pptx
Presentation creation, editing, and analysis. When Claude needs to work with presentations (.pptx files) for: (1) Creating new presentations, (2) Modifying or editing content, (3) Working with layouts, (4) Adding comments or speaker notes, or any other presentation tasks
Documentation
# 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:
```bash
# 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. **CharcoQuick Info
- Source
- Anthropic
- Category
- Document Processing
- Repository
- View Repo
- Scraped At
- Jan 25, 2026
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