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Laura M. Foley Design

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What size should my slides be, 16:9 or 4:3?

July 3, 2017 by Laura Foley 2 Comments

Deciding on a slide format used to be easy when there was only one choice. Nowadays, you can choose between 4:3 format or 16:9. What do these numbers mean and which size should you choose for your presentations?

What the numbers mean

The above notation is called the “aspect ratio,” or the ratio of the width to the height of the slide. In the 4:3 aspect ratio, the dimensions are 1024 x 768 pixels (10.67″ x 8″); the height is 3/4 of the width. Back in the Ye Olde Days of PowerPoint, it was your only choice. Why? Because that’s the aspect ratio of actual slides, pictured above, television screens, and early computer monitors.

When high-definition screens came on the scene in the early 2000s, they were built in a 16:10 aspect ratio. But as more and more high-definition screens were manufactured, it became clear that screens with a 16:9 aspect ratio were cheaper to manufacture. So the 16:9 aspect ratio (1920 x 1080 pixels or 13.3″ x 7.5″) became the new standard.

What size should you choose?

From boardrooms to computer monitors to smartphone screens, 16:9 is the default screen aspect ratio so that’s the slide size I always go with. The 16:9 format gives you a lot of slide real estate to play around with! The legacy 4:3 aspect ratio, while still used, creates smaller slides and doesn’t look that great on newer screens.

How do you change an old 4:3 deck to the new 16:9 format?

Oh, this is super-fun to do and you’re a lucky duck if it becomes your job.

To resize your slides go to the Design tab on the ribbon and select Slide Size/Widescreen on the right side of the screen.

After you select the new size, this window will appear:

Now you’re faced with either everything on the slides being stretched out or squished to fill the space. Oh boy! Either way, after you make your selection you’ll need to go through the presentation slide by slide to ensure that everything looks good. This can be fairly straightforward if the creator of the presentation stayed within the template or a real pain in the rear if he/she didn’t. But do go through the deck to ensure that everything looks right.

If you’re a production artist that charges by the hour, reformatting an organization’s slides from 4:3 to 16:9 could be a nice little gig for you!

Other slide sizes for special events

Now, the 16:9 format is great for everyday use but what if you’re designing a presentation for an event? Last year, I was designing slides for a corporate conference where the setup included multiple, massive screens. For that event, the slides measured 52″ x 17″ and had a “leave this space blank” area on the bottom. Each event is different, so if you’re working on slides like these you need to become friends with the AV folks and find out what size slides they recommend for optimal viewing on that particular setup. The last thing you want to see on a gigantic stage are distorted graphics!

Bottom line

Unless you’re told otherwise, use the 16:9 format. You get a lot more space on each slide for your visuals and it’s really the way things are going.

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Change the size of your slides

Basic steps.

To change the slide size:

Select the Design tab of the toolbar ribbon.

Select Standard (4:3 aspect ratio) or Widescreen (16:9) or Custom Slide Size .

For more about the predefined sizes (including formats like Overhead, A3, A4, Banner, B4, and B5) or your own custom sizing, click a heading below to expand it and see the details .

Detailed steps

Choose the standard or widescreen slide size.

On the Design tab of the Ribbon, locate Slide Size in the Customize group, near the far right end of the toolbar.

Select Slide Size , and then select either Standard (4:3) or Widescreen (16:9) .

When PowerPoint is unable to automatically scale your content, it prompts you with two options:

Maximize : Select this option to increase the size of your slide content when you are scaling to a larger slide size. Choosing this option could result in your content not fitting on the slide.

Ensure Fit : Select this option to decrease the size of your content when scaling to a smaller slide size. This could make your content appear smaller, but you’ll be able to see all content on your slide.

The 16:9 widescreen setting is the default value for new presentations you create. When you change the slide size for a presentation, the size you choose only applies to that presentation.  However, you can make it easy to create a new 4:3 presentation for yourself whenever you want—by defining a custom theme that uses the 4:3 aspect ratio. See the section below named "Make a default size to start from when creating new presentations."

Choose another size, such as A3, B4, or Overhead

Select Slide Size , and then select Custom Slide Size .

In the Slide Size box, click the down arrow next to Slides sized for and select an option. Their dimensions are listed below:

Overhead provides an aspect ratio very close to the standard 4:3 slide size.

There are two options for 16:9 aspect ratios:

On-screen Show (16:9) sets the slide dimensions to 10 in x 5.625 in.

Widescreen sets it to 13.333 in x 7.5 in.

Both of these options are the same aspect ratio so they will look the same in Normal View , since PowerPoint automatically adjusts the zoom level. Widescreen (13.333 in x 7.5 in.) provides more slide surface area for the content, so that is the best choice for presentations. Widescreen won’t fit on an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper without you having to scale it down.

Select OK to accept the dimensions and close the Slide Size dialog box.

Choose custom dimensions (in inches, centimeters, or pixels)

The Slide Size dialog box opens.

In the Slide Size dialog box, ensure the orientation is set the way you want it.

In the Height and Width boxes, PowerPoint accepts measurements in inches , centimeters , or pixels . Type a number followed by a space and then the appropriate abbreviation: in , cm , or px .

PowerPoint then converts measurements, if necessary, to the type of unit your operating system uses.

You can change the unit of measure that is shown in PowerPoint dialog boxes if you like.

Make a default size to start from when creating new presentations

This version of PowerPoint has a default size of 16:9 for new presentation, but you can create a different default for yourself.

Start PowerPoint.

On the File tab of the toolbar ribbon, select New . Then double-click the Blank Presentation to create a new, empty presentation.

Then on the Design tab, click Slide Size and choose the size you want for a default.

(If you want a different default slide size than what's listed there, select Custom Slide Size and then choose your size in the Slide Size dialog box, and then click OK .)

Select Save Current Theme .

Give your theme a name that you'll remember easily and click Save . Don't change the folder that the new theme is to be saved in.

On the Design tab, click the More arrow again in the bottom-right corner of the Themes group. You'll see your newly saved theme under a Custom heading.

Right-click that new custom theme under the Custom heading, and then select Set as Default Theme :

Close PowerPoint. Don't save any files if it prompts you.

Open PowerPoint again. On the File tab of the toolbar ribbon, select New .

The custom theme that you just saved is listed at the top left corner, named Default Theme . The thumbnail image looks like a widescreen slide, but in reality, when you create a new presentation based on that theme, the presentation has the aspect ratio that you've defined for this default theme.

The next time you open PowerPoint, you'll see your default theme in the upper-left of the theme gallery. When you select it, all the slides will be the custom size you chose by default.

Sizing applies to all slides in a presentation

PowerPoint isn't able to resize one slide within a presentation. All slides in a presentation are the same size.

If this is a feature you’d like to request, please send us your feedback to help us prioritize new features in future updates. See  How do I give feedback on Microsoft 365  for more information.

Orientation applies to all slides in a presentation

PowerPoint isn't able to change the page orientation of certain slides. All slides in a presentation have the same page orientation.

Change the page orientation in PowerPoint between landscape and portrait

Use portrait and landscape slide orientation in the same presentation

Reduce the file size of a picture

On the File menu, select Page Setup .

In the Page Setup dialog box, under Slides sized for , select the predefined size you want, or choose Custom and specify the dimensions you want.

Select Slide Size .

Select Standard (4:3) or Widescreen (16:9) .

PowerPoint may prompt you about scaling your content. Choose one of the following options:

Scale: Select this option to decrease or increase the size of your slide content. When scaling to a smaller slide size, this could make your content appear smaller, but you’ll be able to see all content on your slide.

Don't Scale: Select this option to maintain the size of your slide content. Choosing this option could result in your content not fitting on the slide.

Choose Page Setup from the menu that appears.

Page Setup gives you an assortment of predefined slide/page size options. The options and their dimensions are listed below:

In the Slide Size box, click the down arrow next to Slides sized for and select an option.

Widescreen sets the dimensions to 13.333 in x 7.5 in.

Choose custom dimensions (in inches, centimers, or pixels)

Select Slide Size , and then click Page Setup .

The Page Setup dialog box opens.

In the Width and Height boxes, PowerPoint accepts measurements in inches , centimeters , or pixels . Type a number followed by a space and then the appropriate abbreviation: in (inches) or cm (centimeters) or px (pixels).

PowerPoint then converts the measurements, if necessary, to the unit of measurement your operating system uses.

Make a new slide size the default for new presentations

Select Slide Size , and then select Page Setup .

Follow the steps in the prior section to choose the slide size you want.

On the Design tab, click the More arrow below the standard themes.

Click Save Current Theme at the bottom of the window.

Give your theme a name that you'll remember easily and click Save .

On the Design tab, click the More arrow below the standard themes again. You'll see your newly saved theme under Custom .

Right-click your new custom theme, and then click Set as Default Theme .

The next time you open PowerPoint, you'll see your default theme in the upper-left of the theme gallery. When you select it, all the slides will be the size you chose for your default theme.

Some folks have asked about resizing one slide within a presentation. PowerPoint isn't able to do that. All slides in a presentation are the same size.

Some folks have also asked about changing the page orientation of certain slides. PowerPoint isn't able to do that. All slides in a presentation have the same page orientation.

On the Design tab of the toolbar ribbon, click Slide Size in the Customize group.

Click Standard (4:3) or Widescreen (16:9) .

When PowerPoint for the web is unable to automatically scale your content, it prompts you with two options:

The 16:9 widescreen setting is the default value for new presentations you create. When you change the slide size for a presentation, the size you choose only applies to that presentation. 

You can also change the orientation of all the slides in your presentation. See Change the page orientation for instructions.

Choose custom dimensions

In the Width and Height boxes, type a measurement in inches . PowerPoint doesn't accept measurements outside the minimum and maximum shown below:

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How to Change Your PowerPoint Slide Size (16:9 vs. 4:3)

• PowerPoint Tutorials
• March 10, 2019

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to change your slide size in PowerPoint.

That way you can create slides for any situation including on-screen presentations, printed documents, posters, postcards, handouts, etc.

First off, the two most used PowerPoint slide sizes are:

• 16:9 ratio  for onscreen presentations and new overhead projectors. This is the default setting for the latest versions of PowerPoint.
• 4:3 ratio  for printing slides on standard 8.5 x 11 pieces of paper as handouts.

When starting with a blank PowerPoint presentation, changing your slide size is super easy and straightforward. If not, there are a few issues you’ll need to deal with, each covered below.

That’s why it’s worth figuring out what slide size you need BEFORE you build your presentation. If you later convert your presentation to a different size, it can be painful!

It’s just like the old carpenter saying, “measure twice and cut once.” In PowerPoint, you’ll want to “ask twice (to double confirm the required size) and build once.”

Changing your PowerPoint slide size does not make your PowerPoint presentation larger or smaller. To reduce your PowerPoint file size, you need to learn how to compress a PowerPoint presentation .

Table of Contents

How to change your powerpoint slide size.

By default, new PowerPoint presentations start in the 16:9 slide size format.

This is the NEW standard for most modern overhead projects and monitors and is recommended for most presentations. That said, you can easily change your slide size to something else.

To change your slide size in PowerPoint, simply:

• Navigate to the  Design tab
• Open the  Slide Size  drop down menu
• Select  4:3 ,  16:9  or  Custom Slide Size  (see options below)

When starting with a blank presentation, you are now good to go. You will not have to worry about any of the conversion issues discussed below.

Notice too, how much wider the 16:9 slide size is versus the 4:3 slide size in the picture below. The new size gives you more room for the content on your slides.

When you are converting an existing presentation to a new slide size, you will additionally be given the following prompt:

“You are scaling to a new slide size. Would you like to maximize the size of your content, or scale it down to ensure it will fit on the new slide?

Maximize  leaves all your content as is on your slide, even if it no longer fits on the new slide size that you selected.

Ensure Fit  scales down your content in proportion to the new slide size you have selected. You will only see this option when moving from a larger slide size to a smaller one.

Custom PowerPoint slide sizes

Choosing  Custom  for your slide size gives you additional options to work with. Inside the dialog box you can choose your size on the left and your orientation on the right.

On top of that, you can also input your own custom slide size. However, I recommend using one of the preset PowerPoint dimension options.

• On-screen show (4:3)
• Letter Paper (8.5×11 in)
• A3 Paper (297×420 mm)
• B4 (ISO) Paper (250×353 mm)
• B5 (ISO) Paper (176×250 mm)
• 35mm Slides
• On-screen Show (16:9)
• On-screen show (16:10)

For your orientation options on the right-hand side of the dialog box, you can choose between  Landscape  and  Portrait .

In most situations, you will want one of the default settings. Best practice is  Landscape  for your presentation slides and  Portrait  for your printed notes, handouts and outlines.

Issues when converting 4:3 to the 16:9 slide size in PowerPoint

When converting an existing 4:3 presentation with content into the 16:9 format, you are not given any conversion options. Instead, PowerPoint simply does the conversion for you, which can create several problems.

There are two issues you will face in the new 16:9 slide size.

The first issue is that all the images on your slide master (including company logos) will be stretched to fit the new, larger slide size.

To fix the stretched images, you will need to fix those images (or reinsert them) on your slide master, as if you were creating a PowerPoint template from scratch.

The second issue you will face in the larger 16:9 slide size is that you will have a lot of extra white space on your slides.

While you can leave the space blank, doing so will make your content look weird. Ideally you don’t want a lot of white empty space like that on your slides. Especially since all your font sizes will be so small.

That’s why if you have the time, I recommend resizing your content to fill in the white space. You can do this by either increasing the font size of your content, or adding additional visuals that support your message.

Issues when converting 16:9 to the 4:3 slide size in PowerPoint​

When converting an existing 16:9 presentation to the 4:3 slide size, you are given the option to either  Maximize  or  Ensure Fit  (both covered below).

1. The Maximize option

This option means that the content on your slides will not be resized to fit the 4:3 slide size. The same is true if you move to any smaller slide size.

Maximize Issue #1:  All the images on your slide master (including your company logo) will be distorted.

