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To change line spacing across a PowerPoint presentation, edit the text formatting in Slide Master view for each master or layout used by the slides. Then check the slides: some may use a different layout or have individually formatted text that does not inherit the master settings.
Change line spacing through Slide Master view
Slide Master formatting applies to slides based on the edited master, but a presentation can contain multiple masters and layouts. Microsoft explains that master edits affect slides based on that master, and that related layouts may also need changes. Microsoft’s overview of slide masters describes how this inheritance works.
- Save a working copy of the presentation so you can restore the original formatting if needed.
- Choose View > Slide Master to open Master View.
- In the thumbnail pane, identify the master and layouts used by the slides you want to update. If the presentation uses multiple themes, it may have more than one master and set of layouts.
- Select the text placeholder on the relevant master or layout. Choose Home > Paragraph > Line Spacing and select a spacing option. For additional control, open the Paragraph dialog using the dialog-box launcher in the Paragraph group.
- Close Master View, then inspect representative slides from each layout you edited. If an existing slide still reflects an older version of its layout, reapply the edited layout in Normal view.
- For text that remains unchanged, select that text on the slide and set its spacing through the Home tab’s Paragraph controls.
Microsoft’s instructions for customizing a slide master cover opening Master View, editing a master or layout, and closing the view.
Choose the right spacing control
Line spacing sets the vertical distance between lines within a paragraph. Paragraph spacing sets the space before or after a paragraph, so changing Before or After values will not necessarily change the distance between lines in the same paragraph.
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- Single, 1.5 Lines, or Double: Use a preset when you want a familiar spacing level.
- Exactly: Set a fixed line-spacing amount when you need more precise control.
- Multiple: Set spacing as a multiple rather than choosing a named preset.
Microsoft documents these options in its guidance for changing text alignment, indentation, and spacing in PowerPoint. The visible options and ribbon details can vary by platform and version. Vertical alignment is a separate setting: it positions text inside its container rather than adjusting the space between lines.
Why the change may not reach every slide
The slides use another master or layout
A presentation can have several masters, especially when it uses multiple themes. Editing one master does not establish that slides based on another master have changed. Locate the layouts used by the slides you intend to update and edit those as well.
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Existing slides need the edited layout reapplied
Some existing slides may still be based on a prior version of a changed layout. In Normal view, reapply the edited layout to those slides, then check their text.
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The text has individual formatting
A text box or paragraph formatted directly on a slide may not take the spacing set in the master or layout. Select the text on that slide and adjust its spacing through the Paragraph controls.
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PowerPoint version and platform notes
Microsoft’s spacing guidance covers PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016, as well as PowerPoint for the web; its Applies To list also names PowerPoint for Mac 2011. The Slide Master guidance separately covers Microsoft 365, 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016, including Mac editions. Because ribbon details differ, use the labels available in your own version rather than assuming every platform displays identical controls.
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