there once.
- Click a few texts in PowerPoint and read the font name in the Font box on the Home tab. Compare it with the font in Slaide.
- Name fonts in your request instead of describing them.
Use Lora for the headings and Inter for the body text on every page.
Frequently asked questions
Are fonts embedded in the PowerPoint file?
No. The file names the font of each text box and does not carry the font file. The text looks the same where that font is installed. Elsewhere PowerPoint picks a replacement.
Why does my PowerPoint show a different font than Slaide?
The computer that opens the file does not have the font that the text box names, so PowerPoint substitutes another one. Install the font or choose one that computer has. Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman, Cambria, Courier New and Georgia are named as they are and are usually installed on Office computers.
Which fonts can I use in Slaide?
The editor offers 135 font families, plus the fonts of your active brand and the fonts embedded in an imported file. You can also ask the assistant for a font by name. A font Slaide does not have is replaced by the closest one it has.
Will my uploaded font appear in the PDF?
Yes, while the brand it belongs to is active. Slaide uses the uploaded file to draw your pages in the editor, PDF, PNG and JPG. In PowerPoint and Word files the font is only named, so it has to be installed on the computer that opens them.
Does Word keep my fonts?
Word files name the font of each piece of text and do not embed the font file. If the font is installed on the computer that opens the file, Word shows it. Otherwise Word substitutes another font. For an exact layout, send the PDF.