Print Google Slides with Speaker Notes

What You’ll Need

A Google account and a presentation with speaker notes already added
A printer (or a PDF printer option to save the file)
Web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) — the steps are the same on all

Step-by-Step

Open your presentation — Go to slides.google.com and open the file that contains the speaker notes you want to print.
Check your notes are there — Click on View in the top menu and select Show speaker notes (if it isn’t already visible). A panel will appear at the bottom of the slide editor. Make sure the notes you want to print are in that box.
Open the Print dialog — Click File in the top menu, then Print. You can also press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac). The print preview screen will open.
Choose the “1 slide with notes” layout — In the print preview, look for the Layout dropdown (usually on the right side). Click it and select 1 slide with notes. This is the option that prints the slide image at the top of the page and the speaker notes below it.
Adjust other print settings — Set your printer, paper size, color, and orientation as needed. If you want to save as a PDF instead of printing on paper, choose Save as PDF in the printer dropdown.
Click the blue Print button — Once everything looks good in the preview, hit Print (or Save if you chose PDF). Your slides with notes will be sent to the printer or saved as a file.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to select “1 slide with notes” — The default layout often prints full slides without notes. If your printed pages don’t show the notes, you missed this dropdown.
Notes not visible in the editor — If you don’t see the speaker notes panel, you might be in a view that hides them. Click View > Show speaker notes to bring it up.
Printing only the current slide — In the print dialog, check the Slides field. If it says “1” or a specific number, you’re only printing that slide. Change it to All or enter a range.
Using “1 slide with notes” but notes are cut off — If your notes are very long, they may be truncated on the page. You’ll need to shorten them or use a smaller font in the notes panel (though Google Slides doesn’t let you change note font size directly — you may need to edit the text).

Tips

Preview before printing — Always glance at the print preview to confirm the notes appear correctly and nothing is cut off.
Save as PDF for a digital copy — If you don’t need paper, choose “Save as PDF” in the printer dropdown. This is great for sharing or keeping a digital backup.
Use the “Include slide notes” checkbox — In some versions, there’s a checkbox labeled “Include slide notes” in the print settings. Make sure it’s checked if you see it.
Print handouts instead for audience — If you want to give your audience a copy without your private notes, choose “1 slide per page” or “3 slides per page” instead. That prints only the slides.
Keyboard shortcut — Use Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac) to jump straight to the print dialog from the slide editor.

Troubleshooting

No “1 slide with notes” option — If you don’t see this layout in the dropdown, you might be in a browser that doesn’t fully support Google Slides printing. Try a different browser (Chrome or Firefox work best). Also, make sure you’re not in a mobile browser — use a desktop browser.
Notes are printing on a separate page — If the notes appear on a different page than the slide, your printer driver may be misinterpreting the layout. Try saving as PDF first, then print the PDF — this often fixes the issue.
Notes are missing entirely — Double-check that the notes are actually in the speaker notes panel. Sometimes you might have typed notes in a different presentation or forgot to save. Also, ensure you’re not in “Present” mode — exit to the editing view first.
Print preview shows blank notes area — If the notes box is empty in the preview, your notes might be empty. Go back to the editor, click on the notes panel, and type something. If you see text there but it’s not printing, try refreshing the page and re-opening print.
Printing is very slow or hangs — Large presentations with many images can cause print delays. Try printing a few slides at a time (enter a range like “1-5”) or save as PDF first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I print notes without the slide image?

No, Google Slides doesn’t offer a “notes only” print option. You can copy the notes manually into a document, but the built-in print always includes the slide thumbnail.

Why does my printout show the slide on top and notes below, but the notes are tiny?

That’s the default layout. The notes are scaled to fit the page. If they’re too small to read, you can edit the notes in the editor to be shorter, or you can copy them into a word processor and print from there.

Can I print notes for only some slides?

Yes, in the print dialog, under “Slides”, choose “Custom” and enter a range like “1-3,5” to print only those slides and their notes.

Does the “1 slide with notes” layout work on mobile?

No, the Google Slides mobile app doesn’t support printing with notes. You need to use a desktop browser on a computer.

Why is my print preview showing a different layout than what I selected?

This can happen if your browser’s print settings override the Google Slides settings. Try resetting your browser’s print settings (margins, scale) to default, then re-open the print dialog.

Can I change the font size of the printed notes?

Not directly. Google Slides uses a fixed font size for the notes in print. You can work around it by copying the notes into a Google Doc, adjusting the font size, and printing from there.

Sources: Google Slides Help. Menus and buttons can differ slightly by version. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.