PowerPoint Presentation Guidelines

• The following 37 slides present guidelines and suggestions for

the use of fonts, colors, and graphics when preparing
PowerPoint presentations for Sessions and Seminars.
• This media (PPT) is designed to ENHANCE your presentation,
not BE the presentation.
• Remember, only you can prevent
“ Death by PowerPoint”
 PowerPoint Slide
• Highlight key points or reinforce what the facilitator
is saying
• Should be short and to the point, include only key
words and phases for visual, reinforcement
• In order for your presentation to fit on most screens,
text and images should be placed within 95% of the
PowerPoint slide. This “action safe” area is seen in
the next slide.
 PowerPoint Layout
• Layout continuity from frame to frame conveys a
sense of completeness
• Headings, subheadings, and logos should show up in
the same sport on each frame
• Margins, fonts, font size, and colors should be
consistent with graphics located in the same general
position on each frame
• Lines, boxes, borders, and open space also should be
consistent throughout
 Fonts
• Font Style Should be Readable
-Recommended fonts: Arial, Tahoma,
Veranda
• Standardize the Font Throughout
-This presentation is in Tahoma

Do!
 Font Size
The larger, the better. Remember, your slides must be
readable, even at the back of the room.

• This is a good title size

Verdana 40 point

• A good subtitle or bullet point size

Verdana 32 point
• Content text should be no smaller than
Verdana 24 point
• This font size is not recommended for content. Verdana 12 point.
 Font Size
Combining small font sizes with bold or italics is not
recommended:

What does this say? Garamond Font, Italic, Bold 12pt.

• This is very difficult to read. Times Font, Bold, 12pt.
• This point could be lost. Century Gothic Font, Bold, Italic, 14pt.
• No one will be able to read this. Gill Sans Font, Condensed Bold, 12pt.
Don’t!

Small Fonts are okay for a footer, such as:

Tips presentation: 3/8/2004 Dawn Thomas, CRM

 Fonts Don’t !

• Don’t Sacrifice Readability for Style

• DON’T SACRIFICE READABILITY
FOR STYLE
• Don’t sacrifice Readability for Style
• DON’T SACRIFICE READABILITY
FOR STYLE
 Caps and Italics
• DO NOT USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
-Makes text hard to read
- Conceals acronyms
- Denies their use for EMPHASIS
• Italic
-Used for “quotes”
-Used to highlight thoughts or ideas
- Used for book, journal, or magazine titles
 Use a Template
• Use a set font and color scheme.
• Different styles are DISCONCERTING to the
audience.
• You want the audience to focus on what you
present, not the way you present.
Use the same Background
on Each Slide

Do !!
 Colors
• Reds and oranges are high-energy but can be
difficult to stay focused on.
• Greens, blues, and browns are mellower, but
not as attention grabbing.
• Reds and Greens can be difficult to see for
those who are color blind.
 Avoid These Combinations
• Examples:
-Green on Blue
-Dark Yellow on Green Don’t !

-Purple on Blue
-Orange on Green

-Red on Green
 Colors
• White on dark background should not be used if
audience is more than 20 ft away.
-This set of slides is a good example.
- you can read the slides up close.
- The future away you get, the harder it is to read.
- This is a good color combination if viewed on a
computer.
- A dark background on a computer screen
reduces glare.
 Colors
• Large Hall Events Don’t

- Avoid White Backgrounds

- The white screen can be blinding in a dark
room
- Dark Slides with Light Colored Text Work
Best
 Background Colors
Remember: Readability! Readability! Readability!

This is a bed mix of

This is a good mix of colors. colors. Low contrast
Readable! unreadable!

This is a bad mix of

This is a good mix of colors.
colors. Avoid bright colors
Readable!
on white. Unreadable!
 Graphs and Charts
Make sure the audience can read
them!
This is a good, readable table. Tables, especially large
ones, should be placed on a separate slide.

4/19 Fri 109 NICMOS restarted, Ne-loop control continues

4/22 Mon 112 Change to mount Do ! control

4/23 Tue 134 Return to Ne control, Filter wheel test begins

4/24 Wed 155 Increase control temperature to allow for +2 k

variations
4/25 Thur 165 Begin darks every 3rd orbit

4/26 Fri 174 DQE test visit 1; Control temp +0.5 k

 Illustrations
• Use only when needed, otherwise they
become distracters instead of communicators
• They should relate to the message and help
make a point
• Ask yourself if it makes the message clearer
• Simple diagrams are great communicators

Do !
Limit Each Slide to one Idea

• Use Bullet Points to Cover

Components of Each Idea
 Bullets
• Keep each bullet to 1 line, 2 at the most
• Limit the number of bullets in a screen to 6, 4 if there
is a large title, logo, picture, etc.
- This is known as “cueing”
- You want to “cue” the audience on what you’re
going to say
• Cues are a brief “preview”
• Gives the audience a “framework” to build upon
 Bullets (con.)
• If you crowd too much text, the audience won’t read
it
- Too much text looks busy and is hard to read
- Why read it, when you’re going to tell them what it
says?
- Our reading speed does not match our listening
speed; hence, they confuse instead of reinforce
 Do not do this!
Points to Remember Limit Bullet
Points To a few
words
• Limit each slide to 1 idea
• Limit each bullet point to only a few words to
avoid long sentences that go on and on!
• Limit animation – Too much animation can be
distracting. Be consistent with animation and
have all text and photos appear on the screen
the same way each time. There are many
animation modes to choose from, but it is
best to use just one throughout.
 Points to Remember
• Keep bullet points brief
• Use the same background for
Do ! each slide
• Use dark slides with light colored
text in large hall events
 Don’t

Avoid the “All Words” Slide

Another thing to avoid is the use of large block
paragraph to introduce your information.
Attendees do not like to have what is on the
screen, read to them verbatim. So, please use
short, bulleted statements and avoid typing
out your whole presentation on to the slides.
Also, it is difficult for some to listen and read a
large amount of text at the same time.
• TO MAKE A SLIDE STAND OUT,
CHANGE THE FONT,
BACKGROUND, OR ADD
ANIMATION.
 Limit Animation !
• Use the same animation throughout the
entire presentation
• Using more than one can be very distracting
- The audience will only see the animation and
not the message you’re trying to get across
 Limit Animation!
• Use the same animation throughout the
entire presentation
• Using more than one can be very distracting
- This audience will only see the animation
and not the message you’re trying to get
across

Do !
 You
• Do not use the media to hide you
• The audience came to SEE you
• The media should ENHACE the presentation, not BE
the presentation
• If you’re only going t read from the slides, then just
sent them the slides!
• Remember, only you can prevent
“Death by PowerPoint”