What Are the Right Pitch Deck Dimensions [For Different Usages]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- 20 minutes ago
- 6 min read
When we were working on Janet’s pitch deck, she asked us a simple but important question:
“What are the right dimensions for a pitch deck?”
Our Creative Director smiled and said,
“It depends on how you plan to use it.”
As a presentation design agency, we work on many pitch decks throughout the year and in the process, we’ve observed one common challenge: people often assume there’s a universal size that works everywhere. They design once, then wonder why their slides look stretched on a projector, cropped on LinkedIn, or unreadable on an iPad.
So, in this blog we’ll talk about pitch deck dimensions, why they matter, and how to choose the right one depending on where and how you’ll present.
In case you didn't know, we specialize in only one thing: making presentations. We can help you by designing your slides and writing your content too.
Why You Need to Care About Pitch Deck Dimensions
Let’s be honest. Most people don’t think twice about pitch deck dimensions. They open PowerPoint, hit “New Slide,” and start typing. Then comes the day of the big meeting. The deck that looked decent on a laptop suddenly looks like a stretched-out mess on the boardroom projector. Or worse, half the slide gets cut off when you upload it online.
Here’s the problem. Pitch deck dimensions aren’t just about aesthetics. They’re about control. The right dimensions make sure your story looks polished in the exact environment you’re presenting in. The wrong dimensions make you look like you didn’t prepare. And when you’re pitching investors, partners, or customers, sloppy slides send the wrong message.
Think of it this way. You wouldn’t wear hiking boots to a black-tie dinner. You wouldn’t show up to a wedding in gym shorts. Yet people design decks in the wrong ratio all the time, then act surprised when it doesn’t “fit the room.” Pitch deck dimensions are the presentation version of dressing appropriately for the occasion.
We’ve seen this mistake too many times. Founders walk into a VC meeting with a 4:3 deck in a 16:9 world. Sales teams build slick-looking slides that collapse when shared on an iPad. Marketers design for print and then scramble when asked to present live. All of this happens because the dimensions weren’t chosen with the end use in mind.
So before you obsess over fonts, graphics, or animations, start with the basics: get your pitch deck dimensions right. Because if your slides don’t fit, nothing else really matters.
What Are the Right Pitch Deck Dimensions
If you came here for the quick answer, here’s the cheat sheet up front:
Pitch Deck Dimension | Ratio | Best For | Why Use It |
16:9 (Widescreen) | 16:9 | Live presentations, investor meetings, conferences | Standard format, fits most screens and projectors |
4:3 (Traditional) | 4:3 | Older projectors, legacy templates, compact print decks | Still used in some setups, avoids cut-off issues |
Square (1:1) | 1:1 | Social media posts, LinkedIn, Instagram | Mobile-friendly, eye-catching on feeds |
Vertical (9:16 or 4:5) | 9:16 or 4:5 | Mobile-first decks, webinars, social media stories | Optimized for phones, better readability in digital-first settings |
Print (A4 / Letter) | N/A | Handouts, leave-behinds, board reports | Perfect for printing, avoids scaling issues |
That’s the short version. But here’s the thing—choosing pitch deck dimensions isn’t just about picking from a list. It’s about making sure your story fits the context in which it will be seen.
And context changes everything.
Why Dimensions Matter More Than You Think
Most people don’t think about this at all. They pick a default, start designing, and assume it’ll look fine everywhere. It usually doesn’t.
We’ve seen it firsthand:
A founder shows up at a VC meeting only to realize their slides don’t fit the widescreen projector.
A marketing team uploads a gorgeous deck to LinkedIn only for it to look tiny and unreadable on mobile.
A sales rep prints slides designed in widescreen and ends up with awkward cropped edges.
This isn’t just a formatting problem. It’s a credibility problem. A deck that doesn’t fit tells your audience you weren’t prepared. That’s the last impression you want when asking for funding, closing a sale, or pitching a big idea.
That’s why the right pitch deck dimensions matter. They don’t just control how your slides look. They control how your message lands.
The Standard: 16:9
If you want a safe, default choice, go with 16:9. It’s the widescreen format that works with nearly every modern screen, TV, or projector.
Why we recommend it:
It gives you more room to work with horizontally, which is ideal for visuals and data.
It looks modern and polished compared to 4:3.
It avoids the black bars or stretching that make slides look unprofessional.
For live presentations, 16:9 should be your starting point almost every time.
The Old-School: 4:3
Now let’s talk about 4:3. Yes, it’s outdated. Yes, it looks a bit old-fashioned. But here’s the twist—it still matters in some situations.
Why you might still use it:
Older projectors or setups in smaller venues still default to 4:3.
Some organizations with legacy templates insist on it.
Printed decks in 4:3 often look cleaner and more compact.
If you’re heading into a setting where you don’t control the equipment, asking ahead about the setup can save you embarrassment.
For Social Media: Square Formats (1:1)
When your deck isn’t going on a big screen but on a feed, the game changes. A 16:9 slide shrinks on mobile. A 1:1 square format grabs attention.
This is why startups now repurpose their decks as LinkedIn carousels or Instagram posts. They’re not changing their story. They’re changing the frame so the story fits the platform.
If you want your pitch to double as marketing content, design highlights in 1:1.
For Mobile and Tablets: Vertical Formats
More people are viewing decks on mobile today than ever before. Sending a widescreen PDF over WhatsApp or email? Expect people to pinch and zoom.
That’s where vertical formats (9:16 or 4:5) work better. They’re designed to match the way people naturally hold their phones.
Webinars, virtual pitches, and digital-first audiences? Go vertical. It feels intuitive and readable.
For Printing and Handouts: A4 and Letter
Sometimes your deck isn’t about projecting or posting. It’s about leaving something behind. If you’re emailing a deck as a PDF or printing copies for a meeting, designing directly in A4 or Letter size saves you trouble later.
Why this works:
Text doesn’t get cut off.
Formatting stays consistent.
It looks more like a professional document than a slide deck.
We recommend this especially for board reports, investor summaries, and detailed follow-ups.
The Smart Way to Choose
Here’s how we break it down with clients:
Start with 16:9. It covers 80% of use cases.
Create a backup 4:3 if you know the setup is outdated.
Repurpose highlights into 1:1 or vertical if you’re sharing on social or digital-first platforms.
Design a separate print version if you need handouts or PDFs.
Think of it as building a wardrobe. You don’t need 20 outfits. You need the right outfits for the right occasions.
A Real Example
When we worked with a SaaS client, they needed one deck to do everything: pitch investors, post on LinkedIn, and leave PDFs with prospects. Instead of forcing one format, we gave them three:
A 16:9 live deck for pitching in meetings.
A 1:1 carousel version for LinkedIn.
A Letter-size PDF for detailed follow-ups.
Same content, three different dimensions. Each one felt native to its environment. The investors saw a deck that filled the screen. The LinkedIn audience saw slides that popped on mobile. The prospects got a document they could read offline.
That’s the difference between designing a presentation and designing a presentation system.
Why Hire Us to Build your Presentation?
If you're reading this, you're probably working on a presentation right now. You could do it all yourself. But the reality is - that’s not going to give you the high-impact presentation you need. It’s a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error. And at the end of the day, you’ll be left with a presentation that’s “good enough,” not one that gets results. On the other hand, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of presentations, mastering both storytelling and design. Let us handle this for you, so you can focus on what you do best.