PowerPoint

Fonts The preferred minimum font size is 24 point Fonts that work well include: Arial, Lucida Sans, MS Sans Serif, and Tahoma Using bold fonts generally increases readability

Backgrounds Dark blue backgrounds with white text work best Neutral backgrounds with black text also work well Simple backgrounds are best

Text Avoid too much text Headlines with bullets work best Limit each slide to 6 bullet points Every bullet is followed by a capital letter

Text (continued) Each bullet has 8 words or less Use succinct phrases instead of sentences Avoid paragraphs No ALL CAPS for an entire bullet (maybe a word)

Graphics Limit graphics to 1-3 per page Too many graphics can be distracting Add to the message of the slide Face the middle of the slide (people or word)

Transition Use one transition for all slides

Effects and Animations Bells and whistles are fun to put in They tend to be distracting for the viewer Make sure that special effects have a purpose Use up to three different effects on bulleted text

Effects and Animation (cont.) Avoid animation effects on graphics copies from Internet No more than three clicks to complete a slide

Proofreading Check for spelling errors Check for grammar errors

Presentation Don’t read your presentation word for word Slides are designed to supplement your presentation Use slides to zero in on important topics Add more material orally

References Do not plagiarize Cite the source for quotes and graphics Cite the source if you summarize someone’s work