slidecraft

Modern Python library for creating and modifying PowerPoint (.pptx) files.

A modern, type-annotated replacement for python-pptx. Pure Python, zero dependencies, Python 3.10+.

Why slidecraft?

python-pptx has 20M+ monthly downloads but has been dormant since August 2024 with a single maintainer and no funding. slidecraft is a drop-in modern replacement: fully typed, actively maintained, and zero external dependencies.

Installation

pip install slidecraft

Quick Start

from slidecraft import Presentation, Inches, RGBColor, PP_ALIGN

# Create a new presentation
prs = Presentation()

# Add a slide
slide = prs.slides.add()

# Add a text box
tb = slide.shapes.add_textbox(Inches(1), Inches(1), Inches(8), Inches(1))
tf = tb.text_frame
tf.text = "Hello, SlideCraft!"
p = tf.paragraphs[0]
p.alignment = PP_ALIGN.CENTER
run = p.runs[0]
run.font.bold = True
run.font.color = RGBColor(0, 0, 128)

# Save
prs.save("output.pptx")

Features

• Presentations — Create new or open existing .pptx files
• Slides — Add, remove, reorder slides with layout support
• Text — Rich text with fonts, colors, alignment, paragraphs, runs
• Shapes — Text boxes, auto shapes, placeholders
• Tables — Create tables with rows, columns, cell text
• Images — Insert PNG, JPEG images with auto-detection
• Charts — Bar, column, line, pie charts with data binding

API Reference

Presentation

from slidecraft import Presentation

prs = Presentation()                  # New blank presentation
prs = Presentation.open("in.pptx")   # Open existing
prs.save("out.pptx")                 # Save

prs.slides                            # SlideCollection
prs.slide_layouts                     # list[SlideLayout]
prs.slide_masters                     # list[SlideMaster]
prs.slide_width                       # Emu (read/write)
prs.slide_height                      # Emu (read/write)

Slides

slide = prs.slides.add()              # Add with default layout
slide = prs.slides.add(layout)        # Add with specific layout
prs.slides.remove(0)                  # Remove by index
for slide in prs.slides:              # Iterate
    ...
slide = prs.slides[0]                 # Index access
len(prs.slides)                       # Slide count
slide.shapes                          # ShapeCollection

Text

tb = slide.shapes.add_textbox(left, top, width, height)
tf = tb.text_frame
tf.text = "Hello"                     # Set all text (replaces paragraphs)
tf.word_wrap = True
tf.paragraphs                         # list[Paragraph]
p = tf.paragraphs[0]
p2 = tf.add_paragraph()               # Append a new paragraph
tf.clear()                            # Remove all text

p.text = "Line of text"
p.alignment = PP_ALIGN.CENTER
p.level = 1                           # Indent level (0-based)
p.space_before = Pt(12)               # Space above paragraph
p.space_after = Pt(6)                 # Space below paragraph
p.runs                                # list[Run]
run = p.add_run()                     # Append a new run

run.text = "Bold text"
run.font.bold = True
run.font.italic = True
run.font.underline = True
run.font.name = "Arial"
run.font.size = Pt(24)
run.font.color = RGBColor(255, 0, 0)

Tables

table = slide.shapes.add_table(rows, cols, left, top, width, height)
table.cell(0, 0).text = "Header"
table.rows[0].height = Inches(0.5)
table.columns[0].width = Inches(2)

Images

from slidecraft.pptx.shapes.picture import Image

img = Image.from_file("photo.png")
slide.shapes.add_picture(img, Inches(1), Inches(1), Inches(4), Inches(3))

Charts

from slidecraft import ChartData, ChartType

cd = ChartData()
cd.categories = ["Q1", "Q2", "Q3", "Q4"]
cd.add_series("Sales", [100, 200, 150, 300])
cd.add_series("Costs", [80, 160, 120, 240])

slide.shapes.add_chart(ChartType.COLUMN, cd, Inches(1), Inches(1), Inches(6), Inches(4))

Units

from slidecraft import Inches, Cm, Pt, Emu

Inches(1)    # 914400 EMU
Cm(2.54)     # ~914400 EMU
Pt(72)       # 914400 EMU
Emu(914400)  # Direct EMU value

Enumerations

from slidecraft import PP_ALIGN, PP_PLACEHOLDER, ChartType, MSO_SHAPE_TYPE

# PP_ALIGN — paragraph alignment
PP_ALIGN.LEFT
PP_ALIGN.CENTER
PP_ALIGN.RIGHT
PP_ALIGN.JUSTIFY
PP_ALIGN.DISTRIBUTE

# ChartType
ChartType.BAR
ChartType.BAR_CLUSTERED
ChartType.COLUMN
ChartType.COLUMN_CLUSTERED
ChartType.LINE
ChartType.PIE

# MSO_SHAPE_TYPE — identify shape kinds
MSO_SHAPE_TYPE.AUTO_SHAPE
MSO_SHAPE_TYPE.PICTURE
MSO_SHAPE_TYPE.TABLE
MSO_SHAPE_TYPE.CHART
MSO_SHAPE_TYPE.TEXT_BOX
MSO_SHAPE_TYPE.GROUP
MSO_SHAPE_TYPE.PLACEHOLDER

# PP_PLACEHOLDER — placeholder types
PP_PLACEHOLDER.TITLE
PP_PLACEHOLDER.BODY
PP_PLACEHOLDER.CENTER_TITLE
PP_PLACEHOLDER.SUBTITLE
PP_PLACEHOLDER.DATE
PP_PLACEHOLDER.FOOTER
PP_PLACEHOLDER.SLIDE_NUMBER

Migration from python-pptx

python-pptx	slidecraft
from pptx import Presentation	from slidecraft import Presentation
prs = Presentation()	prs = Presentation()
prs.slides.add_slide(layout)	prs.slides.add(layout)
from pptx.util import Inches	from slidecraft import Inches
from pptx.util import Pt	from slidecraft import Pt
from pptx.dml.color import RGBColor	from slidecraft import RGBColor
from pptx.enum.text import PP_ALIGN	from slidecraft import PP_ALIGN

License

MIT