Exporting
Kova can export your presentation to PDF, PowerPoint (.pptx), or a standalone HTML file — all generated entirely in-process with no internet connection required.
How to export
- Click Export in the toolbar (next to Save As), or use File → Export in the menu bar.
- Choose a format: PDF, PowerPoint (.pptx), or HTML.
- Choose a save location in the file dialog.
Select File → Print to send your slides to the OS print dialog. Each slide is captured as a high-resolution image and laid out one per page using the current aspect ratio, so Mermaid diagrams, syntax-highlighted code, and images are included exactly as they appear on screen. Print doesn't offer the slides-per-page/handout options described below for PDF export — for those, use PDF export instead.
Tip
For sharing or archiving, PDF export (File → Export → PDF) is usually preferable — it gives you a file you can save. Print is most useful when you need a physical handout quickly.
PDF export
Each slide is rendered to a single page at the exact pixel dimensions of the current aspect ratio. Because PDF export captures the live slide view, it faithfully reproduces everything you see in Kova — fonts, colours, gradients, images, Mermaid diagrams, syntax-highlighted code, and progress bars.
Aspect ratio
The page size matches the aspect ratio set in the Inspector:
| Setting | Page dimensions |
|---|---|
| 16:9 (default) | 338.7 mm × 190.5 mm |
| 16:10 | 254 mm × 158.8 mm |
| 4:3 | 254 mm × 190.5 mm |
Export options
The Export PDF dialog offers:
| Option | Values | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Slides per page | 1 · 2 · 4 · 6 | Lays multiple slides out on one landscape page, each framed to the slide's own aspect ratio |
| Include speaker notes (handout) | On · Off | Only available at 1 slide per page; adds a divider rule and prints each slide's ??? notes below it. Disabled if the deck has no notes |
Paper size (A4 default, or Letter) is set separately in Settings → Workspace → PDF page size — see Settings & Keybindings. Pages are always laid out landscape.
Limitations
| Element | Export behaviour |
|---|---|
YouTube embeds (!youtube) |
Rendered as a static thumbnail/placeholder — not a playable video |
Local video (!video) |
Rendered as a static frame — not playable |
Poll / QR codes (!poll) |
Rendered as a static QR code image |
PowerPoint export
Kova generates a .pptx file using PptxGenJS that opens in Microsoft PowerPoint, LibreOffice Impress, Keynote, and Google Slides.
What is exported
Every slide layout is reproduced in the .pptx output:
| Kova layout | PowerPoint equivalent |
|---|---|
title |
Full-colour hero slide with title and subtitle text boxes |
section |
Coloured section-break slide |
title-content |
Title box at top, content area below |
title-image |
Title on the left, image on the right |
split |
Image on the left, text on the right |
full-bleed |
Full-slide image |
quote |
Centred large text with attribution |
two-column |
Two side-by-side content areas |
bsp |
Two or three content panes |
grid |
Grid of content cards |
code |
Dark background with monospaced code block |
media |
Title with centred placeholder (see Limitations) |
Theme colours and fonts are applied to all slides. Progress bars are exported as visual bars matching the slide theme. Code blocks are exported with syntax highlighting using the github-dark palette. Mermaid diagrams are rendered to PNG and embedded in the .pptx, preserving their original aspect ratio (a portrait flowchart stays portrait rather than stretching to fill the slide). The theme logo (if set) is stamped on every slide at the correct corner position with the theme's opacity setting. The bar-left decoration is replicated as an accent-coloured rectangle behind slide content.
Inline formatting (bold, italic, inline code, and links) inside list items is preserved in the .pptx output.
Slide transitions — every exported slide gets the same fade transition used in Kova's presentation mode, so playback in PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides matches what you see when presenting from Kova.
Mermaid render warnings
If a Mermaid diagram fails to render during export, Kova shows a warning after export naming the affected slide. The rest of the presentation exports normally.
Aspect ratio
The output respects the aspect ratio set in the Inspector. Use the Aspect Ratio toggle to choose before exporting.
| Setting | PowerPoint layout | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| 16:9 (default) | LAYOUT_WIDE |
33.87 cm × 19.05 cm |
| 16:10 | LAYOUT_WIDE (custom) |
25.4 cm × 15.88 cm |
| 4:3 | LAYOUT_4x3 |
25.4 cm × 19.05 cm |
Limitations
| Element | Export behaviour |
|---|---|
YouTube embeds (!youtube) |
Exported as a text placeholder with the URL — not as an embedded video |
Local video (!video) |
Exported as a text placeholder with the label and file path — not as an embedded video |
Poll / QR codes (!poll) |
Exported as a text placeholder with the URL — not as a QR code |
| Custom web fonts | Substituted with the closest PowerPoint-safe alternative (e.g. Georgia for a serif theme font) |
After exporting
The .pptx file is a standard Office Open XML file. Open it in any compatible application for final polish — adjusting font sizes, adding animations, or inserting additional slides. Because it's a standard format, no Kova software is needed to open or edit the exported file.
Standalone HTML export
File → Export → HTML saves the presentation as a single, self-contained .html file. Images and local videos are inlined as base64 data URIs, so the file opens and plays back correctly in any modern browser — no Kova installation, and no separate asset files to keep alongside it.
This is the one export format where local video plays back normally, since it's opened in a real browser rather than printed to a static page.