Gamma

Gamma's 'Paste in Text' feature is an AI-driven function that converts raw text into structured and visually formatted presentations, documents, or webpages. The process begins when a user selects the 'Paste in Text' option from the Gamma home screen and chooses their desired output format. The user then inputs their raw text—which can be anything from rough notes to a fully written document—into a text editor. A key component of this workflow is the 'Prompt Editor,' which allows for refinement before generation; here, users can adjust the text, specify the types of images to be generated, and fine-tune the format. Gamma offers two primary import methods: 'Plain Import' and 'Import with AI.' 'Plain Import' preserves the original structure of the text, making it suitable for content that is already well-organized. 'Import with AI' leverages artificial intelligence to restyle and reformat the content based on a selected theme, offering a more automated design approach. The platform's AI is central to how it segments and structures the pasted content. Gamma uses a 'card-based' system, where content is organized into flexible, expandable blocks rather than fixed slides. When processing pasted text, the AI automatically segments the content into these cards. For instance, if the input is a document, the AI typically creates one card per heading. If the input is a slide deck, it creates one card per slide. Users can also exert manual control over this segmentation by inserting three dashes (---) in their text, which forces a line break and the creation of a new card. This ensures the logical hierarchy and flow of the original material are maintained. Gamma supports a wide variety of input formats, including Microsoft Word documents, Google Docs, PowerPoint files, Google Slides, Notion pages, and even webpage URLs. It also supports Markdown, allowing users to use its syntax for structuring their input. The AI applies a selected theme, which includes layouts, fonts, color schemes, and visuals like images and icons. While the AI makes the initial design choices, users retain full control to customize the output. They can change card layouts to formats like 'Default (Fluid)', '16:9 (Traditional)', or '4:3 (Tall)' and can restyle elements using a right-click quick-access menu. The AI can also generate images using models like 'Flux' and suggest additional content cards via the 'AI Agent.' The use of these AI features is governed by a credit system tied to subscription plans. As of early 2026, plans range from a Free tier with 400 one-time credits to an Ultra tier at $90/month with 20,000 monthly credits. Generating a presentation costs around 40 credits, while AI edits cost about 10 credits each. Using premium AI models for text or image generation consumes additional credits, with advanced image generation costing between 10 and 120 credits per image. Despite its efficiency, the feature has limitations. The quality of the output is highly dependent on the structure of the input text; poorly organized or unstructured content can result in weak segmentation and the generation of 'generic fluff.' The AI-generated text itself can sometimes be bland and may require significant manual editing to achieve a specific tone or professional voice. Similarly, AI-selected images may occasionally be repetitive or not entirely relevant to the content. This means that while Gamma significantly accelerates the initial drafting process, reducing a task that could take hours to just minutes, human oversight and refinement are necessary to ensure the final product is polished and accurate.