LaTeX Beamer: How to Create Presentations with LaTeX

Beamer is the standard LaTeX class for creating presentations. If you already know LaTeX, you can reuse your equations, figures, and bibliography directly in your slides — no re-formatting needed.

Why Use Beamer Instead of PowerPoint?

• Math is native — The same $...$ and \equation syntax you use in papers works in slides. No equation editor needed.
• Reuse content — Copy equations, tables, and figures from your paper directly into slides.
• Consistent typography — Beamer uses the same fonts and layout rules across all slides automatically.
• PDF output — Presentations compile to PDF, so they look identical on any computer. No font substitution surprises.
• Version control — Plain text files work with Git, making it easy to track changes across revisions.

Minimal Beamer Example

Here's a complete, compilable Beamer presentation:

Choosing a Theme

Beamer comes with built-in themes that change the look of your slides. You set a theme with \usetheme{} in the preamble. Popular choices:

• Madrid — Clean, professional. Good default for conferences.
• Berlin — Navigation bar at the top showing sections.
• Metropolis — A modern, minimal theme. Requires the metropolis package.
• CambridgeUS — Compact header with section/subsection info.
• default — Minimal, no navigation elements. Clean and distraction-free.

You can also customize colors independently with \usecolortheme{}. For example, \usecolortheme{seahorse} gives a soft blue palette that works with most themes.

Columns and Side-by-Side Content

Use the columns environment to place content side by side — for example, a figure next to bullet points:

Overlays and Animations

Beamer supports revealing content incrementally. Use \pause for simple reveals or overlay specifications like <2-> for fine control:

The [<+->] shorthand on a list auto-increments overlays for each item — this is the most common way to do step-by-step reveals.

Including Code in Slides

For code snippets, use the listings or minted package. Note that verbatim content in Beamer frames requires the fragile option:

Tips for Better Beamer Slides

• Keep slides sparse — Aim for 5-7 lines of text per slide maximum. If you need more detail, add a second slide or use speaker notes.
• Use \alert{} for emphasis — It highlights text in the theme's accent color, which is more consistent than manual color choices.
• Add speaker notes — Use \note{} to add notes visible only to you. Compile with \setbeameroption{show notes} to see them.
• Use vector graphics — PDF or SVG figures scale perfectly on projectors. Avoid low-resolution PNGs.
• Test on a projector — Colors look different on projectors. Ensure sufficient contrast, especially for plots.