Technical Assistance Tip 5

Choosing the Right Font Size, Style, and Colors

Use an easy-to-read font in the right size and with high- contrast color in your presentation slides. Stay away from fonts (e.g., , Book Antigua, Serif Courier, Footlight MT Light, Lucida Calligraphy, Script MT Bold, etc.), as these fonts are harder to read on-screen. Instead, use a sans-serif font (e.g., , Calibri, ), busy as it will be more comfortable to read. Since the amount of text included in the presentation slides is limited, the text should be at a font size that peo- Sans-serif ple can see and easily read. Small font text can be used in the handouts that are provided to the audience, but not clear used in presentation slides (Figure 1). Also, avoid using a mixture of fonts and complex fonts. Experts recommend the following:

• 36-point font in bold for the title slide of the presentation, using initial capital letters. • 28-point font in bold for the headline. • 18- to 24-point font in bold for the body. • 14-point font for the references.

You can always verify if the font size is big enough based on the size of the screen and the size of the room.

Figure 1. Small font text can be used in handouts, but not in presentation slides.

Source: Fishbone, S. 2008. Policy speech for CAS 100A for Engineers. University Park: Penn State. Cited by Alley, M. and M. Marshall. 2009. Rethinking the Design of Presentation Slides: Teaching Slides and Exercises. Available at http://writing.eng. vt.edu/teaching_slide_design.html. (Accessed December 15, 2010). (Modified). A plain white background can be used for the presentation slides. If a different background is used, do not use any color or decorative background, as it will distract the audience from the message or information.1 If a corporate template is required, use a plain background based on the corporate colors and create a color palette based on the corporate logo—or on a photo that is representative of your field or project.2 Also, consider using light backgrounds for talks in smaller rooms and for teaching, and dark blue or black backgrounds for talks in a large room. Some combinations that usually work well are the following:3

• Light blue, light green, light gray, or white backgrounds with black, dark blue/navy, or dark green text. • Dark green, dark purple, or dark blue/navy with white or yellow text.

Some experts indicate that the color combination that is read most quickly is not black on white, but black on yellow. However, as shown above, there are other options that can be used. Also, it is highly recommended that combinations involving reds, some varieties of greens, browns, and cobalt blue not be used because many people cannot distinguish those colors. In addition, be careful when using background colors that can affect the audience’s emotions, like “hot” colors such as red or orange. If you need to use a background and text color combination different from those recommended here, always verify if there is enough contrast by checking on the Color Contrast Calculator Website4 or during your rehearsal. Previewing the presentation in the scheduled room is also helpful, as you will be able to see if the quality of the presentation slides has been affected by other elements in the room (e.g., sunlight, type of overhead lights, room size).

1 Mitchell, O. 2009. How to make an effective PowerPoint presentation. Available at http://speakingaboutpresenting.com/design/ powerpoint-design-recommended-tips/ (Accessed December 15, 2010). 2 Mitchell, O. 2009. How to make an effective PowerPoint presentation: What about corporate templates? Available at http:// speakingaboutpresenting.com/design/powerpoint-design-recommended-tips/. (Accessed December 15, 2010). 3 Paradi, D. 2011. PowerPoint Effectiveness E-Course Lesson 2-Clean Slide Design improves presentations effectiveness. 4 Paradi, D. 2008. Color Contrast Calculator. http://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/colorcontrast.htm. (Accessed February 17, 2010).

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