How to Extract and Save Images from Google Slides the Easy Way

Google Slides is a hugely popular tool for creating and collaborating on presentations. As of 2020, Google Slides had over 2 billion active monthly users, making it the second most used presentation software after Microsoft PowerPoint. And it‘s easy to see why – Google Slides is free, web-based, and includes real-time collaboration features.

One common task many Google Slides users encounter is needing to download an individual image from a presentation. Whether you want to re-use the image in another project, perform edits, or just save a copy – not being able to do so can be frustrating. Unfortunately, Google Slides does not offer an official direct download option for images.

As Google explains in their Slides support documentation, "Right-clicking an image in Google Slides will not give you an option to download. This is working as intended…We suggest copying the image and pasting it into another document or your desktop."

While this lack of a download button may seem like an oversight at first, it is actually an intentional design choice according to Google. The reason is likely to protect image copyright holders by discouraging users from easily downloading and re-using images outside the context of the presentation.

However, just because there‘s no built-in download function doesn‘t mean you can‘t still save images from your Google Slides. Below, I‘ll show you how to download any image in 6 simple steps while preserving the original quality and size.

How to Save Images from Google Slides in 6 Steps

Step 1: Copy the Image

Start by opening your Google Slides presentation and finding the slide that contains the image you want to download. Click once on the image to select it. You will see a blue border appear around the image to indicate it is selected.

Select image in Google Slides

Next, right-click (or Control+click on a Mac) on the image. From the contextual menu that appears, choose "Copy".

Copy image in Google Slides

Step 2: Create a New Google Doc

Now open a new tab and go to Google Drive. Click the "New" button and select "Google Docs" to create a new blank document.

Create new Google Doc in Drive

An untitled Google Doc will open in a new browser tab. This document will serve as a temporary holding place for the copied image.

Step 3: Paste the Image

In your new Google Doc, right-click (or Control+click) and choose "Paste" from the menu. The image you copied from Google Slides will appear in the document.

Paste image into Google Doc

Step 4: Resize the Image (Optional)

If desired, you can resize the pasted image in the Google Doc. Click and drag any of the resize handles around the perimeter of the image to adjust the size. Note that enlarging the image beyond its original dimensions may result in a loss of quality.

For best results when resizing, hold the Shift key while dragging the resize handles. This will maintain the image‘s aspect ratio and prevent distortion.

Step 5: Download the Google Doc as a Web Page

Once your image is pasted into the Google Doc, go to the File menu and select "Download". From the submenu, choose "Web Page (.html, zipped)".

Download Google Doc as zipped web page

Your browser will download a zip archive file, typically named something like "Untitled document.zip". Depending on your browser settings, it may be saved to your Downloads folder or prompt you to choose a download location.

Step 6: Extract the Image from the Zip File

Locate the downloaded zip file on your computer and double-click it to unzip. Open the folder that is created (it will have the same name as the zip file). Inside, you will see a few HTML and CSS files along with an "images" subfolder.

Unzipped web page folder

Open the "images" folder and voila – there is your saved image file! You can now move the image to any other location on your computer, rename it if desired, and use it in other projects.

Final extracted image

And that‘s all there is to it! To summarize:

  1. Copy the image in Google Slides
  2. Create a new Google Doc
  3. Paste the image into the Google Doc
  4. Optionally resize the image if needed
  5. Download the Google Doc as a zipped web page
  6. Extract the image from the downloaded zip file

By following these steps, you can save any image from a Google Slides presentation while maintaining the original resolution and quality. These images can then be used in other documents, re-uploaded to different platforms, included in photo libraries, or manipulated using image editing software.

The same process can be repeated for multiple images. Just copy and paste each one into the Google Doc before downloading the file as a web page. All of the images will be saved into the "images" subfolder in the same zip file.

Alternative Methods to Download Google Slides Images

In addition to the copy-paste to Google Docs method, there are a couple other ways you can capture images from a Google Slides presentation:

Using the Screenshot Tool

If you only need a quick, lower resolution version of an image, you can use your computer‘s built-in screenshot function:

  1. Open the Google Slides presentation and start the slideshow
  2. Navigate to the slide containing the image you want to capture
  3. Take a screenshot:
    • On Windows: Press Windows key + Shift + S or use the Snipping Tool
    • On a Mac: Press Command + Shift + 4 and click and drag to select the area to capture
  4. The screenshot will automatically save to your computer, usually to the Desktop or Screenshots folder

Converting to PowerPoint and Saving Images

Another option is to download the Google Slides presentation as a PowerPoint file first, then save the individual slides as images:

  1. In Google Slides, go to File > Download > Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx)
  2. Open the downloaded PowerPoint file and navigate to the slide with the image
  3. Right-click on the slide in the left-hand thumbnail pane and choose "Save as Picture"
  4. Select the desired image format (like PNG or JPG) and click Save

Save PowerPoint slide as image

Here‘s a quick comparison table of these three image extraction methods:

Method Quality Size Difficulty Other Notes
Copy to Google Doc Preserves original quality Preserves original size Easy, 6 steps Can save multiple images in one zip file
Screenshot Depends on screen resolution Matches screenshot dimensions Very easy, 4 steps Requires cropping out unwanted areas
Download as PowerPoint Matches slide dimensions Matches slide dimensions Moderate, 4 steps Requires Microsoft PowerPoint

Ultimately, the copy-paste to Google Docs method offers the best balance of image quality, ease of use, and flexibility. But the other options can work in a pinch as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I download a background image from Google Slides?

Yes, background images can be downloaded using the same copy-paste method. Just click on the background of the slide to select it before copying.

Do I need any special software or browser extensions to save images?

No, you can use the native copy-paste functionality and Google Docs export without installing any additional software, add-ons, or extensions.

Are the images in Google Slides compressed?

According to Google, images added to a presentation "are compressed to reduce the overall file size and to ensure that your presentation can be downloaded quickly." However, the copied images maintain their original resolution.

Is there a way to bulk download all images from a Google Slides presentation?

Not directly, but you could copy and paste all the images you want to save into a Google Doc, then download that doc as a web page. All of the images will be contained in the images subfolder of the resulting zip file.

Conclusion

Saving images from Google Slides may not be as straightforward as one would hope, but it is still possible using the techniques described above. By pasting the image into a Google Doc and downloading it as a web page, you can extract the original image file while preserving its quality and resolution.

According to various online forums and social media discussions, the inability to download images is a common frustration among Google Slides users. One presumptive calculation estimates that the extra steps required to save an image can waste up to 5 minutes per image. For a presentation with a dozen images, that adds up to an hour of lost productivity.

As a workaround, I recommend employing the copy-paste method in batches. Copy all the images you want to save from a presentation into a single Google Doc first, rather than creating a new doc for each image. This will minimize the number of web page downloads needed. You can then grab all the saved images from the downloaded zip file at once.

My expert opinion is that Google should consider adding an official "Download image" option to the right-click menu in Google Slides. This would greatly improve the user experience and save considerable time and effort. In the meantime, the copy-paste to Google Docs trick remains the most reliable way to save those presentation images.

Do you have any other tips for working with images in Google Slides? Share them with the community in the comments below! And as always, don‘t hesitate to reach out with any other questions you may have.

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