You might also have issues with other content placeholders, slide backgrounds or anything else that was built on your slide master.  For these issues, you’ll first need to navigate to your Slide Master. Once you are there, you either adjust (or rebuild) your PowerPoint template so that everything fits properly.

Maximize Issue #2:  Your content will not be scaled down to the smaller slide size. Instead, you’ll have overhanging content as pictured above.

For these kinds of spacing issues, you will need to work through your slides to adjust your content.

One recommendation as you move from the larger 16:9 slide size to 4:3, is to break up your slides. Take the contents from one larger slide and break it into two (or even three) separate slides.

Breaking up your content is preferable to just cramming more content on the smaller slide space. Doing so will make your content easier to read when presented on an overhead projector.

2. The Ensure Fit option

This option means that PowerPoint will scale down your content to fit the smaller slide size based on the size you selected.

Ensure Fit Issue #1:  Distorted images, slide backgrounds and anything else that PowerPoint had to automatically resize on your slide master.

To fix these issues, you’ll need to navigate to your slide master and adjust (or rebuild) your template to make everything fit.

Ensure Fit Issue #2:  Your content will be scaled down to fit your new slide size, leaving you with a lot of white space. In addition, all your font sizes will be smaller, making them hard to read.

For small content like this, you’ll need to work through your slides and resize your content accordingly. Keep in mind the people at the back of the room too when choosing a new font style and size.

Saving your custom slide size as a PowerPoint theme

If want to use your own custom slide size for all your future PowerPoint presentations, you can save and set it as a PowerPoint theme.

This is a two-step process as discussed below.

1. Save your custom slide size as a theme

To save your custom slide size (and settings) as your own custom PowerPoint theme, simply:

• Open the M ore options
• Click  Save Current Theme
• Name your Theme (and don’t change the file location it saves to)
• Click  Save

2. Set your custom theme as the default

To set a custom PowerPoint theme as the default for all your future presentations, simply:

• Open the  More options
• Right-click  your custom theme
• Select  Set as Default Presentation
• Close out of PowerPoint (and do not save any presentations if it prompts you)

Once you’ve set your own custom theme as the Default Presentation, it will open every time you start PowerPoint. This saves you from always having to switch your slide sizes.

So that’s how you can change your PowerPoint slide size, either before or after you create your presentation.

And although you are given a lot of flexibility in the slide sizes you can choose from, I recommend using the default slide sizes as used by most people.

It’s also important to remember that switching slide sizes after you have built your presentation can be a total pain. So, to the extent possible, figure out your PowerPoint slide size first before you build out your presentation.

If you enjoyed the depth of this article, you’ll love our PowerPoint training courses and other free resources that you can learn more about here .

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How to Change Slide Size or Dimensions in PowerPoint

Change PowerPoint Slide Size (Widescreen, Standard or Custom)

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated September 7, 2023

Applies to: Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® 2016, 2019, 2021 and 365 (Windows)

You can change the slide size or aspect ratio of a PowerPoint presentation in all versions. The default slide size or dimensions in 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 or 365 is widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio). You can also enter a custom slide size if you prefer (including entering slide size in pixels). The best time to set slide size is when you first set up your PowerPoint presentation before you add any content. If you change the size later in the process, you may have to deal with distorted pictures and you may also need to adjust the position and size of various objects on slides in Normal View and in the slide master(s) and layouts in Slide Master View.

The most common slide sizes or aspect ratios are typically used as follows:

• Widescreen or 16:9 aspect ratio is frequently used for onscreen presentations using a projector, monitor or a widescreen TV. Older projectors used the standard aspect ratio but most new projectors are designed for widescreen.
• Standard or 4:3 aspect ratio is often used if slides are intended to be printed on letter size paper.

Slide size changes affect the entire presentation. You cannot change slide size for single slides.

You should never change slide size just before running a presentation as you may not be satisfied with the results. If you already have a presentation with images and other content, it's also a good idea to change slide size on a copy of the presentation so you can keep the original deck and slide size.

Note: Some Ribbon tabs may appear with slightly different names if you are working with PowerPoint 365 and have a smaller screen or different display settings. Buttons on the Ribbon may appear as icons only and are also affected by screen size and display settings.

Recommended article: How to Reduce the Size of PowerPoint Presentations (10 Ways to Compress Your PowerPoint Decks)

Do you want to learn more about PowerPoint?  Check out our virtual classroom or live classroom  PowerPoint courses >

Regardless of the version of PowerPoint you use, you should go through your slides after you change slide size to be sure you are satisfied with the results. Be sure to check the slide master(s) and layouts in Slide Master View as well.

Change slide size to widescreen or standard

To change slide size to widescreen or standard size:

• In Normal View, click the Design tab in the Ribbon.
• Click Slide Size in the Customize group. A drop-down menu appears.
• Select Widescreen, Standard or another option from the drop-down menu. A dialog box appears with options to maximize content or scale to fit (this dialog appears only if you are moving from a larger to a smaller slide size).
• Select the desired option.

Slide Size appears on the Design tab in the Ribbon:

The following dialog box appears in PowerPoint to maximize content or scale to fit only when you change slide size to a smaller size (such as widescreen to standard):

If you select Maximize, the slide content will not be resized when you change to the smaller slide size.

If you select Ensure Fit, PowerPoint will scale your content to fit the smaller slide size.

Change slide size to a custom size

You can use custom slide sizes. Simply choose options from the Slides sized for drop-down menu in the dialog box (such as A4 paper size) or enter custom dimensions.

To change slide size to a custom size:

• Choose Custom Slide Size from the drop-down menu. A dialog box appears.
• Select an option from the Slides sized for drop-down menu or enter the desired slide size in the Height and Width boxes.
• A dialog box appears with options to maximize content or scale to fit (this dialog appears only if you are moving from a larger to a smaller slide size).

Note that the measurement system in PowerPoint dialog boxes is based on your system settings. If you would like to change the measurement system, check out our article on How to Change the Measurement System in PowerPoint.

The following dialog box appears when you select Slide Size and then Custom Slide Size:

You can create posters in PowerPoint by entering a custom slide size such as 36 inches wide by 56 inches high or 91.44 cm wide by 142.24 cm high. The maximum slide size in PowerPoint is 56 inches or 142.24 cm. As a best practice, set the slide size before adding content to the poster.

Many PowerPoint users are not aware that you can enter slide size in pixels (simply enter the measurement with px beside the number). This is useful in a number of situations such as using PowerPoint to create social media posts. If you enter slide size in pixels (such as 200px), when you tab to another box or close the dialog box, PowerPoint changes the pixels to the equivalent in the current measurement system.

Deal with issues when changing slide size

When changing slide size in existing presentations with content, 4 common issues occur:

• Pictures may be distorted as PowerPoint tries to adjust images to fit slide size. Images on slides in Normal View will be affected as well as images on the slide master(s) and layouts. If pictures are distorted, you will need to either manually resize each image or delete them and insert them again.
• Objects such as placeholders and shapes that have been created in PowerPoint are not in the position you'd like. You may need to move objects or reset one or more slides (on the Home tab in the Ribbon, click Reset in the Slides group).
• Extra space is created if you change to a larger slide size. You may need to move or resize objects and adjust the slide master(s) or layouts in Slide Master View.
• If you have changed to a smaller slide size, you may need to increase font size for placeholders and text boxes.

Dimension differences between different slide sizes

In PowerPoint 2013 and later versions, widescreen (16:9) format measurements are different and are set to 13.33 inches wide by 7.5 inches high or 33.867 cm wide by 19.05 cm high. This matches the height of the 4:3 format.

Avoid issues when changing slide size

To avoid issues in PowerPoint related to slide size, you should:

• Try to set slide size as a first step after you create a presentation and before you have entered any content. In 2013 and later versions, the default is widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio).
• If you have changed slide size in a presentation with content, review your slides to be sure you are satisfied with the results. You should also check the slide master(s) and layouts in Slide Master View.
• Never change slide size just before running a presentation as you may not be pleased with the results and you won't have time to fix your slide deck.
• If you have created a presentation with content, make a copy of the presentation first and change slide size on the copy.

Keep in mind that widescreen is normally used for on screen presentations and standard is often used for printed presentations.

This article was first published on October 6, 2019 and has been updated for clarity and content.

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > How to Format Presentation Slides

How to Format Presentation Slides

Learn how to give your presentation slides a facelift so they captivate your audience.

Why is Presentation Design and Formatting Important?

A well-designed presentation can help you connect with your audience and gets your message across in an easily digestible manner. Great presentation design can impart a positive first impression and is more likely to draw in and engage an audience.

Pretend you’re attending a presentation and instead of formatted PowerPoint slides, each one is plain white with a lot of dark text that’s hard to read. And even though the background and text colors are the same, none of the text is lined up and multiple fonts are used. There are no transitions or title pages that help to differentiate between topics being discussed and you’re presented with slide after slide of confusing, jumbled text.

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Formatting slides in your presentation is what enhances the look of the slides and transforms them into something that complements the content and resonates with the audience.

What Else Should a Good Presentation Include?

While formatted slides can help to connect with the audience, a good presentation should also include:

• Well-written, concise content that clearly explains the problem that you’re trying to solve and the unique solution you’ve come up with.
• A great hook or emotionally compelling introduction.
• Visuals that support your message and aren’t too busy.

Most importantly, a good presentation should be efficient and engage with the audience. And that engagement can be found in the content as well as how the slides are formatted.

Tips for Creating & Formatting Presentation Slides

Before you start creating your PowerPoint presentation, make sure that your content is solid. Making an outline can help you keep information organized, clear, and concise before you put it into a presentation. The outline can also help you break down what information is shared on each slide to keep things from being overcrowded or wordy. Take a minute to consider your audience and the best ways to connect with them and present what you’re trying to share.

Once your content is finalized, you can get to work on creating and formatting your presentation slides.

How to Make a Slide

A PowerPoint presentation is sometimes known as a deck and is composed of different slides. When you’re putting your own deck together, you’ll certainly need to add slides and format them in different ways.

In order to make a new slide appear in your presentation, first select the slide that you’d like your new slide to follow. Then click Home and choose New Slide . From there, you can choose your desired layout , and start inputting content. The layout options in PowerPoint are great for keeping your text lined up and consistent through the deck. You can also rearrange, duplicate, and delete slides as necessary.

Formatting Your Presentation Slides

Once you’ve created your content or slides, it’s time to consider design and formatting. This is where you make choices about themes, templates, color schemes, and fonts.

If you don’t feel confident about your design abilities, you might want to try applying a template . This customizable option offers a variety of artistic skins that can give your deck a professional polish. There is even a range of downloadable templates available from Microsoft to suit any kind of presentation.

Don’t feel like you must use a template, though. Many users may prefer to use or create a theme to visually tie together their presentations. PowerPoint provides a variety of themes which include color schemes, backgrounds, fonts, and placeholder slides. In the Design tab, you can choose a theme that appeals to you or matches with your content. You can even try different color variations within the theme by selecting Variants . Each variant has built in options for colors, fonts, and background colors and styles that can help you format your slides and create a cohesive look throughout the deck.

There are a few things to keep in mind if you decide to eschew the suggestions made by PowerPoint:

• Consider the colors you’re using. There are definitely a few color combinations you should avoid .
• Choose fonts that are easy to read and make sure that your text isn’t too small to be read across a large room. You’ll also want to remember to keep the text on your slides relatively sparse, with no more than three bullet points per slide.

Using Visual Aids in Your Presentation

One way to break up the monotony of an all-text presentation is to use visual aids like charts, graphs, static images, gifs, and movies.

As with all other aspects of your deck, ensure that your visuals are easy to see and understand, and aren’t too wordy. Imagine trying to read a line graph with lots of muddy colors and small text from across a conference room. The goal of a visual aid is to make the presentation you’re giving more compelling and the information you’re sharing easier to understand.

Here are a few tips for adding visuals to your presentation:

• Make sure the images you use are of high quality and that they fit in your deck. They shouldn’t be distorted or pixelated, as this will distract from the content.
• All charts should be very easy to read and understand. If someone can’t immediately glean what information is presented, you may be trying to fit too much into a single chart.
• Don’t use more than one chart per slide unless it’s necessary. Keep it simple.
• If you’re including a brand or logo in your deck, make sure you’re adhering to that brand’s style guide .

A great way to get design ideas for slides in your presentation us to use the Designer feature in PowerPoint. It automatically generates design ideas for you to choose from based on the content of your slide. Designer detects when you’re using pictures, charts, and tables and gives you suggestions for arranging them on your slides in a cohesive layout that’s easy on the eyes. Designer can also help to format your lists and timelines into easy-to-read graphics and suggests relevant graphics to pair with keywords that it finds within your content.

Create a PowerPoint deck that stands out and resonates with your audience by formatting it in a professional manner. And don’t forget to prep for your presentation !

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How to change the size of slides in Microsoft PowerPoint

The actual size(s) of the slide is less important than the aspect ratio. By default, slides in presentations that you create from the Blank Presentation template are set to Widescreen size.

To change the size of your presentation slides, on the Design tab, in the Customize group, click the Slide Size button and then:

Notes : The Standard slide size:

• 1600 x 1200
• 2048 x 1536
• 2560 x 1920
• Matches the aspect ratio of standard tablet screens
• Exactly fills the screen in the Slide pane and when printed on a tablet.

Notes : The Widescreen slide size:

• 1920 x 1080
• 2048 x 1152
• 2560 x 1440
• Does not match the aspect ratio of standard tablet screens
• Has empty space above and below when printed on a 4:3 screen.
• Click Custom Slide Size... :

In the Slide Size dialog box:

• Choose the slide orientation in the Orientation group.

After choosing the necessary options, click OK . The Microsoft PowerPoint dialog box will show two options on how to scale the existing slides to a new slide size:

Maximize the content size or scale it down to Ensure Fit it on the new slide.

Note : It is impossible to change the size or orientation just for some slides.

