How to turn PDF report findings into carousel slides

Keep page references, units, and qualifications when adapting a text-based report for a shorter format.

A report finding can fit on one slide while its meaning depends on a footnote, a date, or a definition elsewhere on the page. Choose the finding you want to explain, then collect the context it needs before drafting the headline.

Check that the report has usable text

Try selecting and copying a sentence from the PDF. CarouselDraft accepts text-based PDFs with up to 30 pages and a 15 MB file limit. It does not perform OCR or rebuild charts from images. Use a shorter extract or paste a permitted text version when the original is unsuitable.

Keep a page reference

Keep the original passage and page number with each finding. In a two-column report, compare the extracted reading order with the page itself. Watch for table captions or repeated headers appearing in the middle of a sentence.

Carry the meaning, not just the digits

• Keep the unit and time period.
• Name the group the finding describes.
• Retain uncertainty and other qualifications.
• Keep an association distinct from a causal claim.
• Keep an example distinct from a general result.

Finding the same digits in the source is not enough. Read the table notes and surrounding paragraph. For example, a result from one pilot should stay a pilot result when you shorten it. If the meaning is unclear, leave it out or ask the report owner.

Choose an honest visual treatment

Sometimes the clearest slide is a number with a short explanation and its limits. If you make a chart separately, use the source data and retain the labels it needs. Do not invent missing axes or data points from a picture. Keep decorative images separate from report evidence.

Review both the source and the file

Read the finished sequence beside the original report. Check that every headline still fits the scope of its finding, then open the exported file and read every page. A page reference makes this review easier; it does not replace it.

Build a report summary around one finding

• Cover: name the question the report helps answer.
• Context: identify the group and time period.
• Finding: state what the report actually found.
• Qualification: explain a limitation that affects interpretation.
• Recap: summarize the supported takeaway.

You may combine a finding and its qualification on one page when separating them would mislead the reader. Avoid turning a table caption into a headline without reading the notes. If the extracted text cannot represent a table clearly, use a permitted plain-text explanation of the finding instead.

Summarizing a PDF is different from copying its pages

The PDF-to-carousel workflow extracts source text and drafts a new sequence. It does not preserve the report’s original page design, turn each page into a PNG, or reconstruct charts. Review the AI outline before accepting it, then check the linked passages and page references while editing.

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