# How to Make an Infographic Free in PowerPoint or Google Slides > How to make an infographic for free: a five-step method, exact PowerPoint and Google Slides steps, a worked example, and where the free way stops working. _Source: https://professionalstoolkit.com/articles/how-to-make-an-infographic — The Professional's Toolkit · updated October 2026_ --- Here is how to make an infographic for free: write the one message first, sketch the order of the facts, then build it on a tall custom page in PowerPoint or Google Slides with shapes, icons and a chart, and export it. An infographic is a single graphic that explains one idea with numbers, steps or comparisons, so the tool matters less than the plan. The free way works well for one or two graphics. It starts to hurt when you need many, need maps or data widgets, or need it to look on-brand every time. **56 in** — The largest side a custom PowerPoint slide can have, so a tall infographic fits on one page - **4 units** — Google Slides custom size: inches, cm, points or pixels - **1 in** — Smallest side PowerPoint accepts for a custom slide - **3 units** — PowerPoint custom size: inches, cm or pixels ## How to make an infographic: the five-step method Most weak infographics fail before anyone opens a design tool. The writer collects twenty facts, then tries to fit them all. Start the other way round. **Pick one question the reader has** and write the answer as a single sentence. Every block on the page should support that sentence, and anything that doesn't goes in a footnote or a separate graphic. This is the whole difference between making an infographic and decorating a slide. 1. **Write the headline answer.** One sentence, under fifteen words, that a reader could repeat. 2. **Choose the shape of the story.** A process reads top to bottom. A comparison reads left against right. A timeline reads along a line. A statistic reads as one big number with context. 3. **List three to six sections.** Each one gets a short heading, one number or step, and one line of explanation. 4. **Sketch it on paper.** Boxes and arrows only. Ten minutes here saves an hour of dragging shapes. 5. **Build, then cut.** Remove every word that the picture already says. Keep a narrow palette: two colors plus a neutral, one font family, and one icon style. Mixed icon styles are the fastest way to look amateur. Put the source of every number at the bottom, in small type, so the graphic can be trusted when it gets shared without your post around it. > 💡 **Write the headline before designing:** If you can't say the point in one sentence, the graphic will not say it either. Every section should support that sentence. ## Making an infographic in PowerPoint PowerPoint is the free tool most people already have, and its SmartArt layouts do the hard part of aligning boxes for lists, processes and hierarchies. The trick is to stop treating the slide as a slide. Turn it into one tall page first, then build the graphic on it. ### Set a tall, custom page 1. Open a blank presentation and select the **Design** tab. 2. Select **Slide Size**, then **Custom Slide Size**. 3. In the Slide Size dialog box, set the orientation to portrait. 4. Type the Width and Height followed by a space and a unit: in, cm or px. The maximum for either side is 56 inches [1]. 5. Select **OK**. If PowerPoint asks, pick Ensure Fit to keep existing content visible, or Maximize to enlarge it. ### Add the structure with SmartArt 1. On the **Insert** tab, select **SmartArt** in the Illustrations group. 2. In the Choose a SmartArt Graphic dialog box, pick a type (Process for steps, Hierarchy for structure) and a layout. 3. Type into the Text pane. If it's hidden, select the arrow on the left side of the graphic. 4. To add a box, select the nearest shape, then on the **SmartArt Design** tab use the arrow next to **Add Shape** and choose Add Shape After or Before [2]. 5. Use **Change Colors** and the SmartArt Styles gallery on the same tab to match your palette. For a headline anywhere on the page, Microsoft suggests a plain text box set to no background color and no border. Stack two or three SmartArt graphics down the tall page, one per section, and leave white space between them. When it's done, save it from the File menu as a PNG or JPEG image for the web, or as a PDF for print. ## Making an infographic in Google Slides Google Slides is the better free choice when the graphic carries real numbers, because a chart can stay linked to the spreadsheet it came from. It runs in a browser, so there is nothing to install. ### Set the page size 1. Open a presentation and click **File**, then **Page setup**. 2. Open the size list with the down arrow. Besides Standard (4:3) and the two widescreen sizes, choose **Custom**. 3. Enter a width and height and pick the unit: inches, centimeters, points or pixels [3]. 4. Click **OK**. ### Add a chart from your data 1. Click **Insert**, then **Chart**, then **From Sheets**. 2. Click the spreadsheet with the chart you want, then click **Select**. 3. Click the chart. If you don't want it linked to the spreadsheet, uncheck Link to spreadsheet. 4. Click **Import** [4]. A new chart made with Insert, then Chart, creates its own linked Google Sheet, and you change the chart by changing the numbers there. Build the rest with shapes, text boxes and icons from your own files. To share the finished graphic, click File, then Download, and choose the format. > ⚠ **Linked charts are visible to viewers:** Google warns that people with access to your presentation can view linked charts even without access to the source spreadsheet. Unlink or check the sheet before sharing. ## A mini example: a refund process in four blocks Say a small online shop keeps getting the same email: *how do refunds work?* The headline answer is one sentence: refunds take four steps and arrive within a set number of business days. That gives a process story, read top to bottom. On a tall custom page, the top block holds the headline and the shop logo. Below it, a four-box Process layout in SmartArt carries the steps: request, label, inspection, refund. Each box gets a two-word heading and one line. A third block shows a single chart: refund requests by month, inserted from the shop's Google Sheet so next quarter's numbers update in place. The footer carries the shop's support address and the date. That is four sections, one chart, two colors. It takes an afternoon the first time. The second time it takes far less, because you copy the file and swap the text. > 💡 **Save your first one as a template:** Keep the finished file as a master copy. Duplicating it and swapping the text is the fastest free way to stay consistent. ## Where the free way stops working The free route breaks at predictable points, and it's worth knowing which one you will hit first. - **Volume.