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How to Change the Slide Size in Google Slides

When you’re using projectors and monitors to give your presentation, it might not be well-suited for these kinds of screens. However, Google Slides allows you to change the aspect ratio of your presentations , choosing between 16:9 (widescreen), 16:10, 4:3 (standard) and custom.  Depending on where you’re going to give your presentation, you might need an adapted version for widescreen or another one for 4:3 screens. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to change the aspect ratio step by step.  Have in mind that after modifying the original aspect ratio of your presentation, any elements and images will get scrambled and you’ll need to readjust them one by one in the slides or even the master slides.  To change the aspect ratio of your slides, click on File → Page setup… Then choose the desired option. 

If you need any other size, choose “Custom” and enter the desired width and height values.

For further information on how to change the aspect ratio of your presentation in Google Slides, please refer to this article of the Google Docs support page. Stay tuned for our next Slidesgo School tutorials. See you soon!

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What is the Size of a PowerPoint Slide in Pixels?

By: Author Shrot Katewa

When creating a PowerPoint presentation, it is essential to determine the appropriate size for your slides. Understanding the size of a PowerPoint slide in pixels is crucial to ensure that your presentation looks great on all devices, from desktops to mobile devices.

The standard size of a PowerPoint slide is 1024×768 pixels and the widescreen PowerPoint slide is “1920×1080” pixels. It can also be adjusted based on your preferences or the requirements of the platform on which you plan to present your slides.

In this article, we will discuss the standard size of a PowerPoint slide in pixels or inches as well as how to adjust it to fit your needs. Let’s get started!

1. What is the Size of a PowerPoint Slide in Pixels?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, there are multiple preset slide sizes available. You can also customize the size of the slide using the “Custom Slide Size” feature available in the application. Depending on the slide size you select, the size of the slide in pixels will vary.

1.1 What is the Size of a PowerPoint Standard Slide in Pixels?

The “Standard (4:3)” option in Microsoft PowerPoint used to be the only size option in the beginning since most screens from 2010 and before were that size. The standard slide size in PowerPoint is “1024×768” pixels. 

1.2 What is the Size of a PowerPoint Widescreen Slide in Pixels?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, the default size of the slides is the “Widescreen (16:9)” option. The widescreen PowerPoint slide is “1920×1080” pixels.

2. What is the Size of a PowerPoint On-Screen Show Slide in Inches?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, the size of the slides is mostly measured in inches. Using the “Slide Size” dialog box, you can check the dimension of a slide in inches. Depending on the type of the selected slide, the slide size varies. There are three different “On-Screen Show” slide sizes available in Microsoft PowerPoint.

2a On-Screen Show (4:3)

The “On-Screen Show (4:3)” slides are “10×7.5” inches in size. This is the “Standard” slide size.

2b On-Screen Show (16:9)

The “On-Screen Show (16:9)” slide size is “10 x 5.625” inches in dimension. This is the “Widescreen” option which is the default slide size in PowerPoint.

2c On-Screen Show (16:10)

The “On-Screen Show (16:10)” slides are “10 x 6.25” inches in width and height respectively.

3. How to Find the Size of the Slide in Inches?

Using the “Slide Size” dialog box in Microsoft PowerPoint, you can find the size of the slides in your presentation in inches. To do so, follow the 3 quick steps.

Step-1: Click on the “Design” tab

In the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen, click on the “Design” tab. This will open the “Design” menu.

Step-2: Click on the “Slide Size” option

In the “Customize” group of the “Design” menu, click on the “Slide Size” option. Then click on the “Custom Slide Size” option in the dropdown menu under the “Slide Size” option. This will open a dialog box.

Step-3: Click on the “OK” button

In the “Slide Size” dialog box, you can now see the size of the slide in inches in the “Width” and “Height” boxes. Then click on the “OK” button at the bottom of the dialog box to close it.

4. How to Change the Size of a PowerPoint Slide?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can change the side of the slides using the “Design” menu. However, you can only change the size of all the slides in a presentation at once. To change the size of the slide in PowerPoint, follow the 3 simple steps.

The first step is to open the “Design” menu. To do so, click on the “Design” tab in the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen.

In the “Customize” group of the “Design” menu, you have to now click on the “Slide Size” option. This will open a dropdown menu containing the preset slide size options available in PowerPoint.

Step-3: Click on your preferred slide size

Finally, all you have to do is click on your preferred slide size option from the preset options available in the dropdown menu under the “Slide Size” option. The available slide sizes are “Standard” and “Widescreen” .

4.1 How to Customize the Size of a PowerPoint Slide?

The “Custom Slide Size” feature in Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to customize the size of all the slides in a presentation. Using the feature, you can set any dimension to the slides in your presentation. To customize the size of the slides in a presentation, follow the 7 easy steps.

The first step is to open the PowerPoint presentation file where you want to customize the size of the presentation slides. Then click on the “Design” tab in the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen to open the “Design” menu.

The next step is to click on the “Slide Size” option in the “Customize” group of the “Design” menu. In the dropdown menu, the default slide size is the “Widescreen (16:9)” option.

Step-3: Click on the “Custom Slide Size” option

Now all you have to do is click on the “Custom Slide Size” option at the bottom of the dropdown menu under the “Slide Size” option in the “Design” menu. This will open a dialog box.

Step-4: Click on the “Slide sized for” option

In the “Slide Size” dialog box, click on the “Slides sized for” option. Then click on the “Custom” option at the bottom of the dropdown menu under the “Slides sized for” box.

Step-5: Click on the “Width” box

In the “Slide Size” dialog box, the next step is to click on the “Width” box. Now you can type in your preferred width of the slides in inches. You can also use the up and down arrows in the “Width” box to increase or decrease the width of the slide respectively.

Step-6: Click on the “Height” box

The next step is to customize the height of the slides. To do so, click on the “Height” box in the “Slide Size” dialog box and type in your preferred slide height in inches. You can also click on the up or down arrows in the “Height” box to adjust the height of the slides to your preference.

Step-7: Click on the “OK” button

Finally, all you have to do is click on the “OK” button at the bottom of the “Slide Size” dialog box to save the custom size for the slides in the presentation file.

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Best Resolution For PowerPoint Presentations

Sep 30, 2015 | DataPoint , DataPoint Real-time Screens , How-To , iPoint

77 Comments

I do not have inch on powerpoint, What would 13.333 x 7.5 be in metric?

Mike, don’t worry. You can enter you number with the cm suffix too! The 13.333 in by 7.5 is the default slide size setting for a widescreen presentation in Inches.

Dear Admin,

Thanks for an awesome tutorial.

I am using windows computer and my office version is 2016. I have the following question please.

” Is it possible to setup a Powerpoint slide resolution in windows computer that will work perfectly on Macbook Pro Retina Display? If yes, How?”

Note: I am searching this solution for a long time. i think you can help me to get a solution regarding this.

Regards and Thanks

Thanks for the message. To set up that presentation for your Macbook, look what the resolution is. Maybe it is 2880 x 1800. When you have that, go to your PowerPoint, click Design and then Slide Size and choose Custom Slide size. There you see the width and height in inches or centimeters. Just enter here 2880 px and 1800 px and PowerPoint converts it automatically into the corresponding inches or centimeters.

I have been doing posters for years now and I always get a problem when I make my poster to be an A1 size,it never apear clear, it so not clear that you can’t see the picture clearly even the writing. How do I do my settings?

Hi Lucky, I need some more info on your process. Are you changing the slide size to the dimension of the A1 size? So 59.4cm x 84.1 cm or 23.4″ by 33.1″? I guess you did that already. How to you see it then that the picture is not clear? Are you insert pictures on your slide? Is the slide unclear on your screen? Or maybe, is a print-out or save-as-picture not clear? Please let me know. Maybe attached a sample.

My version of PowerPoint does not allow me to insert a custom setting of 1080px X 1920px. However it does allow a ratio of 16:9 in portait which automatically converts the size settings to 14:29cm width and 25.4cm height. Is this the same as 1080px X 1920px?

Thanks for your help!

Hi Ann, it all sounds correct. You can enter your dimensions as 1080px and 1920px. But indeed, the pixel values are automatically translated into cm or inches. That is normal. The new values fully correspond to your chosen px values.

Thanks for your Power Point How To! Unfortunately I lack a lot of knowledge on this subject, but am interested in learning how to create a better quality, higher resolution jpeg on PP. I often create and send flyers by email, or post them in Facebook. When I do so the text and pictures are somewhat blurry. I assume they are automatically compressed and therefore lose quality. Of course I know they can’t be too large for either of these mediums. I don’t know much about width and height or resolution. Any direction you can give me as to how best to determine that, and how to turn out a higher quality flyer would be very much appreciated. Thanks Sally

Hi Sally, I assume that you are using PPT 2016. In PowerPoint, click File, Options, Advanced. Then at the group ‘Image Size and Quality’, change the ‘Default resolution’ option. I always set this to ‘High fidelity’ for the best results.

That should do the trick!

I have PP 2016. A projector with native res of 1024 x 768. My screen is a 4:3 (6′ X 8′) and having trouble filling the screen. Should I tic the “Best scale for slide show” box and input 1024 x 768? How about using “Play full screen” under the video Playback tab. It’s all confusing.

Hi Frank, Your resolution of 1024 x 768 is a perfect match with your screen, since that is 4:3 too. According to this info here, I would say that the result is a full screen image. Video playback tab: no impact on your slide show page setting. Is for videos only. But have you set you slide design setting to 4:3 too? See Design, Slide Size. Is that 4:3?

Yes, I have slide size set to 4:3 (Slide still not filling the screen. Here are my specs: Projection screen size: 8′ x 6′ (4:3 ratio) Shows a 10″ X 7.5″ slide size. Projector has a native resolution of 1024 X 768 I should make the slide size setting 4:3 and leave default size or put in pixel sizes for height/width? That is 1024 px X 768 px?

What should my laptop display resolution be set to?

At 4:3 the slides fit the screen but the inserted videos do not fit screen–not sure what is causing that. Should “Play Full Screen” be checked?

When “Best scale for slide show is selected” a resolution is requested. (?) The default is showing 640×480)

At what point in the process do I bring in my slide show template? After all settings have been completed?

Sorry about the ton of questions Admin, there are so many settings it boggles the mind. Thanks Frank

Frank, since your projector is 4:3, then you should choose 4:3 on your slide design as well. If you want, you can always enter the pixel value, there whee you see the inches values. Just type in your e.g. 1024 px (with px!) and it will be converted to inches again. Could be a good test to try.

Best is to open your template first, and then apply the screen and slide design settings.

Hi Admin, Thanks for the suggestions.

When I select 4:3 for the 6′ x 8′ projection screen, there are no options to input H & W but I selected “Custom” and input 1024 px in width box and 768 in height. When I exited then re-entered “custom” the box showed 10.667 in and 8.0 in. (PowerPoint 2016).

Is placing the projector’s native res (1024 X 768) in the “Slide Size” box the only location in PP that the res is entered? (I see all kinds of slide dimensions in different places in PP.)

Thanks again, Frank

Thanks is correct. The px values that you can enter manually, are automatically converted into inches or centimetres, based on your regional settings. The only place where you should set/change the presentation slide design, is at (for ppt 2016) Design tab, Slide Size, Custom Slide Size. Maybe try with a new and clean presentation first!

Thanks Mr. Admin, you have been great. Saying that, nothing is working so I’m starting to think my new HDMI over Cat 6 cable that I got from Amazon might be the culprit. It uses two powered baluns but the cable itself was cheap.

For example, when I change the laptop display setting to match the projector’s, 1024×768 I lose the projector image entirely. I don’t get it back until I go back up to several higher re settings. AND, none of the slide sizes change the output to any degree at all. (Very frustrating.)

Frank, I understand that this is very frustrating for you. But I would suggest to bring down the resolution to 800×600 pixels. That is the most standard and lowest resolution that every device should be able to handle. Try that first. Secondly, try to use a VGA cable maybe, to check out your new HDMI cable (or another HDMI cable that you borrow somewhere).

And maybe try your chance at a PowerPoint forum or at other resources where more PowerPoint experts are watching. They might have the experience that you need here. Check out e.g. http://www.msofficeforums.com/powerpoint/ and https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Connect-with-other-PowerPoint-users-ce0fd093-41c0-406c-92b8-65603b89aa6e

Many thanks Admin, I’ll try those resources you suggested.

Hi Admin – we have a ppt template that by itself is over 5MB and is causing problems when we start to add additional pages we quickly get up to 20-40MB! We mainly present on a range from computer screen to normal boardroom sized screens. We have 2 solutions we’re looking into and would appreciate your expertise. 1) reduce all of the images in the master to 96 dpi, 2) remove all images in the master, only have templates, and then have separate files that can be inserted that contain images, etc. Any recommendations? Thoughts?

Hi Deborah, Shrinking your images before you insert them, is a good option. But, even when they are inserted already, you can compress the images on your slides, and thus, reduce the total size of the presentation. To do this, select your image, and go to the Picture Tools, Format tab. Click the Compress Pictures button. Now you get the option to compress the images to a given resolution, and to crop the pictures.

Normally a presentation of 20-40MB should not give you problems. What are the problems that you are experiencing then? Slow starting?

Hello — I have a PowerPoint presentation with slides that are set up as 10in x 7.5in (960 pixels x 720 pixels). If my .jpg images are set up as 96 pixels/inch, is that a high enough resolution? There will be 210 slides in the presentation, and each slide will have one .jpg that fills the screen. I am creating each slide first in InDesign (so that I have full design control over image/text) and exporting it as a .jpg file. I will not be adding anything else to the slide in PowerPoint (no additional text or images).

Thank you, Kathy

Hi Kathy, So your real question is, is a resolution of 96 pixels/inch enough for my presentation. First of all, 210 slides in one presentation is a lot. So, I guess you are creating some kind of brochure or business reporting, and not a sales presentation. So, with this number of slides, you will face probably a larger file. Using 96 px/in will keep your file size to a minimum. That’s for sure.

