# LabCanvas Slides: scientific presentations built from editable figures

> How to build lab meetings, conference talks and lectures in LabCanvas Slides: a slide strip, layouts and themes, transitions and motion paths, speaker notes, full-screen presenting and a vector PDF of the deck.

Published 2026-10-18 by LabCanvas team. https://www.labcanvas.com/blog/slides-scientific-presentations

![LabCanvas Slides with the sample nanomaterials deck: a slide strip on the left, the title slide in the middle, transitions and speaker notes on the right](https://www.labcanvas.com/blog/apps/slides-nano.webp)

**LabCanvas Slides** is a presentation app built on the LabCanvas Figure editor. Every drawing tool, science object, equation and graph works on a slide, so the figures in a talk are the same editable figures as in the paper. It has a PowerPoint-style slide strip, layouts and themes, transitions with match move and motion paths, speaker notes, full-screen presenting and export of the whole deck as one vector PDF.

## Why build talks on a figure editor

Scientific talks are mostly figures. In a usual workflow the figure is made in one program and pasted into PowerPoint as a picture, so every correction means going back, exporting again and replacing the picture. In Slides the figure stays a figure: change a colour, move a label or update a graph on the slide itself.

![The first slides of the nanomaterials sample deck in LabCanvas Slides](https://www.labcanvas.com/blog/apps/slides-nano.webp "The sample deck: 18 slides on nanomaterials, from size effects to applications.")

## What is in the app

| Part | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Slide strip | Add (Ctrl+M), duplicate, reorder and hide slides |
| Layouts and themes | Title, section, content and picture layouts; colour themes for the deck |
| Transitions | Fade, push, wipe, cover, zoom, flip, dissolve and match move |
| Builds and motion paths | Objects appear in steps and can travel along a path |
| Speaker notes | Notes per slide, shown while you present |
| Export | The whole deck as one vector PDF, or a slide as PNG |

## How to build a talk

1. Open Slides from the [dashboard](https://www.labcanvas.com/dashboard.html) or the **Apps** menu.
2. Add slides with **Ctrl+M** and pick a layout.
3. Paste figures from the Figure editor, or draw on the slide with the same tools and Library.
4. Choose a transition and write speaker notes in the slide panel.
5. Press **F5** to present, or export the deck as one PDF for the conference computer.

## Figures that suit slides

Graphical abstracts and schematics read well from the back of a room. Start from a template and simplify it for the slide.

:::grid
![Water splitting: hydrogen and oxygen evolution: an editable graphical abstract template](https://www.labcanvas.com/templates/water-splitting-her-oer.webp "Water splitting: hydrogen and oxygen evolution")
![COF-1 and COF-5: the first COFs: an editable graphical abstract template](https://www.labcanvas.com/templates/cof1-cof5-boronate-cofs.webp "COF-1 and COF-5: the first COFs")
![MOF-5: synthesis and structure: an editable graphical abstract template](https://www.labcanvas.com/templates/mof5-synthesis-structure.webp "MOF-5: synthesis and structure")
:::

## Tips for scientific talks

- **One message per slide**: a title that states the finding, then the figure that shows it.
- **Build complex figures in steps** so the audience follows the logic.
- **Use match move** between two slides that show the same object to keep the viewer oriented.
- **Export a PDF backup** in case the conference computer has no internet connection.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I open PowerPoint files in LabCanvas Slides?

Slides is its own presentation app built on the LabCanvas editor. Build the deck in LabCanvas and export it as one vector PDF, which every computer and projector can show.

### Which transitions are there?

None, fade, push, wipe, cover, zoom, flip, dissolve and match move, which moves objects that appear on both slides into their new place. Objects can also follow a motion path.

### How do I present?

Press **F5** or click **Present**. Full-screen presenting shows the slides with their transitions; speaker notes are written per slide in the right panel.

### Can I reuse a figure from the Figure editor?

Yes. Copy it in the Figure editor and paste it on a slide with Ctrl+V. It stays a vector figure with editable layers, not a flat picture.

### Is there a sample presentation?

Yes: open [Slides with the nanomaterials sample](/slides.html?example=nano), an 18-slide deck on designing matter at the nanoscale, and change it into your own.

## Related links

- [Open the sample deck](https://www.labcanvas.com/slides.html?example=nano): Nanomaterials: designing matter at the nanoscale
- [The Figure editor guide](https://www.labcanvas.com/blog/figure-editor-scientific-illustration)
- [Research Poster guide](https://www.labcanvas.com/blog/research-poster-maker)
- [Present a talk: tutorial](https://www.labcanvas.com/tutorials)
- [Templates for slides and figures](https://www.labcanvas.com/templates)