Google Docs and Google Slides

Google Docs and Slides both download straight to PDF, which works on every plan. Google Docs can also download an EPUB; see EPUB ebooks for when that’s the better choice.

Google Docs

1. Use pages, not pageless. A pageless document is one continuous scroll with no page breaks. For a flipbook you want real pages, so switch first: Format → Switch to Pages format.
2. Set the page up: File → Page setup for orientation, paper size (A4 or Letter) and margins.
3. File → Download, and choose PDF.

Large documents: Google’s help suggests printing to PDF from Chrome instead: File → Print, set Destination to Save as PDF, then Save.

Contents pages: a Google Docs table of contents links to its headings, but links between pages of the same document aren’t clickable in Living Page yet. On a paid plan you can draw page links over it; see Links and video overlays.

Google Slides

1. Check the slide size: File → Page setup. Widescreen (16:9) suits the reader and pitch mode.
2. File → Download, and choose PDF.

Each slide becomes one page. A few things don’t carry into a still page:

• Animations and transitions: each slide arrives as it looks when finished.
• Embedded videos: they don’t play from the page. Add them back as a video overlay on a paid plan; see Links and video overlays.
• Skipped slides and speaker notes: open the PDF before uploading and check they’re in or out the way you want.

Check before you upload

Open the downloaded PDF and:

• Click a link. If it opens there, it will work in Living Page. See Keeping links clickable.
• Select some text. If it highlights, it’s real text: searchable and readable by screen readers.
• Check the size. Anything over 50 MB needs the size guide. Photos are usually the cause; replace very large ones with smaller copies in the doc or deck.