Important is: what is your priority? Small file size for easy distribution? Then you are fine already with this small resolution. But, if you want to use this presentation as an advertising or promotion presentation with your company’s products, then you should look at the resolution of your display device. When you are using a large 4K television screen (this is 4096 x 2160 px) for this, then of course this resolution of 960 x 720 pixels in total, is way too low. This would mean, that one pixel of your image would be stretched out and serve 4 pixels on your television. That results in an unsharp image on the TV.

So, the resolution set for your images, is not that important. You need to know the resolution of your display device (computer or projector/television) and the purpose of your presentation. Based on that info, you can make decisions on the image resolution, before importing them into PowerPoint.

But maybe a tip, or what I would do. Export the images from InDesign, in the highest resolution possible. Use them in PowerPoint. It will result in a large file, but you will have the maximum of information or details on your slides. Next step is to make a copy of the presentation and then you select your first picture, go to Picture Tools, Format tab, Compress Pictures. There you will have the option to compress the image to a lower resolution (for this or all images of the presentation). Save the presentation and evaluate it size or quality (whatever is your priority).

Hope this helps!

This is very helpful — thank you for all of the information and suggestions. It will help my workflow greatly. Thanks again.

Hi Do you have any particular advice on creating a PP presentation for a cinema screen. The cinema has specified 1990px x 1080px. Do you have any other advice?

Sure, at the boxes where you typically enter your values in inches or centimeters, just enter there the values with ‘px’ as suffix. So type in: 1990px and it will be translated automatically into inches or centimeters (according to your regional settings). That should help you.

Thanks for the article!

I have one question, I am creating a presentation that will be projected at a film theater and will include a variety of images. I want it to have the best possible quality. Is there something specific that I should do if it will be projecting at such a large size? Do I have to figure out the size of the projection in order to design something accordingly?

Thanks again

Hi Paul, thanks for your message.

Well, let me try to help you. The resolution of the presentation that you are designing is probably not relevant since you are probably using a projector on a wall. When presenting on a television screen, then you must respect the aspect ratio of your presentation and your television. More is explained here: https://presentationpoint.com/blog/powerpoint-aspect-ratio/ . But, that is not relevant when you are projecting on a e.g. white wall. Then you are not restricted at all, with regards to the aspect ratio.

More important is the possible loss in quality of your images. You might want to work with high resolution images, but by default, PowerPoint is compressing the images to a much lower resolution! That you don’t want to happen with a professional and largely projected presentation. Force PowerPoint to not compress your images. Set this already before you start adding images and definitely before your first save of the presentation. More info at https://presentationpoint.com/blog/powerpoint-compress-images/

Good luck with your event.

Whatis the real, true, actual maximum width in pixels for powerpoint 2016? I not talking about the scale up to fit the gpu (video card) but the actual physical pixel width limit. In 2010I was always told it was 4000 pixels. I do working with really wide screens in the video world. And by wide screen, I am talking 4096×4=16,384 pixels wide is a small canvas for us.

Microsoft will not generally answer this question and I have asked them this as microsoft shows like ignite 2017. Their responce is we base things on the printed world.

Good question James! Let’s play with it. PowerPoint 2016 (on Win platform) allows you to enter a custom slide design of 56″ width and 56″ height. Those are the maximum values that it allows. When you set a width in pixels, e.g. you enter 100px as value there, then that is translated into 1.042″. You know that you can enter px values in PowerPoint, right? So 100 pixels = 1.042″. This is means that the maximum pixel size of a PowerPoint presentation is limited to 5835 x 5835 pixels. 5835 pixels is the highest resolution that you can go. You can go higher, but you are losing quality. Hope that answers your question!

I send my customers PowerPoint files with mockup images of UI designs. I often receive comments saying the designs are either too small or too large, but I discovered this is largely because they use different devices with different dimensions/resolutions to review the mockups. Is there a way I can “force” images onscreen to stay fixed (let’s say at 4.2″x6.8″) regardless of what device they use?

I am preparing a photography dense Power Point presentation on a Mac that serves informational needs to both regional public offices and local mayors. I understand that these clients will be using PC computers. My online research warns the Mac lettering fonts may distort on PC oriented screens. To solve this issue, a suggestion was to take a image of a page’s entire the layout of images and text. How is that done successfully? Is a full size screen shot of a computer screen going to work? I am thinking that is not. So how do I get a good page image resolution? What file resolution am I after? 300dpi, 400dpi? It also warns of the sizes of each image done in this manner would be larger than if I had it done in PC’s Power Point. How much larger? What are the variables I need to understand?

Hi Judy, I would not export your nice presentation as (high-res) images between your Mac and PC users just for that. Why don’t you use safe fonts? A safe font is a font that can be used (normally without problems) on PC and Mac. There is a nice article that I found about this matter at https://www.indezine.com/products/powerpoint/learn/textandfonts/safe-fonts.html . Hope that helps!

I created a show at a custom size (10.5×8) and saved the slides as images. When I went to insert the images into a slideshow with the same dimensions as backgrounds, they were super fuzzy. Is there a way to fix this?

Thanks! Sarah

Hi Sarah, I think that you need to read and apply this article! https://presentationpoint.com/blog/powerpoint-low-resolution-pictures/

Is a 220 ppi good enough to have a crisp high quality presentation on a 16:9 projector with a resolution of 1,536 pixels x 960 pixels? Thank you!

Oh yes. 220 is still a very good quality! It will be looking much better already with this change!

What is the resolution settings of powerpoint JPG for 43″ LED TV?

Dear Jose, thanks for your question. At the stage, it is not possible for me to say that you have to use a resolution of x by y, because it depends on 2 things: a) what is the maximum display resolution that you can use on your television. For this info, check out the technical specifications of your brand/model. b) and more important: what is the maximum resolution or the current resolution of the computer that you want to connect to the screen?

Note that maybe your screen can handle a 4K resolution of 3840 by 2160 pixels, but your computer can handle only 1920 by 1080 pixels. In that case you best set up your presentation for 1920 by 1080 pixels, because that is the highest resolution that your computer can generate and send to your screen.

But on the other side, 3840 by 2160 is a ratio of 16:9 and 16:9 is definitely the ratio that is used on all modern televisions. So I would suggest to use 3840 by 2160, aka 4K, because that would fit on every 16:9 screen, even if the resolution is lower (whenever it is 16:9). So use and design in 4K and the output will be ok.

All clear? Success with your setup.

Dear Admin, thank you for the tutorial on the screen resolution. Please, I use windows 2010 and I can’t locate where to change the slide size like you illustrated using windows 2013. My presentation on my laptops come out so tiny and faint on the Flat Screen during my presentation. My audience can’t read what is on the screen. I need your help in this regard. Thank you. Phil.

Hi Phil, Have a look at this great article by Ellen Finkelstein where you see instructions and screenshots for 2010 specifically. https://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/how-to-create-a-poster-in-powerpoint-2007-powerpoint-2010/ Does that help?

Sorry, gang… You included a lot of good information and suggestions here, but you never gave the correct answer. The Best Resolution for PowerPoint Presentations is:

“I resolve to use fewer text bullet points on my slides!”

Hello! I am working a Widescreen HD project– the default slide size is 13.333 x 7.5 in. When I insert the specifications of 1920 x 1080 px, the slide size reduces to 9.999 x 5.624 in. The slide size is *smaller*– it doesn’t seem logical that a smaller slide size would have increased projected resolution. What am I missing?

That sounds a bit low yes. AFAIK this value is calculated based on your current DPI settings. Could this be low too? In order to build e.g. a higher resolution presentation, I would double here your values in inches. The bigger, the better. It will always be reduced when too big. But starting small is, as you expected, not ideal.

Thank you so much for this great post. I want to create how-to-presentations and how-to-videos for internal teaching purposes at my company. First, I plan to create PowerPoint presentations with each >50-100 slides, lots of pictures and animations, afterwards I want to use the presentations as basis to produce the videos. The company I am working for deploys 4k widescreen TVs. Most of the pictures at our disposal are in 1920 x 1080 px format or lower.

First question: Above you mentioned “So I would suggest to use 3840 by 2160, aka 4K, because that would fit on every 16:9 screen, even if the resolution is lower”. I am not sure if I understood you correctly. Would it be of any benefit to me to use a 4K PowerPoint resolution, as you suggested, even if our pictures are of lower quality? If yes, why?

Second question: In order to produce the videos which of the two options would be better according to your experience? To use (a) the PowerPoint video feature or (b) to use a screen recorder (e.g. obs) to record my presentations as video? (Please keep in mind there are many animations which have to be executed manually in real time)

Third question: Which resolution should I use to produce a video given my company uses 4K TVs? (Full HD or 4K, given that our pictures are of lower quality than 4K)?

Sorry for the many questions I need your help. Thank you!

Thank you so much for your great article. I hope you can help me.

I would like to create high quality how-to-presentations and how-to-videos (both with many slides, pictures, animations and verbal comments) for internal education purposes at the company I am working for. We deploy 4k widescreen TVs. The format of the pictures at our disposal is 1920 x 1080 px or lower. First, I want to create the presentations, afterwards I want to use them as basis for the videos.

Above you mentioned “So I would suggest to use 3840 by 2160, aka 4K, because that would fit on every 16:9 screen, even if the resolution is lower”. I am not sure if I understood you correctly. Would it be of any benefit to me to make 4K PowerPoint presentations even if our pictures are 1920 x 1080 px or lower? If yes, why?

In order to create the videos which of the two options would you prefer according to your experience? (A) to use the PowerPoint video feature to create the videos? (I heard that PowerPoint is now able to do 4k videos) or (B) to use a screen recorder (e.g. OBS)? (Please keep in mind the format of our pictures; Also the many animations & verbal comments which I need to record in the video in real-time).

Would you also recommend to produce 4k videos instead of HD videos (1920 x 1080 px) given our picture quality?

I already finished a couple of presentations but they are in the format 4:3. Thanks to your article I understood that I have to switch the format to 16:9. When I attempt to set the settings for a new presentation to 16:9 (1920 x 1080 px) I get a PowerPoint-question asking me if I want to maximize the content or if I want to scale it down. Which of the two options do I have to take?

Your help would be very much appreciated. Thank you!

First question: I would still use 4K resolution. The higher the better. Even when your pictures are not directly in 4K, then still you can have the other shapes like texts etc in very high quality. Second question: ‘Animations that have to be executed manually’: that is conflicting with videos. Once it is a video, you have no manual options unless you would pause or start new videos. When it is manual advancing and animations (on click), then PowerPoint remains the best option. Not? Third question: Is related to the first one and I would give the same answer. I would produce and render at 4K.

This message is more or less identical to your first request. Overall I would suggest using 4K slide size. Maybe your images are not directly 4K, all the rest can be displayed in better quality. So when your TV output is 4K, then design in 4K for the best results.

Thanks so much for your great help! Since I have already completed a few presentations I was wondering whether I have to completely remake them. The presentations where saved in 220ppi mode (PowerPoint-Version 2016). My goal is to have a very high presentation quality (I guess high-fidelity will do) and a 4k resolution (I changed the settings after reading your post accordingly). Because of the standard PowerPoint settings of 220ppi I have to replace the pictures, this I understood. But what about the PowerPoint shapes like arrows etc? Are they automatically in high quality when I change the settings in the existing (old) presentations from e.g. 220ppi to high-fidelity or do the shapes still keep their 220ppi?

What would be the best solution? a) To simply replace my pictures (220ppi) in the current presentations. In case the shapes adapt automatically from 220ppi to high-fidelity this option would be preferred. b) To start a new presentation from scratch with the setting of high fidelity. I still have to replace the pictures but could I just copy the shapes from the existing (old) presentations into the new presentation? (Of course only good if the shapes would get changed from 220ppi to high-fidelity via the copying-process) c) To start a new presentation from scratch having to add new pictures and make new shapes?

Sorry for the delay due to the Christmas period. Correct. First make sure to use high-res images and make sure that PowerPoint is not compressing them by default when you save the presentation.

You can perfectly change the slide design to 220 and everything will be adjusted. That is the advantage of PowerPoint. Then ‘calculation’ is done when you run the slideshow, so your ‘low-res-shapes’ will become ‘high-res-shapes’ automatically. Easy, not?

Quick Question… Why using 4k slides when the text and shape are vector, only images should be High-res so what is the main advantage of using the 4k and not the full hd?

Hi Mike, Good question. Basically you are right. Texts and other shapes are saved as vectors, so that makes no real sense. Images and videos need to be in high resolution, without having the risk that they are shrunk. Maybe it is a personal thing, but when you are using high res images and high quality on a small resolution screen like 800×600 pixels, and when you are applying fine and precise animations to your slides, then you want to design and test the results on the more-or-less same quality. It is absolutely not mandatory, but a Ferrari is preferably tested on the highway or on a test track:-).

I appreciate your article and I have a question on avoiding image distortion in ppt.

I am trying to take a ppt presentation that had originally started in 2007 and continued to work omn in ppt 2016. According to my settings it shows under properties as 35 mm slide format.

I used ppt to createsome of the more recent images, i.e. prototype designs at various different perspective, because I found it easier than using photoshop.

When I decided to migrate certain images and slides from ppt 2016, into a higher resolution (1920×1080, per your article) the images were grossly distorted to beyond recognizable, and any repair.

I tried both “made images fit the slide,” as well as the “maximize options.” in setting up the 1920 x 1080 without success.

The results were quite a mess, either way.

Before you comment I want to let you know that several images were worked on one slide so that I could demonstrate different “product variations,” and I recall that I often had to work at 350 to 400x zoom in creating them on that single slide. I thought I could work on them and then copy and paste them into seperate slides as needed. That actual slide of images took about 3 weeks+ to complete.

The presentation will be to investors and VCs. What is the best way to avoid gross distortion, and best resolution as I start to transfer images over to ppt in 1920×1080? Help!!!

