Keep slides simple. Not more than 7 words per line; not more than
7 lines per slide. Text should take up less than half of the total
slide area.
Text
Use a large size, sans serif font (eg Ariel, 18pt minimum, 24pt+ better)
for most of your text. If changing the typeface for emphasis, don't
use more than two different effects per slide.
Underlined or bold text is hard to read on screen, while coloured text may
not show up well if printed in black and white. Using indenting or
italic for emphasis is safer all round.
Colour
Keep good contrast between text and background.
If slides are to be printed as well as projected, a light coloured
background and dark text are preferable.
Use colour sparingly especially if slides are likely to be printed
in black and white as well as projected.
If text and background are coloured, ensure there is sufficient contrast
between the tones and avoid combinations that cannot be distinguished
by those who are colour-blind.
Builds
Remember that build effects will not be apparent in a printed version.
Size
To keep the file size down, use the master slide to hold items (particularly
graphics) that appear on each slide of the presentation. You can also
define styles on the master slide to help maintain consistency throughout
the presentation.
