2020 has made it imperative for teacher-authors to create digital resources. One of the go-to methods is to use a PowerPoint resource and convert it into jpegs to use in Google slides or Microsoft 365. This method is popular because 1.) It allows the author to keep the original text, 2.) it prevents the option of “lifting” purchased images, etc. that are used in your resource, and 3.) it keeps everything uniform; the PDF and the online resource look the same. Problem? Often times, the text appears blurry on the jpeg, especially when zooming in.
With that being said, I found that there were certain text fonts that were more blurry than others, and if you are a bit of a lunatic like me, you will NOT change your font. It goes with your theme. You paid money for it. It is perfect for the grade level of students that the resource was intended for. Thus, I explored the world wide web for a simply solution. To my surprise- no one had a simple solution! I sent emails asking for help and was told I needed to convert my jpegs in “high resolution”, but had a hard time finding that option on my PowerPoint program. I opened a link to a forum where someone much more techy than me gave the exact specifications that my slide should be set to, but when I tried that, all of the work that I had already done was resized awkwardly, and it still not did convert like I had hoped. I even went as far as almost altering the entire registry of my computer through a complicated process of computer hard drive alterations that I knew nothing about. Fortunately, I have a a tech-savvy brother-in-law who talked me off the ledge. He did not have an answer for me, but at least I didn’t do that.
BUT… after days of searching… I kind of stumbled upon something…
I am in a Teachers Pay Teachers Facebook group. I searched the post history to see if there had previously been a post that inquired about the issue of blurry text on a jpeg. I found one post where a teacher-author had suggested using a PDF in Adobe. Problem- I do not have Adobe installed on my computer, nor was I interested in paying for it. What I did get from that post, though, was that this teacher converted her Adobe PDF into jpegs instead of converting them into jpegs from PowerPoint. Again, I do not have Adobe, but I figured that I’d give it a try with the PDF option available with Microsoft. AND (drum roll please), IT WORKED!!!! Moral of the story- there actually IS a simple solution, and I cannot believe that it was that simple! Hopefully, you will find success with this option as well:
STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS:
- Click on the “File” tab in your PowerPoint. (top-left)
- Select the “Export” option from the left sidebar.
- Select the option to “Create PDF”, and save it to your computer.
- Go to any search engine online (like Google or Bing), and type in “Convert PDF to jpg free”
- Select one of the free converter sites. (I like smallpdf.com and pdftoimage.com. Both allow you to convert one to two entire PDF documents per day)
- Follow the directions on the site. Each slide/page will convert into its own jpeg, just like it would if you convert them directly from PowerPoint, but with MUCH better quality!
- Download the entire file (all of the jpegs), and a folder will appear.
- Move the folder to the appropriate file, and “Extract All” to access your jpegs. THAT’S IT!
Enjoy your new found freedom from blurry text on a jpeg. And whatever you do, DON’T rewire your computer system! If you have some extra time, check out my store for awesome social studies resources! I am currently adding AP Government and Politics resources to Mad Historian, but of course, still have a ton of US History and World History material for secondary education classrooms. If you are looking for social studies material for upper-elementary and middle school students, Tony the Tourist is a new and growing store that you may like.
Peace,