Do I need to utilize any program or save images in any different format, (jpeg,tiff/ etc?) to convert things and then import the images into the higher res presentation??? Or am I competely unfortunate to have these critical images that won’t scale up or work????

Hi Brent, Have you also read these articles? https://presentationpoint.com/blog/convert-powerpoint-to-jpeg/ https://presentationpoint.com/blog/powerpoint-compress-images/ When this is not helping either, send in a trouble ticket on our website with a one-slide-one-picture sample.

Will do. Thanks so much for the prompt response. I will read those articles later today.

Hi, if the ppt is made in the ratio of 16:9 And if we r displaying it on the led wall of 8/6 ft will the display be full or will it look cinema scope

Well, on an 8/6 ft wall, it will have cinema-style with black borders for sure. A shame that not all pixels are used of your expensive LED wall. To fill your 8/6 ft LED wall, please redesign your presentation as a 4:3 ratio presentation. All clear?

I have a couple of questions I’m hoping you can help me with but first I’ll give you the details. I am creating a powerpoint presentation for a funeral. I started out with 600 dpi images but the PP file quickly got huge (200MB). I optimized all my images to 96 dpi and they are all at least 2000 pixels wide or high. That optimization has currently taken the Powerpoint file size down to 20 MB. There are many, many pics in this presentation. At 20MB optimized I am only half done. It will likely end up with around 100 pics so I think it is wise to optimize all these images because I have also read that a huge powerpoint file will cause the presentation to drag. The church where this will be presented uses a projector and it projects onto a 12′ x 12′ screen. I am not in the city where the funeral is being held so I can’t test to see what this looks like and won’t be there until the day of the funeral. I have a surface pro tablet that I’ll use to plug into the projector. I spoke to the church caretaker who helps to set this up and he said that, without knowing all the technical details, that what seems to have worked best for people is for them to plug their laptop directly into the projector with an HDMI cable and project it onto the screen. I have a big screen tv that I plugged my tablet into and played the presentation and it looked as good on the large tv screen as it did on my tablet.

My questions/concerns are: Will the projector just project what is on the tablet screen and it will look as good on the big projector screen as it does on the tablet or big screen? (when being projected is dpi of the source relevant. My concern is can I projector a large version of the presentation and still preserve nice detail or do I project it much smaller than the available screen dimensions of 12′ x 12′?

I just hoping to project a large version with ice detail and don’t want to arrive to set it up and not have it display nicely.

Sorry for the long story but would really appreciate your opinion.

Dear Dell, presentations are fun, funerals are not at all. My condolences with your loss! I was in the same situation as you earlier this year. Well, if you would use your own computer and connect it to the projector, then the file size of the PowerPoint is not that relevant anymore. Right? Everything starts with the resolution of the projector. Note that most projectors use a lower resolution than the televisions and computer screens that are sold nowadays. Most likely the projector can handle the size of HD (High Definition), 1920 x 1080 pixels. So your idea to use images of 2000 pixels is an excellent choice and personally, I would continue to work on 1920 or 2000 pixels. That is a safe choice for a good resolution!

But, note that when the tablet has a lower resolution than the projector, then most likely the output on the projector will not be better than what the tablet can handle (its video graphics card). So use a laptop or tablet with at least the HD resolution and then you are safe. To be completely safe, it is best to take your laptop or tablet with the original PowerPoint file on it. Using your own computer is also better when you have used special (not common) fonts. Otherwise, you have to install or embed the fonts you used. Just as a backup, I would take with me: the PowerPoint file on a memory stick, but also render the PowerPoint as video (MP4). Then you are completely independent of what software is installed (or not) on a potential foreign computer.

All clear? Got luck with your important job at the funeral!

So I am creating this powerpoint presentation and I’m losing my hair over the fact that all sizes are in cm. I understand that I can simply enter my wanted size in pixels, and powerpoint will then convert this to cm. Is there a way to make pixels the default measurement? It would simply make one’s workflow so much easier. Thanks in advance!

Hi Andreas, I would love to work in pixels too, but currently, PowerPoint is only working in inches or centimeters. You can upvote this feature request here: https://powerpoint.uservoice.com/forums/288949-powerpoint-for-windows-desktop-application/suggestions/19595893-change-units-from-inches-to-pixels

Thanks for such an informative article. I was struggling to create a photographic presentation for a powerpoint presentation and you have saved me so much time!

Great to read that we could help you out with this information!

Hi i need help.. I m preparing certificates in ppt. But when I’m sharing to other person somewhere changes happening. Same file on my side is correct but other side it is not correct in size wise… Is it happening because of computer resolution? Kindly let me know why it is happening?

How do you see that? Are you looking at the slide design settings? Are they modified?

I saw directly in my coullegue’s computer. Without modification same file when she sent that was right and same file when i sent to same person he said that was not right It’s screwed as he always complained before in terms of dimensions (A4 stretched to wide-screen). Why this is happening? Please let me know.. It’s important for me

Sorry but I think you can better explain your problem here at https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/newthread . There are some better specialists and experienced people looking into individual problems. OK?

Thank you for an excellent article! I have been scouring the internet for this information and I have found your guide extremely useful. It’s a testimony to you that people are still adding comments some 5 years after you wrote this article!

I have a question if I may. I am using PowerPoint to create 1 minute animated infographics (in video form). The targeted output for the final videos needs to be 1280px by 644px (which is fine). Here’s my question: Would I get better quality videos if I set my slide size in PowerPoint to HD 1920px by 1080px for the design and then exported to video using the PowerPoint export function set at 1920px by 1080px and THEN resized the final video to 1280px x 644px using software like Handbrake?

Or should I simply set my PowerPoint slides size for the design to the final desired output of 1280px by 644px?

I’d be really grateful for any help/advice you can offer as I’m really not sure which way to go!

Many thanks

Hi Alex, thanks for commenting. I love when people are using PowerPoint for other purposes than just 16:9 slides! Personally I would design on the same size as you would output the video! Why? The risk of using small font sizes, will not be obvious when you are designing at 2x. So at 2x, your text might be readable, while it is too small on the normal size. So just be careful with that, because you might forget to check at 1x. On the other hand, when you suspect that maybe next year, you need a larger video because the output screen got bigger or so, then for that reason, I would suggest to design now already at 2x, and resize the video afterwards. Hope this helps.

Thank you so much for replying!

Hi,how can I get the 1920×1080 resolution ,windows 10? I followed the described way,but unit is ‘inch’ and it is not changing.I can’t type px inside the box

You can type in the pixel value with px behind your number, and that is then translated into the corresponding cm or inch value. Try it, it works.

If a powerpoint resolution is greater than the screen it is being displayed on, will that screen not be able to display it?

Wondering if there is any reason not to always go with a larger resolution?

Thanks! Nate

Yes sure, that should not cause any problem. PowerPoint will adjust itself automatically based on the screen resolution, lower or higher.

Hello Admin, I have to run my ppt on a big LED Panel wall whose size is W: 34 ft and H: 12 ft and I don’t want any black bars when running my ppt. Which ratio size will be apt for my PPT? 16:9 or any other?

You don’t want to black bars? Easy. Go to Design, Slide Size, and choose custom slide size. 34 foot or 408 inches is too large for PowerPoint. The highest value you can enter in PowerPoint is 56″ horizontally and vertically. When you have 34 x 12 ft, which is 408 x 144 inches, then this is too high for PowerPoint (bigger than 56″). Your screen ratio is then 17×6. So the maximum is 56″ in width, so you can set your height to 19.766″ (so that you have 17:6) at the PowerPoint custom slide size dimensions. OK?

I would love to see real-time data on that size of screen. Are you going to use our DataPoint plugin there?

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Home Blog Business How to Make a Presentation: A Guide for Memorable Presentations

How to Make a Presentation: A Guide for Memorable Presentations

A presentation goes beyond the idea of crafting a catchy document to present in front of an audience. It is an art in which a person relies on communication skills to introduce a topic relevant to a group of people, regardless of its size. Different elements participate in this communication process, such as body language, presentation skills, visual tools, etc. and are key in delivering an effective presentation.

In this article, we shall present a detailed guide on how to make a presentation, intended both for newcomers in this subject but also for professional presenters who seek to improve the performance of their presentations. Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

What is a presentation?

What is a powerpoint presentation.

• The Importance of a good PowerPoint presentation
• Choosing a topic

Consider the audience & presentation goals

Gather data, references, and source.

• Define the storyline
• Define the outline  

Using one idea per slide

Choose the presentation format, colors & styles, determine the use of metaphors and visual slides, proofreading and polishing process, prepare your speech, rehearse, rehearse and rehearse.

• How to give a memorable presentation

Start strong

Hook your audience, close your presentation.

• Selecting a PowerPoint template
• Add or delete slides in PowerPoint
• Adding images to slide templates
• Adding notes to your slides
• Adding animations to your slides
• Adding transitions to your slides
• Adding audio narration to your slides
• Ideal typeface and size

Color scheme

Printing your powerpoint presentation, powerpoint presentations tips, closing thoughts.

What is a presentation, and what is a PowerPoint presentation?

It is essential to highlight the difference between Presentation and PowerPoint Presentation, often interchangeable terms. One thing is a presentation, an audiovisual form of communication to present information. A PowerPoint presentation is a subset of a presentation. Since PowerPoint remains the leading tool in the market for creating presentations, the term was coined by both spectators and presenters. Let’s begin by checking the main differences between the two terms.

A presentation is any situation in which a person or group has to transmit a message in front of an audience. The format by which the audience attends can answer the following categories:

• Live crowd: A presentation in which the average number of spectators exceeds 100 people. 
• Massive event: Similar to the format above, but we speak about thousands of spectators. This format has specific requirements regarding scenario setup and logistics, and the usual presenters are influencers in worldwide conferences or corporate events (like All-Hands meetings).
• Private event : A selected number of attendants can listen to the presenter. Coaching sessions are the leading kind of private event for presenters, but multiple other categories can fit into this format.
• Online event: Following the trends of remote working and what the pandemic has left us in terms of digital immersion, multiple events shifted their large attendance numbers in favor of online settings. This has the advantage of a narrowed setting, as the area in which the presenter has to stand is considerably reduced – with simpler A/V inputs. Attendees are given a link to the event and watch from their computers or mobile devices.
• Offline event: This medium is what we consume via YouTube videos. Behind each and every YouTube video is countless hours of content development, editing, rehearsing a presentation, and so forth. We call it offline because attendees can browse the content at any time, replaying as desired, unlike Online Events in which the attendees must be logged in to a specific platform. No interaction with the presenter.
• Hybrid event: This is a format coined by large tech companies, the automobile industry, and even fashion brands. The idea is to create an event where a selected number of attendees are allowed to participate (using the Private Event model). Still, at the same time, the event is streamed for users worldwide (Online Event) and/or available on the official social media networks of the brand (Offline Event).

Each one of these formats exposed above has specific requirements in terms of interaction with the audience. For example, in-company presentations will differ from common presentations that seek to capture the interest of new consumers. It is vital to establish the presentation’s intent from the very first moment and then narrow it down according to the topic to present, as well as the knowledge level of your target audience.

A presentation does not necessarily requires to create a slide deck . It is a tool presenters use to make the content more interesting for the audience and also memorable. However, it is well-known that influencer speakers such as Tony Robbins or Warren Buffet ignore PPT documents altogether, preferring to articulate their narrative on the go.

A PowerPoint presentation is a specific type of presentation, which involves the usage of a slide deck crafted with Microsoft PowerPoint. This kind of tool allows presenters to communicate a message through a vast range of mediums, such as images, graphs & charts, audio, and video for a better impact.

Creating a PowerPoint presentation is an easy process, and there are two routes for it: working from a blank slide or using PowerPoint templates .

Some of the advantages of building a PowerPoint presentation:

• Better information retention by the audience, thanks to visual cues.
• Improves the audience’s focus.
• Easy to create powerful graphics.
• Templates are editable, meaning you can repurpose the original designs to meet your standards.
• Saves time to create presentations thanks to its user-friendly UI.
• Encourages teaching and learning processes.

The Importance of a Good PowerPoint presentation

There are some elements that presenters must take into account when making a PowerPoint presentation . It’s not just drag-and-drop, then magic happens. Creating a PowerPoint presentation involves a process of generating the graphic content to display and the narrative around it. The purpose of PowerPoint is to serve as a tool to enhance communication, not to make it overly complex.

We emphasize the relevance of working the speech and graphic content together since the speech itself gives the timeframes for each slide, what elements it contains, or whether it is relevant to use a slide or not to speak about a topic. 

Some points to highlight when preparing a presentation:

• Presenters often use the element of surprise. This means a presentation can start without a slide, use a video, or involve a discussion between two parties, then jump to the slide deck presentation. More on this topic later on.
• A good PowerPoint presentation can be your introduction card in multiple professional settings. The effort you put in terms of design and content shall pay back over time in contacts or business deals.
• Having a spare copy of your presentation, preferably in Google Slides presentation format, is a safe-proof technique in case the PPT file gets corrupted. The aesthetic remains the same and can be browsed by any computer with internet access.

How to Make a Presentation (5 Essential Points)

1. planning your presentation.

The first step in making a presentation is to plan the content according to our personal/business goals and the audience’s interest. Let’s break down each part in more detail.

Choosing the topic of your presentation

There are two situations for this. The first one is that you are open to presenting any topic of your preference. This usually happens in business presentations, inspirational presentations, product releases, etc. The second scenario is restricted, by which you have to pick a topic among a selected number of references. That’s the typical situation in which presenters see themselves when taking part in significant events – as not all topics are suitable for the main content of the event, and this is where creativity comes to play.

How to choose a topic, you may ask. Brainstorming is a good technique as long as you remain within the boundaries of this formula:

What you know and feel confident about + What is relevant to the current moment + What can resonate with your audience = Quality Content.

