{"id":41810,"date":"2014-10-04T21:22:02","date_gmt":"2014-10-04T15:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=41810"},"modified":"2026-10-06T20:27:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T14:57:23","slug":"change-powerpoint-measurement-units-cm-inches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2014\/10\/change-powerpoint-measurement-units-cm-inches\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Change Cm to Inches in PowerPoint (Windows and Mac)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Can you change cm to inches in PowerPoint? Yes, but not from inside PowerPoint. We found this out while making a conference poster that had to be 36 x 55 inches, and PowerPoint kept showing the slide size in centimetres. The measurement units in PowerPoint (and Word and Excel) come from your Windows or Mac region settings. Here&#8217;s how to change PowerPoint from centimetres to inches, or inches to cm, in 2026.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-41813\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/slide-size-inches.png\" alt=\"Change cm to inches in PowerPoint slide size\" width=\"233\" height=\"208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/slide-size-inches.png 233w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/slide-size-inches-150x133.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 233px) 100vw, 233px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> On Windows, open <strong>Control Panel \u2192 Region \u2192 Additional settings<\/strong> and set <strong>Measurement system<\/strong> to <strong>U.S.<\/strong> (inches) or <strong>Metric<\/strong> (cm). On a Mac, PowerPoint uses <strong>PowerPoint \u2192 Settings \u2192 General \u2192 Ruler units<\/strong> or your Mac&#8217;s <strong>Language &amp; Region<\/strong> setting. Restart PowerPoint to see the change.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ada64574e68a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ada64574e68a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2014\/10\/change-powerpoint-measurement-units-cm-inches\/#How_to_change_cm_to_inches_in_PowerPoint_on_Windows_11_and_10\" >How to change cm to inches in PowerPoint on Windows 11 and 10<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2014\/10\/change-powerpoint-measurement-units-cm-inches\/#How_to_change_PowerPoint_units_on_a_Mac\" >How to change PowerPoint units on a Mac<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2014\/10\/change-powerpoint-measurement-units-cm-inches\/#Quick_trick_type_the_units_yourself\" >Quick trick: type the units yourself<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2014\/10\/change-powerpoint-measurement-units-cm-inches\/#Our_poster_story\" >Our poster story<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2014\/10\/change-powerpoint-measurement-units-cm-inches\/#PowerPoint_poster_size_tips\" >PowerPoint poster size tips<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2014\/10\/change-powerpoint-measurement-units-cm-inches\/#Can_you_change_units_for_just_one_presentation\" >Can you change units for just one presentation?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2014\/10\/change-powerpoint-measurement-units-cm-inches\/#Frequently_asked_questions\" >Frequently asked questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2014\/10\/change-powerpoint-measurement-units-cm-inches\/#Why_is_PowerPoint_showing_centimetres_instead_of_inches\" >Why is PowerPoint showing centimetres instead of inches?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2014\/10\/change-powerpoint-measurement-units-cm-inches\/#Does_changing_the_measurement_system_affect_other_apps\" >Does changing the measurement system affect other apps?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2014\/10\/change-powerpoint-measurement-units-cm-inches\/#How_many_cm_is_36_inches\" >How many cm is 36 inches?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_change_cm_to_inches_in_PowerPoint_on_Windows_11_and_10\"><\/span>How to change cm to inches in PowerPoint on Windows 11 and 10<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Close PowerPoint.<\/li>\n<li>Press <strong>Windows + R<\/strong>, type <code>intl.cpl<\/code> and press Enter to open the <strong>Region<\/strong> settings (or search for &#8220;Control Panel&#8221; and open <strong>Clock and Region \u2192 Region<\/strong>).<\/li>\n<li>On the <strong>Formats<\/strong> tab, click <strong>Additional settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>On the <strong>Numbers<\/strong> tab, change <strong>Measurement system<\/strong> from <strong>Metric<\/strong> to <strong>U.S.<\/strong> (or the other way round for centimetres).<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Apply<\/strong> and <strong>OK<\/strong>, then open PowerPoint again.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"border alignnone wp-image-41814 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/measurement-system.png\" alt=\"Windows measurement system setting for PowerPoint units\" width=\"430\" height=\"120\" border=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/measurement-system.png 430w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/measurement-system-150x41.png 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/measurement-system-300x83.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 430px) 100vw, 430px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Now <strong>Design \u2192 Slide Size \u2192 Custom Slide Size<\/strong>, the ruler and the shape size boxes all show inches. The same setting changes units in Word, Excel and Publisher too.