** One infographic a quarter is fine. A weekly one is not, because you rebuild the layout, spacing and icon set by hand every time. - **Length.** A PowerPoint page tops out at 56 inches on a side. Long scrolling graphics past that must be split into parts. - **Charts beyond basic.** Maps colored by region, icon arrays and data widgets are where you start faking visuals with shapes, and faked charts drift from the real numbers. - **Consistency across people.** When three people make graphics, nobody keeps the same colors and fonts unless a tool enforces them. - **Interactive or published versions.** A downloaded image can't show hover details or open a link inside the picture. If two of these apply, the hours you spend aligning boxes cost more than the tool. That's the threshold. Before it, the free way is the right way. After it, a dedicated infographic maker earns its place, and the full comparison sits in our guide to [infographic maker tools](/articles/infographic-maker-tools). If you are still deciding what kind of graphic you need, start with [what an infographic is and the main types](/articles/what-is-an-infographic). ## Infographic tools that take over the layout Three tools in our catalog cover the parts the free route struggles with. They differ on where the work stops: at download, at charts, or at print. Piktochart is built for this job. It [builds an infographic from stacked blocks](/articles/piktochart-infographics). Its charts take typed data, a spreadsheet file or a linked Google Sheet on every plan; its maps take typed data. Its own help center says infographic formats are made for online viewing rather than print. ### Piktochart — solves this You build the infographic from stacked blocks, or let Pikto AI turn a prompt, pasted text, a document or a URL into an editable draft; charts take typed data, XLS/XLSX/CSV or a linked Google Sheet; maps take typed data. 1. Start from a template or Pikto AI 2. Add charts from your sheet 3. Download or share the published link - Where it stops: Free gives 2 PNG downloads for life; Pro exports PNG only; infographic formats are not optimised for printing; Pikto AI does not make charts from raw data. - Plan: PDF export starts on Business; PowerPoint export works only from the Presentation format. - How Piktochart does it: [Build one in Piktochart](https://professionalstoolkit.com/articles/piktochart-infographics) - More: [Piktochart](https://professionalstoolkit.com/tools/piktochart) Visme builds an infographic from data pieces such as charts, icon arrays, data widgets, maps and timelines, and its [infographic maker shows print markers for A4 and US Letter](/articles/visme-infographics) while you build. The free Basic plan can publish a link but cannot download. ### Visme — solves this Create New, then Infographics, pick a timeline, statistics, comparison, list or process template, and add charts, icon arrays, data widgets and maps; charts and tables can link to Google Sheets and refresh. - Where it stops: Basic can publish a link with the Visme logo but cannot download; the AI Designer cannot generate infographics. - Plan: JPG, PNG and PDF downloads start on Starter; HTML5, GIF, MP4 and PPTX on Pro. - How Visme does it: [Visme infographic maker explained](https://professionalstoolkit.com/articles/visme-infographics) - More: [Visme](https://professionalstoolkit.com/tools/visme) Canva is a general editor rather than an infographic tool. It fits when your charts come from a spreadsheet and the rest of your graphics already live there. ### Canva — partly solves this You build the layout yourself in the editor; Canva Sheets with Magic Charts suggests a chart from your data, and data connectors keep charts in sync with CSV, XLSX or other sheets. - Where it stops: You build the infographic layout yourself; generating elements such as charts is a Premium AI tool. - Plan: Flourish interactive charts need Business or Enterprise. - More: [Canva](https://professionalstoolkit.com/tools/canva) ## FAQ **Can I make an infographic in Word or Google Docs?** You can, but a slide tool is easier because shapes stay where you put them. Build the graphic in PowerPoint or Google Slides, save it as an image, and insert that image into the document. **How long should an infographic be?** Long enough for three to six sections that all support one headline. If the story needs more, split it into a short series rather than one endless graphic. **What size should an infographic be?** Size it for where it will live. A tall portrait page suits blogs and Pinterest-style sharing; for print, match the paper size and check how your tool exports for print. **Should I use an infographic template instead of starting from scratch?** A template saves layout time, but only if its story shape matches yours. Pick by structure first (process, comparison, timeline), then by style. ## The bottom line To make an infographic for free, decide the one message, pick a story shape, and build it on a tall custom page: SmartArt in PowerPoint for steps and structure, Google Slides when a chart should stay linked to a spreadsheet. Keep two colors, one font and one icon style, and cite your numbers. Move to a dedicated tool when you make them often, need richer charts, or need several people to stay on-brand. ## Sources [1] Microsoft Support — https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-the-size-of-your-slides-040a811c-be43-40b9-8d04-0de5ed79987e (Nov 2026) [2] Microsoft Support — https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/graphics-visuals/create-a-smartart-graphic-from-scratch (Nov 2026) [3] Google Docs Editors Help — https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3447672?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop (Nov 2026) [4] Google Docs Editors Help — https://support.google.com/docs/answer/7009814?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop (Nov 2026)