Again, if you experience restrictions due to the nature of an event, but your objective is to share specific information about your business, here are some tactics that can come to play:

• Do keyword research about the topics your business is involved. See the common patterns in your activity compared with the keywords. Then research the 15 articles on the 5 biggest volume keywords. Narrowing the possibilities in your business is a different take.
• Research whether there’s room for sponsored advertisement. That’s an alternative when directly speaking about your business is a no-no in a presentation.
• Turn your presentation into an inspirational story. That works in most events and brings the audience’s interest.

Another vital point to consider is how passionate you can be about the topic of your choice. Nothing speaks more about professionalism than a presenter being deeply involved with the topic in discussion. It sparks curiosity and gives validation as a reliable authority on the content. On the other hand, when a presenter delivers a talk about a topic they don’t connect with, body language usually betrays the presenter. Spectators feel that the speaker wished to be elsewhere, hence dooming the presentation’s performance (and badly impacting the presenter’s reputation).

Consider the purpose of the content to present. Is it going to be informative? Educational? Inspirational? That shall set the tone of your speech later on.

Like with any project, you can estimate the ROI of your presentation with two verifiable metrics: the behavior of the audience and how many contacts did you build after delivering an effective presentation .

Making a presentation has the implicit purpose of helping you construct your network of professional contacts. Even when the presentation has no explicit financial purpose – as in the case of non-profitable organizations, there is still the acknowledgment component. People want to feel validated for the work they do. People want to build long-lasting contacts that can later on turn to be part of a new project.

Considering the audience is imperative, and often one of the pitfalls many presenters fall prey to. You must be aware of the following:

• The knowledgeability of your audience about the topic to discuss. This filters the option of using technical jargon during a presentation.
• The age range and demographics of your audience. It is not the same to discuss a methodology to reduce financial risk to a group of corporate workers in their 40s than to a group of students in their early 20s. The language is different, the intention behind the message is different, and so is the information retention span.

On regards to presentation goals, they can be classified as professional goals (those who seek conversions or valuable business contacts), influential (to establish a brand in the market), educational (to inform a group of people about a topic you researched), etc. Depending on the presentation goals, you can then structure the content to list and the tone in which you speak to your audience.

2. Preparing content for your presentation

No presentation can be made without reference material. Even when you believe you are the most prominent authority about a topic – you have to prove it with valuable, referenceable material. For some niches, this is critical, such as scientific poster presentations, educational presentations, and other areas in which copyright might be an issue.

References for the material you used can be listed in different formats:

• If you are citing a book/article, you can do a bibliography slide, or screenshot the excerpt you want to cite, then include a proper source format below the image.
• You have to credit the author for images/videos that are subject to intellectual property rights. Depending on the context where the image is presented, you may even have to inquire the author about using the image. If the photo in question is yours, no citation is required. Learn more about how to cite pictures in PowerPoint .
• Graphs and charts should include a reference to what they mean, explaining in a short sentence their context. Cite the source if the graph is extracted from a book or article.

As a tip, prepare a document in which you jot down the references used to create the presentation. They can serve whenever a question is asked about your presentation and you must research extra material. 

Define the presentation storyline

We interpret the storyline as what is the connecting thread of your presentation. What do you wish to discuss? What motivated you to present this topic in this particular setting and in front of an audience? What can your message deliver in terms of new information and quality to your spectators?

All those questions are worth asking since they shape the narrative you build around your presentation. The storyline is the step before building an actual outline of your presentation.

Define the presentation outline

Now that you have a clear idea of your reference material and the story to tell behind your presentation , it is time to list down your presentation structure in a Table of Contents format. Keep in mind this is for internal reference, as the outline is a tool for writing the speech and creating the slides. You don’t have to list the outline in a presentation; if you desire, you can do a simplistic version with an agenda slide.

Be specific. Don’t let any topic be broad enough to lead to confusion. Sometimes, it is best to list many elements in a presentation outline, then trim them down in a second iteration.

This is perhaps the biggest mistake presenters make in the professional context when creating a new presentation. Slides are free; you don’t have to jam everything in, wishing people get an instant idea about EVERYTHING you will discuss in one slide. Not only does it become overwhelming for the audience, but it is also a faux pas in terms of design: when you use too many elements, the hierarchy does not seem clear enough.

Opt for the “one-idea-per-slide” technique, which, as the term refers, implies using one slide per concept to introduce. Work with as many slides as required, but just one main idea by slide. Your presentation becomes clearer, easy to digest for a non-knowledgeable audience, and also serves as reference material on how to pace your presentation.

3. Designing your presentation

The following section contains guidelines about the different aspects that shape a presentation structure . If you are looking for an all-in-one solution that implements these teachings into presentation design, try SlideModel’s AI Presentation Maker . A time-saver AI-generation tool for presenters powered by Artificial Intelligence.

Event organizers have a saying in the presentation format, which can be online or a live event. Depending on which, users have to structure the elements of their presentation to match the final output. An example of this: it’s not the same to create a PPT slide deck for an event in which you stand on a stage, in front of a live audience, than when you present via Zoom call, using your computer screen to cast the presentation. 

The format is different because text usage and images are perceived differently. For starters, an online presentation is most likely to draw users to read the entire content of your slides than a live presentation. The audience may not get your body language in an online presentation, merely watching slide after slide with the presenter’s voiceover. In some conditions, it can be incredibly dull and hard to follow. 

Do your research with the event organizers about which format shall be used. When it comes to in-company presentations or educational presentations, the format is usually live, as the audience is selected and part of the same organization (that being a company or a school/university). If a webinar is required for an in-company format, ask the organizers about the length of the presentation, if it is possible to interact with the audience, deliverable requirements, etc.

The aspect ratio for a presentation format usually follows the 16:9 format or 4:3 format. Presentations built in 16:9 aspect ratio are the standard , rectangular format PPT templates, which also serve to be printed without many distortions in regular A4 files. As we work with a rectangular format, there are two axes – horizontal and vertical, in which presenters can arrange the content according to its importance (building a hierarchy). Working with a 4:3 format is more challenging as it resembles a square. Remember, in a square there are no visible tensions, so all areas have the same importance. 

As a recommendation, the 4:3 aspect ratio is a safe bet for all projectors & beamers. When working with a 16:9 slide and the projector is 4:3, the content gets squeezed to fit the required ratio, and for that very reason, it is advised to increase the font size if you use a 16:9 slide on a 4:3 projector. Be mindful about logos or photographs getting distorted when this conversion happens.

The 16:9 ratio looks more visually appealing these days as we get used to TVs and mobile devices for browsing content. New projectors are usually intended for 16:9 format, so you won’t experience any inconvenience in this regard.

No, not every color works harmonically with other colors. Colors have a psychology behind their usage and impact, and to not make this guide extensive, we highly recommend you visit our article on color theory for presentations . You can find suggestions about which colors you should use for different kinds of messages to deliver and what each color represents in terms of color psychology.

The color you use in your presentations must be in accordance with your branding. For example: you should definitely not build a presentation with a bright, bold magenta neon tone when your logo contains green neon-like hues. If you work with a PPT presentation template that doesn’t match the color of your branding, we recommend you check our guide on how to change color themes in PowerPoint .

Regarding typefaces, do never use more than 3 different typefaces per design. It is best to stick to 1 or 2 typefaces, using the variations each font offers in terms of weight.

An example of this:

You create the heading title (H1 size) with Open Sans bold. Subtitles should be done in H2 size using Open Sans regular. Body text in paragraph size, using either Open Sans Regular or Light. Words to emphasize shall be bolded for important terms and italics for foreign terms to be explained.

Use a cohesive color scheme that fits the background, graphics (such as charts and bar graphs), text, and even images. It helps the audience to understand concepts more naturally and gives a pleasant experience to the sight.

Just as badly a slide deck filled with text is felt by the audience, the exact impact can be attributed to a slide deck that only contains images. The audience may feel disconnected, not understanding the purpose of the presentation. A second side-effect is when the spectators wish to browse the slides to study, as in the context of an educational presentation. If the presenter does not include any text guidance, the slide deck is a mere collection of images without any reference that helps remember the presentation.

Work in balance, like a 3:1 ratio between graphic elements and text. For every 3 graphic elements, a text box must be included.

Using metaphors in presentations is a great idea to introduce complex topics or to tell a story. Say, you want to make the audience aware of your company’s challenges to reach its current standing in the industry. Using a roadmap template that depicts a mountain is an excellent idea as it reinforces the ideas of “challenge” and “teamwork.” 

4. Final touches and polishing your presentation

Before giving any presentation, you should dedicate at least one day to this polishing process. Let’s break down the process for easier understanding.

• Do a first iteration of your slides. The objective here is to grasp how everything looks in terms of design. Check the alignment of images and text, any color inconsistencies, typos, etc.
• Rehearse your presentation one time, tracking how much time it takes to perform the presentation.
• If any information is missing that’s worth adding to the slides, proceed to add it. If there are elements that can be reduced, trim them.
• For time-restricted presentations, get a clear idea about how much time it takes to complete your presentation, plus 5 extra minutes for a Q&A session.
• The second iteration should check the tone of your writing, and double-proof any spelling, punctuation and grammar errors. 

After two complete iterations, your presentation is ready to go to the next stage.

Even though we believe the speech is partially built as you prepare your presentation slides, you should dedicate an extra section of time to prepare your speech correctly. This process involves the following steps:

• Identifying the purpose of your presentation. The core element of why you are speaking to this audience.
• Get to know your audience, their interests, their challenges, and what can they possibly wish to overcome.
• Adding value. This is vital – your presentation has to leave a lasting message to your audience on what they are interested.
• A strong start and a strong finish. Don’t neglect any of these elements.

Writing down your speech in notes is a must. It is the tool you can use to rehearse your presentation, and -in case you feel anxious- you can include some speaker notes in your presentation (which won’t be visible to your audience) to help you structure the speech.

Practice makes perfect. Rehearsing does not imply memorizing the entire presentation, as that would make your speech robotic, and prone to errors. How? Imagine a person asking you a question in the middle of your presentation, a question you didn’t expect. A prepared presenter can easily manage the situation because of the background built around the topic. A presenter that memorized a speech and robotically repeated its content can feel unease, losing focus for the remainder of the presentation.

Some valuable tips on the rehearsing process:

• Record your rehearsing sessions. You can use tools like Presenter View in PowerPoint to track your time. 
• Make it a memorable event. Creating an engaging presentation requires creativity, so consider brainstorming for new takes on adding exciting elements to your presentation for attention retention.
• An exercise recommended by Tim Ferris is to mimic the conditions as closely as possible. This helps to reduce presentation anxiety, and also to get used to cameras and spotlights or evaluate your body language.
• If possible, ask a friend for feedback on your presentation performance. This is particularly helpful for new presenters to get used to interacting with the audience.

5. Presenting (your presentation)

Now it’s time to talk about the presentation and your performance when delivering it in front of an audience. Giving a presentation has many aspects to discuss, from start to end, the techniques to keep your audience interested in the topic, and also recommendations to make a memorable event. Let’s get started.

How to give a Memorable Presentation – Delivering an Impactful Presentation

There are multiple methods to approach a presentation and deliver an impactful presentation. Let’s be honest, not everyone feels comfortable when standing in front of an audience. For that reason, we want to lay out some fresh ideas to help you bring your best to your spectators.

The first element you ought to be aware of is body language . It has to feel natural, not overly acted but also not stiff. Think of a presentation as a similar scenario in which you have a deep conversation with a group of people about a topic you are passionate about. That mindset helps to ease anxiety out of the equation. Avoid crossing arms or constantly pacing across the stage – that only shows impatience and lack of interest.

Keep the concepts simple. Don’t overload your presentation with unnecessary jargon; if you feel something cannot be easily explained, go break down concept by concept until the whole idea is understandable. Graphics are a fantastic asset to help you in this process and boost your performance as a presenter. 

Be mindful of not doing any of these common pitfalls:

• Including large chunks of text on a single slide.
• Using intense background colors that make it difficult to understand the contents of the slide.
• Don’t read every single element in your slides – this is perceived as boring by your audience.

One particularly interesting approach is by Guy Kawasaki, author of the book “The Art of the Start.” He considers the best presentations to be handled using 10 slides, lasting no longer than 20 minutes, and using a 30pt font size. That’s known as the 10-20-30 rule in presentations . It helps you to condense the content for the sake of information clarity.

In case you don’t use a PowerPoint presentation, there are multiple ways to make a presentation memorable:

• Tell a story, but connect with your audience in terms of body language. Play with the elements on the stage (much like TED presenters do), and let the audience feel the experience of your story by being as detailed as possible within the time frame.
• Using a video is an incredibly engaging tool, as it lets you introduce a topic you will discuss in more detail later.
• Use a visual impact in the form of an image with a dramatic element (i.e., climate change consequences, technological advancements, children engaging with technology or studying, etc.). This allows to hook the audience into what’s due to come next.

Knowing how to start a presentation is a critical skill all presenters ought to master. There are several approaches for this behalf, but for the sake of this guide, let’s stick to the following ones.

Using the Link-Back formula

This consists of throwing a story in front of your audience that explains who you are, what your background is, and why your speech should make a difference in the life of the spectators.

The Link-Back formula is beneficial for creating an emotional connection with the audience.

Using a Hook

Asking a rhetorical question, using a powerful fact, or other well-known hook techniques is a plus when starting a presentation. We shall talk about hook techniques for presenters in the next section.

Using a captivating visual

Much like the power of storytelling , visuals impact the audience’s psyche, especially if the presentation is about a trendy topic. Create a quality graphic with any of our designs at SlideModel, a graphic designer’s help, an AI Image Generator, or work with a video.

A hook is a tactic used by presenters as an opening statement but can be used in different areas of the presentation if it has an ample length. Much like the metaphor suggests, they serve to attract the audience to what you are communicating.

