Gamma

Gamma's presentation layout system is fundamentally built on a 'card-based' architecture, which represents a significant departure from the fixed-slide paradigm of traditional presentation software. This system is engineered for a 'web-first' experience, prioritizing fluidity and continuous scrolling over the constraints of static, paginated slides. At the core of this architecture are 'fluid cards,' which serve as the primary containers for content. Unlike a conventional slide with rigid dimensions (such as a 16:9 aspect ratio), a Gamma card is designed to be malleable. It automatically expands vertically to accommodate the content placed within it. This means that as a user adds more text, larger images, or embedded media, the card's height adjusts accordingly, creating a seamless, document-like flow. This design choice has profound implications for content layout and the presentation of long-form information. It allows for the creation of detailed, in-depth sections that would need to be awkwardly split across multiple slides in a traditional tool. Gamma supports various canvas shapes to suit different sharing contexts, including Landscape for presentations, Portrait for mobile-optimized content, and a Fluid option that dynamically adapts to the content itself. The system's strength lies in its ability to integrate rich media and interactive elements. Gamma natively supports videos, charts, and data graphics. It also features robust embedding capabilities, allowing users to seamlessly incorporate live content from external applications such as Figma for design mockups and Loom for video messages. Specific slash commands, like '/instagram,' even allow for the direct embedding of social media posts, making the presentations more dynamic and engaging. This card-based approach stands in stark contrast to fixed 16:9 slide systems like PowerPoint or Google Slides. Those tools are optimized for print and projection, forcing content to conform to a predetermined rectangular space. Gamma's 'web-first' philosophy, on the other hand, is optimized for browser-based viewing and asynchronous sharing, where scrolling is a natural user interaction. While Gamma does provide an option in its 'Page Setup' to enable 16:9 guidelines for users who need to structure their content for traditional displays, its default behavior is fluid and scrollable, feeling more like a modern webpage than a linear slide deck. However, this innovative approach introduces significant challenges related to export and compatibility. Independent reviews consistently highlight issues with 'poor 16:9 slide mapping' when a Gamma presentation is exported to a fixed-layout format like PDF or PPTX. The conversion from a fluid, vertical card to a static, fixed-size page often results in formatting errors. Common problems include 'broken text/images,' where text flows incorrectly or images are cropped, as well as inconsistent spacing and alignment. This necessitates a significant amount of manual cleanup after exporting, with some users reporting that it takes 15 to 30 minutes of rework per presentation to fix these layout issues. For printing and accessibility, the primary method is through PDF export. However, the same pagination issues can affect the printout, leading to awkward page breaks and an unprofessional appearance if not carefully reviewed and adjusted beforehand. The web-first design, while advantageous for digital consumption, is therefore less suited for workflows that rely heavily on traditional printouts or pixel-perfect slide-to-slide consistency.