Mastering Slide Layouts

Layouts determine how content is arranged on your slides. The right layout makes information scannable, emphasizes key points, and guides your audience's attention.

Time: 3 minutes
Level: Intermediate
Prerequisites: You've created and edited presentations

Understanding Layout Types

Every slide needs a structure that supports its content.

Title layouts: Full-width headline with optional subtitle. Use for section dividers and major points.

Text-heavy layouts: Single column or bullet points. Best for lists, key takeaways, and detailed information.

Text-image splits: Content on one side, visual on the other. Perfect for product features, examples, or comparisons.

Multi-column grids: Two, three, or four columns. Ideal for comparing options, listing benefits, or showing team members.

Full-bleed image: Image fills the slide with overlay text. Use for emotional impact, section breaks, or storytelling.

Result: Match your layout to your content type for maximum clarity.

Changing a Slide's Layout

Switch layouts to see which works best for your content.

1. Select a slide in the left thumbnail sidebar
2. Click Layout in the toolbar above the canvas
3. Browse layout options organized by category
4. Click any layout to apply it instantly

What happens:

• Your content stays intact
• Blocks reposition to fit the new structure
• Images and text adapt automatically

Tip: Try 2-3 layouts before choosing. The same content often works better in different structures depending on emphasis.

Result: Your slide updates immediately with the new layout.

Text-Image Combinations

Balance visuals and information for engaging slides.

Left text, right image: Lead with information, support with visuals. Use when text is more important than imagery.

Left image, right text: Lead with emotion or product, explain with text. Use when visuals tell the story.

Top image, bottom text: Show first, explain second. Great for before/after, product reveals, or data visualizations.

Background image with overlay: Immersive visuals with key text overlaid. Use sparingly for high-impact moments.

To apply:

1. Select your slide
2. Open the Layout menu
3. Choose from Image Split or Image Background categories
4. Add or adjust your image and text

Result: Professional balance between visual appeal and information density.

Working with Multi-Column Layouts

Organize related information side by side.

Two columns: Compare options, show pros/cons, or present two related concepts.

Three columns: List features, show team members, or display product categories.

Four columns: Present data points, statistics, or multiple small items.

To create columns:

1. Select the Grid Layout block from the Blocks drawer
2. Choose 2, 3, or 4 columns
3. Click inside each column to add content
4. Add text, images, icons, or numbers to each cell

Best practices:

• Keep column content balanced (similar amounts in each)
• Use headers for each column
• Align items for visual consistency

Tip: Columns work best with concise content. Long paragraphs get hard to read in narrow spaces.

Result: Clear comparison or grouping that's easy to scan.

Creating Visual Hierarchy

Guide your audience's eyes through your content.

Size matters: Larger elements attract attention first. Make your most important point the biggest.

Position matters: Top-left gets seen first in most layouts. Put key information there.

Color matters: Bright or contrasting elements stand out. Use accent colors for important items.

Whitespace matters: Empty space around content makes it more prominent. Don't fill every pixel.

To establish hierarchy:

1. Identify your slide's single most important point
2. Make that element largest or most prominent
3. Size secondary information smaller
4. Use consistent spacing between elements

Result: Audiences understand your point in 3 seconds or less.

Layout Best Practices

Apply these rules for professional slides.

One idea per slide: Don't combine multiple concepts. Split complex topics across slides.

Consistent alignment: Left-align text, center images, align columns. Random alignment looks messy.

Breathing room: Add padding between elements. Crowded slides are hard to read.

Limit text: Maximum 6 bullet points or 30 words per slide. More text loses attention.

Visual balance: If left side is heavy with text, balance with an image on right.

Result: Clean, professional slides that communicate clearly.

Common Layout Mistakes

Avoid these pitfalls when structuring slides.

Too much text: Slides aren't documents. Cut ruthlessly—show only essentials.

Tiny images: Small images lose impact. Make visuals large or don't use them.

Unbalanced splits: 70-30 text-image splits look awkward. Aim for 50-50 or 60-40.

Mixing layouts randomly: Use consistent layouts for similar content types throughout your deck.

Ignoring mobile/small screens: Test that text is readable when presenting on smaller displays.

Fix: Select better layouts, reduce content, or split into multiple slides.

What You've Learned

• Choosing the right layout for different content types
• Switching layouts to optimize slide structure
• Using text-image combinations effectively
• Creating multi-column layouts for comparisons
• Establishing visual hierarchy on slides

Next Steps

• Refine your visuals: Master AI image generation in Working with AI-Generated Images
• Perfect your theme: Match colors and fonts to your brand in Choosing the Right Theme
• Present effectively: Learn presentation techniques in Delivering Presentations: Tips for Success

Pro tip: Save 10 minutes per deck by choosing layouts before adding content. Select your layout first, then fill it in—rather than adding content and reformatting later.