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_change_PowerPoint_units_on_a_Mac\"><\/span>How to change PowerPoint units on a Mac<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>In PowerPoint for Mac, open <strong>PowerPoint \u2192 Settings (Preferences) \u2192 General<\/strong> and look for <strong>Ruler units<\/strong>, if your version has it.<\/li>\n<li>Otherwise, change your Mac&#8217;s units: <strong>System Settings \u2192 General \u2192 Language &amp; Region \u2192 Measurement system<\/strong> (Metric, US or UK), then restart PowerPoint.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Quick_trick_type_the_units_yourself\"><\/span>Quick trick: type the units yourself<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You don&#8217;t always need to change settings. In any size box in PowerPoint (slide size, shape height or width), you can type a value with units and PowerPoint converts it automatically. For example, type <code>36 in<\/code> or <code>36\"<\/code> while PowerPoint is set to centimetres, press Enter, and it becomes 91.44 cm.<\/p>\n<p>You can also convert in your browser: type <strong>36 in to cm<\/strong> into Google and it shows 91.44 cm instantly.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-41811 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-conversion.png\" alt=\"Google converts 36 inches to cm\" width=\"500\" height=\"153\" border=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-conversion.png 500w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-conversion-150x45.png 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-conversion-300x91.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Our_poster_story\"><\/span>Our poster story<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We needed a 36 x 55 inch poster, but PowerPoint showed every size in centimetres, and converting by hand (91.44 cm x 139.7 cm) risked small errors when the printer could only handle 36 inches on one side. Changing the Windows measurement system from Metric to U.S. fixed it at once: the slide size, and even the ruler, switched to inches.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-41812\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/slide-size-cm.png\" alt=\"PowerPoint slide size in cm\" width=\"241\" height=\"208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/slide-size-cm.png 241w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/slide-size-cm-150x129.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 241px) 100vw, 241px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"PowerPoint_poster_size_tips\"><\/span>PowerPoint poster size tips<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Maximum slide size:<\/strong> PowerPoint slides can be up to 56 inches (142.24 cm) on each side. For bigger posters, design at half size with the same proportions and ask the printer to scale up.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Set the size first,<\/strong> before adding content, so text and images don&#8217;t get stretched.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use high-resolution images<\/strong> so they stay sharp when printed large.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Export as PDF<\/strong> (<strong>File \u2192 Export \u2192 Create PDF\/XPS<\/strong>) for the printer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_change_units_for_just_one_presentation\"><\/span>Can you change units for just one presentation?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>No. Units aren&#8217;t saved inside a presentation; they always follow your computer&#8217;s settings. If you share the file with a colleague who uses centimetres, they&#8217;ll see the same slide in centimetres, but the actual size doesn&#8217;t change. That&#8217;s why designers often type sizes with units, like 36 in, to avoid mistakes. Microsoft explains slide sizes in its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/powerpoint\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PowerPoint<\/a> help pages.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_asked_questions\"><\/span>Frequently asked questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_PowerPoint_showing_centimetres_instead_of_inches\"><\/span>Why is PowerPoint showing centimetres instead of inches?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>PowerPoint uses your computer&#8217;s regional measurement system. If it&#8217;s set to Metric, sizes show in centimetres.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_changing_the_measurement_system_affect_other_apps\"><\/span>Does changing the measurement system affect other apps?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes. Word, Excel and other Office apps, and some Windows apps, will also use the new units.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_many_cm_is_36_inches\"><\/span>How many cm is 36 inches?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>36 inches is 91.44 cm (1 inch = 2.54 cm).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Can you change cm to inches in PowerPoint? Yes, but not from inside PowerPoint. We found this out while making&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":41813,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[49],"class_list":["post-41810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computers","tag-tutorials"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41810"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41810\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63330,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41810\/revisions\/63330"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}