Convert Presentations in Handout Mode with Python

Handout Mode Export

Aspose.Slides provides the ability to convert presentations into various formats, including creating handouts for printing in Handout mode. This mode allows you to configure how multiple slides appear on a single page, making it useful for conferences, seminars, and other events. You can enable this mode by setting the slides_layout_options property in the PdfOptions, RenderingOptions, HtmlOptions, and TiffOptions classes.

To configure Handout mode, use the HandoutLayoutingOptions object, which determines how many slides are placed on a single page and other display parameters.

Below is a code example showing how to convert a presentation to PDF in Handout mode.

# Load a presentation.
with slides.Presentation("sample.pptx") as presentation:

    # Set the export options.
    slides_layout_options = slides.export.HandoutLayoutingOptions()
    slides_layout_options.handout = slides.export.HandoutType.HANDOUTS_4_HORIZONTAL  # 4 slides on one page horizontally
    slides_layout_options.print_slide_numbers = True                                 # print slide numbers
    slides_layout_options.print_frame_slide = True                                   # print a frame around slides
    slides_layout_options.print_comments = False                                     # no comments

    pdf_options = slides.export.PdfOptions()
    pdf_options.slides_layout_options = slides_layout_options

    # Export the presentation to PDF with the chosen layout.
    presentation.save("output.pdf", slides.export.SaveFormat.PDF, pdf_options)

FAQ

What is the maximum number of slide thumbnails per page in Handout mode?

Aspose.Slides supports presets up to 9 thumbnails per page with horizontal or vertical ordering: 1, 2, 3, 4 (horizontal/vertical), 6 (horizontal/vertical), and 9 (horizontal/vertical).

Can I define a custom grid, such as 5 or 8 slides per page?

No. The number and ordering of thumbnails are controlled strictly by the HandoutType enumeration; arbitrary layouts are not supported.

Can I include hidden slides in the Handout output?

Yes. Enable the show_hidden_slides option in the export settings for the target format, such as PdfOptions, HtmlOptions, or TiffOptions.