PowerPoint and Colour
Using colour in your PowerPoint presentaton is a delicate question of taste, balance, and style. But more often than not we overlook the most crucial aspect of why to use colour in our presentations?
Credibility and Legibility
Used correctly, colour adds credibility and legibility to your PowerPoint slides.
to add credibility and legibility to your presentation Choosing a colour scheme that suits your subject matter is critical. Consider a business annual report presentation. Using neon greens and pinks over navy blues, greys, and whites, would be a terrible mistake. Just as for example using dark browns and blacks would be inappropriate for a paint manufacturer presentation.
Selecting the correct colour palette that matches your business segment, market profile, or subject topic is important in gaining your audiences committment to your arguments, thoughts, and ideas.
Contrasting Colours
A presentation is only effective when your audience can read the text on your slides. Using contrasting colours is an ideal way to prevent your texts from disappearing into your slide backgrounds.
Sensibly seen, black text on a light grey background is easier for your audience to read than grey text on a grey background.
The Trouble with White PowerPoint Backgrounds
Is simply that white "blinds" your audience.
Yuor audience will be sitting watching a large projection screen or monitor. Where white is usially vbery strong. Whilst white is an ideal background for printing your presentation slides upon. White is far from ideal for an audience member staring at a screen from thirty minutes to an hour.
If you are creating a presentation that should be viewed by an audience or public. Aim for light text on a darker background. Darker backgrounds help the eye relax, create less tension, and also reduce headache possibilities with your audience, all in all making your presentation a lot easier on the eye.
Knowing all the Colours doesn't mean you need to Show all the Colours
Just because you know how the colour palette options in PowerPoint work doesn't mean you have to prove it to your audience.
Used correctly, colour can help your audience understand headerlines, subtitles, and body text, quotes, and notes. Creating a minimal colour scheme which you audience can identify with and quickly associate each colours use with, will help your audience relax and use less time dechiphering your presentation slides, and more time reading and understanding your content.
A good rule of thumb is to use the colours in your logo plus one or two complimentary colours. Or if you have a corporate profile and colour scheme, follow this with your PowerPoint presentation. It was designed for a purpose and with a reason.
More PowerPoint Articles
PowerPoint for Beginners
Planning your PowerPoint Presentation
Ask your Audience