Most presentations are designed to be shown in color, but the presentation handouts or other supporting materials that are created from the presentation are usually printed in black and white. As a result of this difference, things that look fabulous on the projected screen may not appear so fabulous when printed. For example, filled objects or dithered backgrounds that look good on the screen can make printed handouts unreadable.

To print a presentation in black and white

1. Open the presentation in PowerPoint.



2. From the View menu, select Black and White. PowerPoint changes the slide display so that you can see a grayscale preview of how the slides will look when printed in black and white.



3. To customize this display, right-click in Slide view. Select Black and White and the desired option. For example, Automatic only shows text and graphics: it hides a textured or shaded background.

Note The changes that you make while working in black and white view don't affect the colors in the on-screen presentation.

To print a presentation in pure black and white

You can also print a presentation in pure black and white. This hides all shades of gray, including object fills.

1. Open the presentation in PowerPoint.



2. From the File menu, select Print.



3. Select Black and White and click OK.

Note This is not a good option if your presentation contains many colors. Instead, try experimenting with the black and white view options.