Python: Save Shapes as Image Files in PowerPoint Presentations

Extracting and repurposing elements from PowerPoint presentations is a valuable skill for cross-platform content sharing. By converting shapes from slides into standalone image files, users can seamlessly integrate them into documents, web pages, or design projects without losing their original formatting and visual effects. With Python, this process becomes straightforward. In this article, we'll explore how to use Spire.Presentation for Python to save shapes from presentation slides as image files with simple Python code.

• Save Shapes from Slides as Image Files with Python
• Save Images from Slides with Formatting as Images Files

Install Spire.Presentation for Python

This scenario requires Spire.Presentation for Python and plum-dispatch v1.7.4. They can be easily installed in your Windows through the following pip command.

pip install Spire.Presentation

If you are unsure how to install, please refer to: How to Install Spire.Presentation for Python on Windows

Save Shapes from Slides as Image Files with Python

Spire.Presentation for Python provides the Slide.Shapes.SaveAsImage(shapIndex: int, dpiX: int, dpiY: int) method to save shapes in presentation slides as images with the specified  DPI(optional). With this method, developers can save either a specific shape or all shapes in a PowerPoint presentation. The detailed steps are as follows:

• Create an instance of Presentation class.
• Load a PowerPoint presentation using Presentation.LoadFromFile() method.
• Get a slide using Presentation.Slides.get_Item() method.
• Iterate through the shapes in the slide:
  • Save each shape as an image stream using Slide.Shapes.SaveAsImage() method.
  • Save the image stream as an image file using Stream.Save() method.

from spire.presentation import *

# Create an instance of Presentation
presentation = Presentation()

# Load a PowerPoint file
presentation.LoadFromFile("Sample.pptx")

# Get the first slide
slide = presentation.Slides.get_Item(3)

# Save the shape as an image stream
for i in range(slide.Shapes.Count):
  imageStream = slide.Shapes.SaveAsImage(i, 256, 256)
  # Save the image
  imageStream.Save(f"output/Shapes/ShapeToImage{i}.png")

# Release resources
presentation.Dispose()

Save Images from Slides with Formatting as Images Files

By using the methods provided by Spire.Presentation for Python, developers can also save images from slides as image files while preserving the edits and formatting applied to them. This requires first checking if the shape is an object of SlidePicture class, and if so, the shape can be saved as an image file. The detailed steps are as follows:

• Create an instance of Presentation class.
• Load a PowerPoint presentation using Presentation.LoadFromFile() method.
• Get a slide using Presentation.Slides.get_Item() method.
• Iterate through the shapes in the slide:
  • Check if each shape is an object of SlidePicture class.
  • If it is, save the shape as an image stream using Slide.Shapes.SaveAsImage() method.
  • Save the image stream to a file using Stream.Save() method.

from spire.presentation import *

# Create an instance of Presentation
presentation = Presentation()

# Load a PowerPoint file
presentation.LoadFromFile("Sample.pptx")

# Get a slide
slide = presentation.Slides.get_Item(4)

# Iterate through all shapes in the slide
i = 0
for shape in slide.Shapes:
  # Check if the shape is an object of SlidePicture
  if isinstance(shape, SlidePicture):
    # Save the shape as an image
    shape = shape if isinstance(shape, SlidePicture) else None
    image = slide.Shapes.SaveAsImage(slide.Shapes.IndexOf(shape), 256, 256)
    image.Save(f"output/Images/ImageShape{i}.png")
    i += 1

# Release resources
presentation.Dispose()

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