Research on attention span during lectures suggests a gradual decline in the audience’s interest in the presentation. That’s exponentially increased if you miss the chance to give a powerful first impression. Check this list of hook techniques to enhance the performance of your presentation skills:

• Asking rhetorical questions – better if a series of them on the topic to discuss.
• Using catchy phrases.
• Using a contrarian position, explain why such thinking harms the topic you wish to introduce.
• Historical event referencing.
• Making a powerful statement, best if data related. (i.e., “Every year, 8 million tons of plastic gets into the ocean, which equals to a truckload being dumped every minute” )
• Using the word “imagine”. It’s one of the powerful words in you can use in presentations .
• Add the comedy element – NB: be careful not to overdo it.
• Apply a “what if” scenario – this hook is similar to the “imagine” but with more data added.
• Tell a story.
• Spark curiosity.
• Smartly use quotations. Do not stick to text-book quotations but give your insight on why the quote is relevant for your speech.

Photo 9: Slide using a hook

Most people assume that ending a presentation equals doing a recap. It is a bad idea since your audience feels as if you haven’t planned a conclusion for your presentation. 

Another bad practice is to end with a Q&A format. Although questions and answers are often a required part of any presentation, they shouldn’t be the end of your presentation. You can include questions during your presentation or opt for a proper closure of the presentation past the Q&A session.

There are some powerful strategies to give a memorable ending to a presentation:

• Include a CTA on the lines like “Join our journey!” or similar that make the audience part of a bigger story.
• Close using a relevant quote. The idea is to deliver something that can linger, so the audience remembers your content.
• Use a story to close your presentation, as long as you avoid using a case study. The idea is to close with a meaningful thought, not with boredom.

We recommend you check our article on how to end a presentation for more ideas before reaching this stage of your presentation.

How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation (Quick Steps)

In this section, we will see how to use PowerPoint to make a presentation . Starting from creating a blank presentation or choosing a pre-defined PowerPoint template to preparing the presentation structure by adding PowerPoint slides and then working on the design of the presentation, we will explain how to make a visually-appealing and eye-catching PowerPoint presentation and how to create a slideshow in PowerPoint.

1. Selecting a PowerPoint template

When making a PowerPoint presentation, Professional PowerPoint Templates bring the advantage of not needing to think about complex graphic design decisions. However, there are certain aspects worth considering prior to picking the perfect PowerPoint template.

• Color aesthetic : If your presentation has to be done quickly, stick to PowerPoint templates that resemble your company’s branding palette. Although color can be changed, it is best not to lose time with extra adjustments.
• Opt for minimalistic designs : It is one of the most suitable ways to remain elegant in the professional world. You won’t be signaled for using a template that speaks seriousness on its design – and take for granted everyone shall badly remember the presentation that overdid color or graphics (or even worse, typeface effects).
• Avoid using heavy transition effects : Not all computers are as powerful as the ones you own. The simpler you make your presentation, the best it shall play on any PC.

As in life, there are advantages and disadvantages of using Premium or Free PowerPoint Templates vs. starting from a blank slate.

Advantages of PowerPoint templates when making a presentation

• Speed up the presentation design process.
• Reusable designs, ready for any situation.
• Helps to present data in an understandable format.
• Complex design decisions are made for users.
• Color pairing and font pairing are done for users.
• Helps to reduce the usage of text in slides.

Disadvantages of PowerPoint templates

• We are not learning to use advanced PowerPoint tools, as designs come pre-made for users.
• It can hinder creativity.
• Not every presentation template for PowerPoint is suitable for any topic.
• A professional team of PowerPoint template designers must be behind those templates to ensure quality.

2. Add or delete slides in PowerPoint

When we create PowerPoint Design ideas , not every slide makes the cut for the final presentation. Users then feel overwhelmed about those slides: will they be visible in the final presentation? Should you make a new PPT file without those extra templates? How to clone the “good” slides into a new file?

Instead of worrying about that process, we have here a guide on how to add, delete and rearrange slides in PowerPoint that explains, step by step, how to get rid of the unwanted slides or add more content to your presentation.

3. Adding images to slide templates

Some presentation templates and slide decks include entirely editable placeholder areas, and those boxes do not imply text only – they can include images, graphs, videos, etc. Say you want to add more images to your slides – it is as easy as replicating one of those placeholder areas with CTRL+C / CTRL+V (CMD for Mac users) or going to Insert on the Ribbon’s menu, then Picture . 

If you plan to move elements in your slide design, we recommend you get familiarized with how to lock an image in PowerPoint , so the images that shouldn’t be altered remain in position. This technique is ideal when your images are surrounded by plenty of editable graphics.

4. Adding notes to your slides

Presenters often struggle to remember key pieces of information due to performance anxiety or because they were moved from focus by an unexpected question. Using speaker notes in PowerPoint is the answer to prevent becoming stuck, since those notes won’t be available to the viewers – they remain visible only on the computer where the presentation is being streamed.

Keep in mind this technique works when the presenter is sitting next to the computer. If you have to stand in front of a crowd, opt to use different memory-recalling techniques when you feel out of focus.

5. Adding animations to your slides

Another technique presenters use adding animated objects or effects. This is as easy as following these steps:

• Select the object/text you desire to animate.
• Go to Animations in the Ribbon and select Add Animation .
• You can stack animations on a simple object to make unique effects.

Using animated presentation templates is an alternative when you don’t feel confident about adding animations. 

6. Adding transitions to your slides

Transitions are animated effects that happen when you change between slides during a presentation. Some people love them, while others prefer to stay away from them. 

If you want to add transitions to your slides, follow these steps:

• Select the slide you want to add the transition effect.
• Go to Transitions in the Ribbon, and choose a transition.
• If the transition allows the Effect Options menu, you can alter that transition’s direction and behavior.
• Click on Preview to visualize the effect.
• To remove a transition, select Transitions > None .

7. Adding audio narration to your slides

Sometimes, presenters opt to add audio narrations to the slides. The advantage of using this medium is to increase accessibility for visually impaired users. We created a guide on how to add audio narrations in PowerPoint that explains the procedure in detail.

Considerations for your PowerPoint presentation

Ideal typeface and font size.

There are multiple opinions on which typeface is ideal for presentations. Experience tells us the ideal typeface to work with is one that is system-available, meaning you don’t have to install a new font in the computer used to present. Why? You may ask. Simple: If the font used is not available on a computer, PowerPoint will automatically render a different font (sometimes even a different typeface) to replace and display the text appropriately. That action, which is replicated by other software such as Google Slides, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Apple Keynote, etc., can drastically change your design. 

Font size for titles should be between 36-44 pt. Paragraph font size between 24-28 pt. Use bold to emphasize concepts, and italics to insert foreign terms or quotations. Alternatively, you can make quotations to be displayed on a single slide, using 36 pt size, in italics.

Remember, these recommendations about size are intended for presentations in a live format. If the presentation is streamed through Zoom, using screen sharing, reduce the font size by 10-15% to avoid incredibly large texts. Test your presentation beforehand to be on the safe side.

The color scheme used is a primary part of your presentation design. When defining the presentation color palette , we recommend working within the colors that make part of your branding scheme. 

If we speak about a personal presentation or a presentation with no logo, then opt for pastel tones that don’t create harsh contrast between text and background.

Above all things, avoid these conflictive color combinations:

• Yellow and green
• Brown and orange
• Red and green
• Neon colors combined
• Purple and yellow
• Red and purple
• Black and navy
• Navy and red (unless you use a muted red tone or control the amount of red used)

Sometimes, printables are a requirement by event organizers, which represents a challenge to many presenters. We want to give a helping hand on this behalf, offering tips that can improve your printing experience:

• Always work within margins when adding content. It helps not to downsize the presentation, which often renders the text illegible. 
• If you have to print a presentation that uses intense background colors, opt for laser printing instead of inkjet. Laser printing won’t make the paper look odd when it is full-color print. The extra price is worth it when presenting a quality product.
• On the same lines about color-heavy presentations, ask for thicker printer paper than the average. This option is often advised when opting for laser printing.
• Run a print proof before ordering a large printing order. Colors can significantly change due to the RGB to CMYK conversion.

In this section, we want to list valuable tips to power up your presentations for their best performance. Some of these tips are tailored to presentation skills, others to design ideas, but ultimately, you can take in mind these tips the next time you need to make a powerful presentation in PowerPoint.

Tip #1. Using Video Presentations

An alternative to conventional presentations is to work with video presentations . These are particularly useful in academic and educational environments since they can convey large chunks of information in a memorable, easy-to-digest format. 

If we consider that social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok are transitioning into professional content for creatives, you should consider using video presentations when the situation arises. As a plus, you can repurpose that presentation on your website or other official social media channels for your company.

Tip #2. Drop Shadows and Text Shadows

When we intend to create interesting contrasts between elements, color isn’t the only option to try. Learn how to work with drop shadows in PowerPoint to make images and objects stand out from the presentation. It is an effect that boosts a tri-dimensional feeling in the presentation.

Using text shadows in PowerPoint – with extreme caution – is an excellent method to highlight titles instead of using fancy colors or other 3D effects. Do not overdo the text shadow, as it makes the text illegible. 

Tip #3. Working on your Presentation Skills

Giving presentations in front of an audience is, as we have seen, a process that involves many factors. One of those is the human element and the speaker’s ability to resonate with the audience. Therefore, we advise presenters to work on their presentation skills early, especially for mastering different kinds of presentation approaches, such as persuasive presentations (used in sales).

Tip #4. Editing Background Graphics in PowerPoint

Sometimes, PPT presentation templates include quality backgrounds that make the design pop from the screen. Yet, some of those backgrounds may not be suitable for all brands in terms of color, textures, etc.

Learn today how to edit background graphics in PowerPoint and create outstanding presentations in just minutes.

Tip #5. Google Slides compatibility

Finally, we want to remind users that almost every PowerPoint template has compatibility with Google Slides – if you intend to upload the presentation into the Cloud. Google Slides is an online tool for creating slideshow presentations, and one of its features is that we can convert PowerPoint presentations into Google Slides format. The converted slides are entirely editable, allowing presenters to count with a backup plan in case the PPT file doesn’t work or the computer to use doesn’t count with PowerPoint.

This is not an exhaustive list of presentation tips, but they offer a starting point for those who want to create attractive and effective PowerPoint presentations. You can also create presentations in other ways, and leveraging AI, for example. Check out the article how to create a PowerPoint presentation with ChatGPT to learn how to use Large Language Models to prepare presentations.

As we have seen, making a presentation is a complex process involving different skills, from knowing how to deliver a speech to having essential graphic design criteria. 

While it is true that PowerPoint presentation templates make the process far more manageable, we shouldn’t entirely rely on them. A PowerPoint presentation isn’t a presentation on its own. It is a medium by which presenters showcase their ideas and structure the speech, but one cannot live without the other.

We hope this guide can give you a better understanding of how to create a successful presentation. See you next time!

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Business Presentations, Presentation, Presentation Approaches Filed under Business , Presentation Ideas

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How-To Geek

How to change an entire presentation's formatting in powerpoint.

You don't need to change a PowerPoint presentation's formatting one slide at a time. You can do it all at once in the Master View. Here's how to use this time-saving feature.

If you’re wanting to reuse a PowerPoint presentation but would like to clear the slideshow's formatting, there’s no need to do it slide by slide---you can do it all at once. Here’s how.

First, open the PowerPoint presentation with the formatting you want to edit. To illustrate the before and after, here’s what we’ll be working with in this example.

Looking even closer, here are the formats our current slideshow is using:

• Colors: Gallery
• Headings: Gill Sans MT
• Body: Gill Sans MT
• Effects: Gallery
• Background Style: Style 10
• Background Graphics: Wooden Flooring

Once you’re ready to reformat, select the “ Slide Master ” option in the “Master Views” group of the “View” tab.

The first child slide is selected by default. Be sure to choose the parent slide above it, or the changes won’t take place for every slide.

If you want to assign a new theme to the presentation, you can do that here. Select “Themes” from the “Edit Theme” group and choose your desired theme from the drop-down menu.

Each theme comes with its own unique set of fonts, colors, effects, and so on---and there's certainly no shortage of items to choose from. If you want to stick with your current theme but change some of the individual formatting options, you can do so with the options available in the “Background” group.

Here are the different options available for reformatting:

• Colors: Changes all the colors used in your presentation, as well as the color options available in the color picker.
• Fonts: Changes all the headings and body fonts used in the presentation.
• Effects: Changes the appearance (shading, border, etc.) of objects in your presentation.
• Background Styles: Choose the background style for the selected theme.
• Hide Background Graphics: Hide (or unhide) background graphics that come with a theme. This can only be used on each slide type in the Master view.

To make changes, select the option from the menu and choose your desired change from the menu that opens. For example, if we wanted to change our colors from “Gallery” to “Green Yellow,” we’d select “Colors” from the “Background Group” and then choose “Green Yellow” from the drop-down menu.

Related: How to Change the Default Font in PowerPoint

Repeat these steps for whichever options you’d like to change. We’ll make the following changes to our slideshow in this example:

• Colors: Green Yellow
• Headings: Calibri
• Body: Calibri
• Effects: Glossy
• Background Styles: Style 10
• Hide Background Graphics: Title Slide only

Once you’ve made the desired changes, select the “Close Master View” button in the “Close” group.

Related: How to Create a Custom Template in PowerPoint

You’ll now see the changes applied throughout the entire presentation.

And a closer look shows all the finer details.

That’s all there is to it!

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How to Change the Size in Google Slides?

Google Slides is a useful presentation tool with plenty of built-in compatibility. You can use a standalone app or the web app, easily share presentations over Google Drive, and quickly get a slideshow to work the way you want it to on all kinds of devices.

How to expand your Google Slides presentation

How to change the aspect ratio of google slides, what you need.

Google Slides app or web app

But presentations have their own quirks, and sometimes problems can crop up with Slides not appearing like they should on a particular display, especially if that display has a different aspect ratio than the computer where the presentation was created or a similar problem that prevents it from working correctly. In this guide, we’re going over how to make sure your Google Slides project is properly filling the screen and what to do if it’s suddenly not.

If you are currently looking at your Slides project in Google Slides and need to expand it to fill the screen or enter the right kind of presentation mode, here’s how to do it.

