Formatting 
Plan the template at the start 
    Consider all the elements listed below 
Keep it clean and consistent KISS
    Avoid busyness in each slide 
    Maintain the same style throughout 
    Changing elements causes confusion 
Do not crowd the page 
    Leave borders on edges 
    Use borders around illustrations 
Choose color carefully 
    Use the same colors consistently 
    Select a single background, text, and title colors 
    Let PowerPoint select colors 
    Use fewer colors, less is more 
    Use color to accent information, not as decoration 
Avoid placing primary colors next to each other 
    Red, blue, yellow bleed together 

Background 
Best background: dark color with light letters 
    Use cool colors 
    Blue, turquoise, purple, green 
    Dark text on light background is an alternative 
Graduated backgrounds are effective 
    Transition from darker to lighter shades in the same hue 
Avoid busy backgrounds; they are hard to read 

Slide Content 
Use one topic per slide 
Bullets 
    Use phrases only, not sentences 
    Start with a verb if possible 
    Do not use punctuation 
    Use parallelism 
Follow the 6 x 6 rule 
    Six lines of text 
    Six to eight words per line 
Bullets imply no significant order 
    Use numbers only to show rank or sequence 
Use a combination of words, pictures, and graphs in the presentation 
    Variety keeps the presentation interesting 
Proofread and spell check 

Type 
Type size must be readable 
    Minimum 36 point for titles 
    Minimum 24 point for body 
Use upper and lower case lettering (Headline Case) 
    Easiest to read 
    Avoid using all capital letters 
Use a readable font 
    Use a sans serif (no feet) font for the body 
        Arial, Tahoma, Verdana 
    Use serif fonts (with feet) for titles only 
       Harder to read in smaller font 
       New Times Roman
Adjust lettering to discriminate or emphasize 
    Make titles larger than the body 
    Emphasize important statements or words 
    Use bold, italic, color, size, or font 
Do not use more than 3 type sizes per page 
Maintain the same or similar type size on each slide 
    Even if some slides have less text 

Graphics 
Graphics support the spoken word 
    Clarify ideas 
    Emphasize key points 
    Show relationships 
    Provide needed visual information 
    Promote understanding 
Use quality images, do not pixelate 
    All images support the message 
    Use only 1–3 graphics per slide 
    Graphics face the middle of the slide 
    Add clip art only where appropriate 
Use solid colors on charts 
    Patterns on bars or pie slices are confusing 
    Solid colors convey a clear, bold message 

Transitions and Special Effects 
Special effects should have a purpose 
    Sound and animation can be distracting 
    Practice and make sure the slide works 
Use the same transition for the entire presentation 
Practice so the transition does not interrupt your oral presentation 

Presentation 
Slides are NOT the presentation 
    Focus interest on what is important 
Refer to your slides. Do not read slides 
Maintain eye contact with the audience. Do not talk to the screen 
Use a pointer to indicate salient features 
Speak loudly and articulate 
Act and dress professionally. 
Be prepared.