How can I create a PowerPoint presentation in Urdu?

Creating a PowerPoint presentation in Urdu is entirely possible using built-in features available in Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 and later versions, as well as in LibreOffice Impress. The key requirement is enabling right-to-left (RTL) text direction and installing an Urdu-compatible font such as Jameel Noori Nastaleeq or Nafees Nastaliq. Once these are set up, you can type Urdu text directly into slides, format headings, body text, and captions in the Nastaliq script style, and produce professional-quality presentations that read naturally for Urdu-speaking audiences.

Before you begin typing, you need to add Urdu as an input language on your operating system. On Windows 10 or Windows 11, go to Settings, then Time and Language, then Language, and click ‘Add a language.’ Search for Urdu (Pakistan) and install it along with the optional keyboard pack. Once installed, you can switch between English and Urdu input using the taskbar language icon or the keyboard shortcut Windows key plus Spacebar. On macOS, the process is similar through System Settings under Keyboard and Input Sources, where you add the Urdu keyboard layout.

A very common mistake beginners make is typing Urdu without switching the text box direction to right-to-left. Even if the characters appear correctly, the alignment and flow will look wrong because PowerPoint defaults to left-to-right layout. To fix this, click inside the text box, then go to the Home tab and look for the paragraph direction buttons — they look like paragraph symbols with arrows. Click the RTL button, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Right Shift to toggle the direction. You should see the cursor jump to the right side of the text box, confirming RTL mode is active. For slide titles, it is best to also align the text box itself to the right side of the slide for a clean, professional appearance.

• Install the Jameel Noori Nastaleeq font from the official Pakistan NITB website, as it renders Nastaliq-style Urdu calligraphy accurately at presentation sizes of 28pt and above.
• Add Urdu (Pakistan) keyboard input through Windows Language Settings before opening PowerPoint, so the language switcher appears correctly in the taskbar during your session.
• In PowerPoint, select each text placeholder and press Ctrl+Right Shift to enable right-to-left paragraph direction before typing any Urdu characters to avoid reflow issues later.
• Set your slide layout to a widescreen 16:9 ratio and position Urdu text boxes on the right half of the slide, leaving visual breathing room for any English subtitles on the left.
• Use font sizes of at least 28pt for body text in Nastaliq fonts because Urdu script becomes difficult to read below 24pt, especially when a slide is projected in a large room.
• Save the file in .pptx format rather than older .ppt format to ensure Unicode Urdu characters are preserved correctly when the file is opened on another device.
• Use PowerPoint’s built-in Slide Master (View tab, then Slide Master) to set the default RTL direction and Urdu font globally so every new slide inherits the correct formatting automatically.

Once your Urdu presentation is complete, always do a test run by opening the file on a different computer or projector system to check that the Urdu font renders correctly. If the font is not embedded, the receiving computer may substitute it with a generic font that breaks the Nastaliq style entirely. To prevent this, go to File, then Options, then Save, and check the box that says ‘Embed fonts in the file.’ Keep in mind that this approach works best for text-heavy educational or business presentations; if your slides are primarily image-based with minimal text, a simpler Unicode font like Noto Nastaliq Urdu may perform better at smaller sizes.