Presentation Handout: Specifics, Features, and Template

Presentation Handout: Specifics, Features, and Template

Updated on Apr 28, 2025.

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We all know it: a presentation requires a suitable handout. It's always been this way, whether in middle school or high school. But what exactly should be included in a handout, what are the key points, and is there a limit to the number of pages? What things should you consider when creating a handout, what is appreciated and what isn't? One thing is certain: a pleasing appearance also plays a significant role in achieving a good result. But let's start from the very beginning.

What is a Handout?

A handout rounds off the presentation or talk, and thus supports your presentation. A handout should briefly and concisely summarize the most important points of your talk or presentation. It is important that the content is presented again in an easy-to-understand and clear manner.

This makes it easier for your fellow students to remember everything you presented in your presentation later on, but it can also be a good support for you as the speaker when it comes to delivering a fluent presentation, because with the handout you have all the important content at your fingertips at all times. However, this is only useful for the discussion or question session that often follows; your handout should not replace index cards for the presentation itself! Index cards are better for the presentation, as they allow you to see at a glance all the points you want to address on each slide.

In your handout, on the other hand, you may have to search for the relevant section and then get confused more quickly during your presentation. A quick glance at your materials will help you during the discussion.

What should be included in a Handout?

As already mentioned, your handout should contain the most important information from your presentation, summarized in short text sections. It's a good idea to divide the presentation into sections and, if necessary, subsections to increase clarity.

Images, diagrams, and graphics that you may have already used in your PowerPoint presentation can be a helpful part of your handout. Using the same images as in the presentation will improve your listeners' recall. This is because when they read through your handout again after a few days or weeks, they will remember what was said in your presentation much better because the slides and the situation will come back to them. It is important that these images, diagrams, or similar items contain additional, accompanying information to the text, or that they summarize the short section in the handout as a mind map or similar. Statistics with their diagrams can also be easily integrated into the handout, even or especially if they are already included in the presentation.

What should not be included in a Handout?

In your handout, you should make sure that you really focus only on the essentials. You should learn to identify important content and capture and present it briefly and concisely in an appropriate order. Steer clear of writing meandering, over-elaborate sentences ; instead, you should use only short, structured text sections to ensure clarity in your handout. Headings and subheadings are also very useful for this.

You can also include bullet points or key phrases that you used in your presentation. It can also be helpful to provide a short summary of the most important points after each section. These should then be presented briefly in a short section before the presentation. This generally makes it easier to keep track of the content, and readers can grasp the most important content at a glance.

How many pages should a Handout contain?

The length and number of pages of a handout naturally varies from presentation to presentation. How long was your presentation? How comprehensive was your presentation? How much detail did you go into? And: How important are the details? Did you give the presentation to an advanced audience who are already well-versed in the subject matter, or did you have an audience who were completely new to the topic of your presentation?

The general rule is, of course, to keep the handout as short as possible. It should therefore not exceed one to two pages on average. If you want to be on the safe side, double-check and talk to your professor or lecturer about it. They will often give you pointers or already have specific ideas that should be followed.

When should I distribute a handout?

When planning a presentation, the question quickly arises as to when the handout should be distributed. Is it better to distribute it before the presentation? This would be a good idea, as it would allow the audience to copy notes directly into the handout. This way, they will have everything together on one sheet of paper and can listen to the presentation in a relaxed manner without constantly jotting down the most important points.

However, distributing it before the presentation can lead to the audience becoming distracted and becoming too preoccupied with your handout, reading through the handout instead of listening to your presentation. This is why many people recommend distributing the handout after the presentation. This way, some questions may already be answered and will not arise again after your presentation, during the question and discussion session that often follows.

Is there a template for a perfect Handout?

There's no such thing as a perfect handout. It's highly presentation-dependent and tends to vary according to factors such as length and subject of presentation, the professor's preferences, etc. Check in with your instructor in advance to see whether a table of contents (only common for very broad subject areas) or references, etc., are necessary.

If in doubt, however, you should always cite your sources. This is important not only to prevent plagiarism, but also for your audience, as they can then refer to the original files if necessary.

That said, we have come up with a quick, comprehensive handout template for your use. Download away!

Handout Template

Quick Recap

  • The handout should not consist of a coherent continuous text, but should be sensibly structured into individual blocks and sections with headings
  • Use small sections of text and bullet points if necessary
  • Under the heading of the handout, you should write your name, your department, the name of the professor or lecturer, the name of the module and the date of submission.
  • Use pictures, graphics and illustrations to make the handout more vivid

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