Topic 12: Tips

Design Tips

1. Use contrasting colors for the text and the background so the text will be easy to read.
   
   
2. Use font size large enough to be seen from the back of the room where the presentation will be held. A font size of 24-point or larger is recommended.
   
   
3. Use short phrases and sentences to convey your message.
   
   
4. Use simple slide transitions. Too many different transitions will distract your audience from the subject of the presentation.
   
   
5. Avoid cluttering the slides with too much text or graphics. Your audience should hear what you have to say and not be distracted by a busy screen.
   
   
6. Keep text simple and easy to read by not using many different text effects such as bold, italics, underlining, larger font size for emphasis within a sentence, or a different font all on the same slide.

Presentation Basics

1. Begin the slide show by clicking the Slide Show button on the bottom of the screen.
   
   
2. Move to the next slide by pressing the SPACE BAR, ENTER, PAGE DOWN, or right arrow keys or by clicking the left mouse button.
   
   
3. Go back to the previous slide by pressing BACKSPACE, PAGE UP, or the left arrow key.
   
   
4. To end the slideshow before it is complete press ESC on the keyboard.
   
   
5. A pen tool is available for drawing on the screen with the mouse. Press CTRL+P or click the right mouse button at any time and a popup window will appear. Choose Pen and the pointer will change to a pen that allows you to draw freehand on the screen using the mouse. Press the E key to erase all pen strokes. Press CTRL+A to disable the pen feature and revert the pen back to a pointer arrow.
   
   
6. If you would like to use the pen to draw on a blank screen during a presentation, press the B or W keys, or select Screen/Black Screen from the popup menu and the screen will turn black. Press B or W again or choose Next from the popup menu to return to the presentation when you are finished drawing.
   
   
7. To hide the pointer and button from the screen press the A key.
   
   
8. Be sure to preview the slide show using a projector if one will be used during the presentation. Words or graphics that are close to the edge of the screen may be cut off by the projector.