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Quick start: How to create your first presentation

Written by Gail Esterhuyse

New to Presentations? This guide will get you started — from creating your first file all the way through to sharing it with your client. We've kept each step short on purpose; if you want to go deeper on anything, just follow the linked article.

1. Create and rename your presentation

  1. Open the project you want the presentation to live in.

  2. Go to Files → click Create file → select Presentation.

  3. The presentation opens in the editor.

  4. To rename your presentation, click the title in the topbar breadcrumb.


2. Set up your first page (a cover page example)

A cover page is a great way to get familiar with the page setup tools.

  • Add layout guides — click the Zoom menu in the topbar → Add guides. Set columns, rows, gap, and margin to create an alignment grid.

  • Add a custom ruler guide — drag from the ruler at the edge of the page onto the canvas to drop a custom guide line.

  • Set a background colour — hover over the top-right corner of the page and click the Background Color icon.

  • Add a shape — click AddShapes in the Command Bar and pick a rectangle, line, or other shape. Useful as a coloured block, accent line, or background panel.

  • Add a text title — press T or click AddText. Click on the page, type your project name, and style it with the formatting toolbar.

For more detail, see:


3. Add content

Once your cover page is done, build out the rest of your presentation by adding more pages and dropping in images and PDFs.

  • Add a new page — click AddPage in the Command Bar to add a new blank page to your presentation.

  • Images — press I or click AddImage. Choose your source: computer, Image Library, Product Library, or Pinterest.

  • PDFs — click AddPDF. Pick which pages of the PDF you want to bring in — each one becomes its own page in your presentation.


4. Use pins to bring your presentation to life

Pins are what set Presentations apart from any other tool. They let you connect real products from your schedules and reference images directly to specific spots on your floor plans, renders, and elevations.

There are two kinds:

  • Product pins connect a real product from your schedule to a specific spot on your page. Hover the pin and your client sees the live name, code, supplier, finish, status, and price. Edit the product from the pin and your schedule updates automatically.

  • Scene pins anchor a render, elevation, photo, or detail drawing to a spot on the page. Click the pin and the attached image opens full-screen — turning your floor plan into a navigable document.


How to add a product pin

  1. Click Pin in the Command Bar → Product.

  2. The Schedules Panel opens. Pick the schedule, then the product.

  3. Click Pin.

  4. Click the spot on the page where you want the pin to go. The pin appears as a small blue dot.


How to add a scene pin

  1. Click Pin in the Command Bar → Scene.

  2. Upload the image you want to attach (a render, elevation, photo, or detail drawing).

  3. Click the spot on the page where you want the pin to go. The pin appears with a directional arrow you can rotate to show the view direction.


5. Edit your images

A few lightweight tools to clean up images on the page:

  • Resize — click an image and drag any corner. Hold Shift to keep its proportions.

  • Crop — select the image → click the Crop icon in the toolbar → drag the handles → click Done.

  • Remove background — select the image → click the Remove background icon in the toolbar.

  • Skew — select the image → click the Skew icon in the toolbar → drag the skew handles. Useful for room mockups.


6. Manage your pages

Use the thumbnail slider on the right side of the editor to navigate and reorder your pages.

  • See all your pages — click the thumbnail slider tab on the right side of the editor to open it.

  • Reorder pages — click and drag a thumbnail in the slider to its new position.


7. Share your presentation

Once your presentation is ready, share it with clients online or export it as a PDF.

  • Share online — click Share in the topbar to publish to the Client Dashboard (for clients) or generate a public web link (for builders, trades, or contractors). For more detail, see How to share a presentation with your client online.

  • Export to PDF — click Export to PDF in the topbar. Choose paper size, with or without pins, and whether to include detailed product spec sheets at the back. For more detail, see How to export a presentation to PDF.

💡 Auto-save — Programa saves your changes automatically as you work. There's no save button; just close the tab when you're done.


Need more help? Contact our support team via live chat for personalized assistance.

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