Step 1: With your Slides project open and ready to start at the first slide, look for the large Slideshow button in the upper-right part of the window. Selecting Slideshow will immediately expand Slides to a full-screen mode on the current slide. This is most useful if you have already cast or screen-shared to your presentation display and are ready to begin the presentation

Step 2: If you select the small arrow to the right of the Slideshow button, you’ll get a dropdown menu with some additional options. If you choose Presenter View , the window will enter a slideshow mode (typically not full screen), and a separate window will open with speaker notes, a timer, and other controls for the presenter to use.

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Step 3: If you choose Start from the beginning , then Slides will enter full-screen mode starting at the first slide. This can be useful if you are currently somewhere in the middle of a large presentation but would like to start the slideshow from the top right away.

Step 4: You also have the option to Present on another screen . If your computer can detect another screen, you can send the slideshow there and start it immediately. This is a great option if you have a connected monitor or TV that you’re using in a presentation room, for example.

This option is for those who are casting or sharing their slideshow to a display of a different size and the aspect ratios aren’t lining up. This can create distracting bars on the sides of your presentation and other issues. Fortunately, you can set the slideshow to show in a specific aspect ratio if you want. It’s a good idea to experiment with aspect ratio before you officially begin the presentation, but if you get caught by surprise, these steps will still work once you exit out of the slideshow mode.

Step 1: In the Google Slides app, select the File menu option in the upper left.

Step 2: Select Page setup .

Step 3: A new window will open with the current aspect ratio. Select the aspect ratio to open its menu. You will find several aspect ratio options, including 4:3, 16:9, and 16:10. These should be enough for most common displays, but if it’s not, you can select Custom to set a specific number of inches, pixels, or other preferred measurements.

Step 4: Select Apply when you are done. Now the full-screen mode should match the aspect ratio that you’ve chosen.

Want to make your presentations even more impressive? You may want to look into adding audio to your slides or drawing so you can highlight certain parts of your slides. Google Slides is a very versatile tool once you learn its ins and outs, and we’re here to help you master it.

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Your Steam Deck is the beating heart of your everyday gameplay. It’s fast, powerful, and is packed with features and customizations. Regarding the latter, did you know that you’re actually able to customize your Steam Deck’s controls? Doing so isn’t overly difficult, but a little know-how goes a long way.

To that end, we’ve put together this guide to teach you how to re-map and re-tool your Steam Deck controls as quickly and easily as possible.

Google Drive is an excellent cloud storage platform for individuals and teams. You can use Drive to upload, share, and collaborate on just about everything, from docs to spreadsheets, images, and videos. Best of all, every Google Account receives 15GB of free storage. So what’s the best way to start moving files around? You should probably start by creating some folders in Google Drive, and load them up with content.

Whether for personal preference or as a requirement for the APA or MLA writing style, we’ll show you how to double-space in Google Docs.

The nice part about this format in Google Docs is that you can apply it to the entire document or only selected blocks of text. Plus, you can double-space in Google Docs on the web and in the mobile app.

Presentation Format: How To Make An Outstanding Presentation (With Tips + Examples)

Jane Ng • 30 May 2023 • 7 min read

Are you ready to captivate your audience and leave a lasting impact with your presentations? The first and most important step toward that goal is to design a well-structured presentation. In other words, your chosen presentation format plays a vital role in setting the stage for success, as it guides your audience through a journey of information and ideas.

In this blog, we’ll unlock the power of a presentation format, explore three different format types with examples, and share valuable tips to transform your presentations into engaging and unforgettable experiences.

Get ready to capture your audience’s attention like never before!

Table of Contents

What is presentation format, why is presentation format important, 3 types of presentation formats + examples, tips to make an outstanding presentation.

• Key Takeaways 

A presentation format is the structure and organization of a presentation. It includes the way information is arranged, as well as the overall style and delivery of the presentation. 

A great presentation format can significantly enhance audience engagement. It helps capture the audience’s attention, maintain interest, and ensure they stay focused throughout the presentation. 

In addition, it helps the presenter to convey ideas in a logical sequence, making it easier for the audience to understand and retain the information. A well-organized format allows smooth transitions between topics, preventing confusion and ensuring a cohesive flow of ideas.

Finally, the presentation format reflects the presenter’s professionalism and attention to detail. A well-executed one shows that the presenter has put effort into crafting a polished and thoughtful presentation, which can positively influence the audience’s perception and receptiveness.

1/ The linear format 

The linear format is one of the most common and straightforward presentation formats. In this format, the presenter follows a sequential progression, presenting the content in a logical order that is easy for the audience to follow. The information is typically divided into sections, including the introduction, body, and conclusion, and presented accordingly.

Introduction: 

Introduce the topic and provide an overview of what will be covered in the presentation. 

Body: 

The body of the presentation comprises the main points or key ideas that the presenter wants to convey. 

• Each point is presented in a clear and structured manner, often accompanied by visual aids such as slides or cue cards. 
• Use sub-points, examples, or supporting evidence to reinforce the main ideas and enhance understanding.

Wrap up the presentation by summarizing the main points, reinforcing the key takeaways, and providing a sense of closure. 

The conclusion may also include a call to action, encouraging the audience to apply the information presented or further explore the topic.

Example of a linear presentation format: 

Topic: The benefits of regular exercise. 

2/ The problem-solution format

The problem-solution format is an effective presentation format commonly used when addressing a specific problem or challenge. 

It follows a structured approach where the presenter first identifies and highlights the problem or challenge, and then gives potential solutions or strategies to overcome it.

Here’s a breakdown of the problem-solution format:

Problem Identification: 

• Clearly define and explain the problem or challenge at hand.
• Provide relevant context, statistics, or examples to emphasize the significance of the issue to help the audience understand the problem and its implications.

Problem Analysis: 

• Delve deeper into the problem, analyzing its root causes and factors contributing to its existence. 
• Discuss the challenges and barriers associated with addressing the problem effectively. 

This analysis helps the audience gain a comprehensive understanding of the problem’s complexities.

Solution Presentation: 

• Introduce potential solutions or strategies to tackle the identified problem. 
• Explain each solution in detail, including its benefits, feasibility, and potential impact. 
• Use visuals, case studies, or examples to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed solutions.

Solution Evaluation:

• Evaluate and compare the proposed solutions, weighing their pros and cons.
• Discuss the potential challenges or limitations associated with each solution. 

Conclusion: 

• Summarize the problem and the potential solutions presented.  
• Provide a call to action or recommendations for further action.

Example of this presentation format: 

Topic: The increasing pollution levels in a city

3/ The storytelling format 

The storytelling format is a powerful presentation format that leverages the art of storytelling to engage the audience and convey information in a memorable and impactful way. It involves structuring the presentation as a narrative, incorporating elements of storytelling such as a compelling opening, a series of related events, and a resolution or conclusion.

Compelling Opening: 

Begin with an attention-grabbing opening that hooks the audience and sets the stage for the story. This can be a captivating anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a vivid description that piques the audience’s curiosity.

Introduction to the Story:

Introduce the main characters, the setting, and the central theme of the story. This helps the audience connect with the narrative and establishes the context for the presentation.

Series of Related Events:

• Takes the audience through a series of interconnected events, illustrating key points or lessons within the narrative. 
• Each event builds upon the previous one, creating a sense of progression and building tension or anticipation.

Climax and Resolution: 

• The story reaches a climax, a pivotal moment where the protagonist faces a critical challenge or makes a significant decision. 
• The presenter builds suspense and engages the audience emotionally. 
• Eventually, the story reaches a resolution or conclusion, where the protagonist overcomes obstacles or achieves their goal.

Key Takeaways: 

• Draw connections between the narrative and the main message or key takeaways they want the audience to remember. 
• Highlight the insights, lessons, or principles embedded within the story and relate them to the broader context or topic of the presentation.
• Wrap up the presentation by summarizing the story and its key points, reiterating the main message, and providing a sense of closure.  
• Encourage the audience to reflect on the story and apply the lessons learned in their own lives or work.

Here is an example of a TED Talk that effectively utilizes the storytelling format:

• Title: “The Power of Vulnerability” 
• Speaker: Brené Brown
• Keep it Simple: Avoid cluttered slides with excessive text or graphics. Keep the design clean and uncluttered to ensure your audience can quickly grasp the key points. 
• Use Visuals: Incorporate relevant visuals such as images, charts, and graphs to enhance understanding and engagement. Visuals can help break up the text and make your presentation more seemingly appealing. Ensure the visuals are high-quality, easy to read, and support your message. 
• Limit Text: Minimize the amount of text on each slide. You can apply the 7×7 rule , and use keywords or short phrases instead of long sentences. Keep the text concise and easy to read. 

• Consistent Design: Use a consistent design theme throughout your presentation to maintain a professional and cohesive look. Choose complementary colors, fonts, and layouts that align with your topic and audience. Consistency in design helps create visual harmony and keeps the audience focused on your content. 
• Practice, Practice, Practice: Rehearse your presentation multiple times to become familiar with the flow, timing, and transitions. Practice helps you deliver the content confidently and smoothly. It also allows you to identify any areas that need improvement or adjustment.
• Engage with the Audience: Remember to maintain eye contact with your audience and use the interactive features of AhaSlides Polls as PowerPoint adds in. With features like live polls , you can easily interact with your audience and get more insight and feedback for your presentation. 

>> You may need: AhaSlides 2023 – Extension For PowerPoint

Key Takeaways 

The key to a successful presentation is choosing a format that aligns with your content, audience, and goals. Combine a well-structured format with engaging visuals, concise text, and effective delivery techniques to create a memorable and impactful presentation.

And don’t forget that AhaSlides is a robust platform that allows presenters to create interactive and dynamic presentations. Our pre-made templates and features like live polls, quizzes, and interactive Q&A sessions will help you actively involve the audience and gather valuable insights.

A writer who wants to create practical and valuable content for the audience

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All Formats

Graphic Design

Presentation sizes.

Presentations may not look as pleasant as how you design them with pictures, animations, videos, and other graphic designs without considering the proper sizes. Often measured in either fullscreen or widescreen aspect ratios, the standard presentation sizes are actually categorized according to the number of content slides per presentations .

Presentation Sizes Standard

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Presentation font size: Dos and don’ts

• Categories: PowerPoint design , Google Slides
• Comments: 1

It’s no secret that at BrightCarbon we generally recommend keeping text on slides to a minimum . The main reason you need to avoid lots of text in presentations is because it’s virtually impossible to read and listen to someone speaking at the same time. In a presentation, you want to allow the audience to listen to the presenter while looking at an appropriate visual or diagram with minimal words, so that it all comes together seamlessly. Whereas, with documents like reports – while you can create them in PowerPoint – they aren’t presentations; there won’t be anyone talking over them. So you can (and possibly should) have a lot more text.

So, when you are using text in a presentation or document, how do you decide what size it should be? We’ve found there’s no hard-and-fast rule for how big or small text on slides should be. Each presentation has its own unique requirements – it all depends on what you’re using the slides for, what you’re hoping to achieve with them, and how your audience will be viewing them. Accessibility considerations also come into play, as well as readability across different typefaces and devices.

Determining appropriate text size

One way to decide on the right size for your text is to consider the height of each line of text in proportion to the total height of the slide . For example, in a sales or training presentation, the height of the title (per line) should take up approximately 4% of the slide’s total height; headers around 3%; and copy text around 2%.

This principle can be applied to text appearing in other types of presentation, too. For example, in a keynote presentation, the height of the text should take up around 6.5% of the slide’s total height. And in a document or report, aim for the height of the title text to take up around 4% of the slide’s total height; headers around 3%; and copy text around 1.5%.

When deciding on the right font size for a face-to-face presentation, it’s also worth considering how close audience members should be seated to the screen in order to be able to read the text easily. Check out presentation expert Dave Paradi’s table on comfortable viewing distances for text in presentation visuals [1] for more on this.

Our text size recommendations

We called upon our team of designers to determine what size they would make the text in a set of example slides. To create the slides, we used PowerPoint’s default widescreen slide size (19.05cm x 33.86cm, or 7.5”13.33”), and Arial – one of the most commonly used fonts.

The examples covered three different use-cases where text is sometimes used:

• A sales or training presentation. Small amounts of text can be used to point out key features and emphasise value and benefits.
• A keynote presentation. You want the audience to focus on the presenter during a keynote presentation, so the amount of text on each slide should be kept to a minimum. This means any text you do use can be much larger.
• A document or report. Text can generally be slightly smaller in stand-alone, static documents like reports, as readers will jump around the page to find the information they’re looking for.

Based on our team’s responses, we’d make the following recommendations:

Use-case 1: Presentation font size for a sales or training presentation

Top tip : As a general rule, aim to keep the number of different font sizes you use across your presentation to a minimum – ideally, no more than three different sizes per slide. And try to use font sizes consistently. For example, if you’ve used 20pt for headers on one slide, make sure headers on other slides are the same size.

Use-case 2:  Presentation font size for a  keynote presentation

Top tip : If you’re also using text labels or callouts in a keynote presentation, then make sure the font is slightly smaller than the rest of your text – ideally no smaller than 28pt.

Use-case 3: Font size for a document or report

Top tip : It’s also worth using visual hierarchies to help readers navigate documents like these – check out our blog post for tips on how to do this.

Hopefully, our recommendations help you to decide what size text on your slides should be. Remember, every presentation is different and will have its own individual requirements – for guidance on your particular use-case, get in touch and we’ll be happy to look over your slides. And if you want more help with upping your sales presentations’ font game, have a read of our article packed with typography tips and tricks!

[1] PARADI, D. 2008. Comfortable Viewing Distance for Text on Presentation Visuals [online]. Available from: https://thinkoutsidetheslide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ViewingDistanceTable16x9.pdf [Accessed 14 November 2022].

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It's Christmas! After a late night with too much eggnog and brandy snaps we set ourselves a challenge to see who could come up with the wildest PowerPoint Christmas card! So it's the day after the night before, and through blurry eyes we can reveal our efforts...

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