Office Settings & Configuration

How to Create a 210x90 cm Poster in PowerPoint (Slide Size Limit Fix)

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to set a custom slide dimension of 210 cm by 90 cm to create a poster, but the software refuses the width input.

Product: Microsoft PowerPoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Designing an oversized poster for professional printing.
Observed behavior: PowerPoint changes the requested 210 cm width to 21 cm while accepting the 90 cm height. This happens because PowerPoint enforces a maximum slide size limit of 56 inches (approximately 142.24 cm) in any direction.

Before you start

Determine an easy-to-calculate proportional scale (such as 50% or 25%) for your poster before starting, as you will need to design it at a smaller size and have the printer enlarge it.

Solution 1Recommended

Design at a Proportional Smaller Scale

Create your design at a fraction of the desired size to stay within PowerPoint's limitations, then instruct the print shop to scale it up.

Since PowerPoint is strictly limited to 56 inches (142.24 cm), any poster larger than this must be designed proportionally. For a 210 cm x 90 cm poster, a 50% scale works perfectly.

Calculate proportional dimensions

Divide your target dimensions by 2. For a 210 cm by 90 cm poster, your working dimensions will be 105 cm by 45 cm.

Set custom slide size

Open PowerPoint, navigate to the 'Design' tab, click 'Slide Size' on the right side of the ribbon, and choose 'Custom Slide Size'.

Enter the scaled values

Input 105 cm for the Width and 45 cm for the Height, then click 'OK' and proceed with your poster design.

Export and print

Once finished, save your document as a PDF (File > Save As > PDF). Send this PDF to your print service and explicitly instruct them to print it at a 200% scale (210 cm x 90 cm).

Maintain High Resolution: Because the design will be scaled up by 200%, ensure that any images or graphics you insert into your PowerPoint slide are very high resolution to prevent pixelation during printing.

Solution 2

Use Microsoft Publisher for Oversized Layouts

Switch to a dedicated desktop publishing software that supports much larger page dimensions to avoid the need for scaling.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Your Presentation and Design Needs

While maximum slide limits are standard across presentation software, WPS Office offers a completely free, highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office. With built-in tools for high-quality PDF exporting, it is perfect for preparing print-ready slides without the costly subscription.

1. Download the software: Visit the official WPS website to download the free office suite.
2. Open your presentation: Launch WPS Presentation and open your existing .pptx files seamlessly.
3. Export to PDF: Use the built-in 'Export to PDF' feature to save your scaled poster designs in print-ready format.

Fully compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx) file formats.Built-in high-quality PDF exporter perfect for professional printing.Free and lightweight, running smoothly on Windows, Mac, and Linux.Familiar user interface requiring zero learning curve.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the absolute maximum slide size in PowerPoint?

PowerPoint restricts the maximum slide size to exactly 56 inches (approximately 142.24 cm) for both width and height. This is a hardcoded limit within the software.

Why did PowerPoint change my 210 cm input to 21 cm?

When you enter a dimension larger than the 142.24 cm limit, PowerPoint automatically rejects the input. Depending on your version and regional formatting, it may truncate the number or default to a standard fallback size like 21 cm.

Can I use a custom aspect ratio when designing smaller proportional posters?

Yes, as long as you scale both the width and the height by the exact same percentage (e.g., dividing both by 2 or 3), the aspect ratio will be preserved. This ensures the printer can scale it back up perfectly without stretching or cropping your design.

Is it better to save my scaled poster as a PDF or an Image?

Always save your scaled poster as a PDF for professional printing. PDFs preserve vector data for text and shapes, meaning they will remain sharp and crisp when the print shop enlarges the file, whereas standard images like JPEG or PNG may become blurry.

Office App Problems