Remember, PowerPoint’s Help Menu and Tutorial are very useful.
For maximum readability, ITSM suggests the following overall formatting:
- Use a dark background and light text
- Use a large font size:
- no less than 30pt for main items
- no less than 24pt for sub items
- Don’t put too much information on each slide
- Align your text or photos on each slide so that there is continuity throughout the presentation.
- When using tables and graphs, simplify the information and maximize screen space
Presentation Specifications in Event Spaces:
- CMC Fellowship Hall
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- Use a 16:9 Presentation Mode
- Powerpoint
- Design>Slide Size> Widescreen (16:9)
- Google Slides
- File>Page Setup>Widescreen (16:9)
- White slides with black text look the best.
- Black slides with white or grey text are easier on the eyes but harder to read in this space.
- If you are showing a video it might be good for the background of the slide to be black
- Powerpoint
- Use a 16:9 Presentation Mode
- CMC Sanctuary
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- Use a 16:9 Presentation Mode
- Powerpoint
- Design>Slide Size> Widescreen (16:9)
- Google Slides
- File>Page Setup>Widescreen (16:9)
- Powerpoint
- Use a 16:9 Presentation Mode
- Music Center Sauder Concert Hall
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- Use a 16:9 Presentation Mode
- Powerpoint
- Design>Slide Size>Widescreen (16:9)
- Google Slides
- File>Page Setup>Widescreen (16:9)
- Powerpoint
- Use a 16:9 Presentation Mode
- Reith Concert Hall
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- Use a 4:3 Presentation Mode
- Powerpoint
- Design>Slide Size> Standard (4:3)
- Google Slides
- File>Page Setup>Standard (4:3)
- Powerpoint
- Use a 4:3 Presentation Mode
Saving your PowerPoint
If you are creating a presentation for on-campus use at an event where ITSMedia will be projecting the PowerPoint for you, (for example, Chapel/Convo); save your file to this link and back up save your file on the M: drive (gcfile). gcfile/Share/ITSMedia PowerPoint Drop Box. It is helpful if the file is named with the date and truncated title of the event for which it is to be shown. For example, 24feb_peace.ppt
Making your presentation run smoothly
Nothing feels worse than having your PowerPoint freeze up during your speech. This often has to do with file size or the amount of free space on the presenting device. Here are some ways to sidestep this embarrassing situation.
- Always run your presentation locally: do not run from the network, a CD-ROM or a flash drive – always save the presentation to the hard drive of the computer that you are using to present the PowerPoint
- Use a non-dynamic background: backgrounds which include motion need time to draw the entire screen each time.
- Turn off your screen saver
- Make sure that your laptop’s power saver settings will not be sending your computer to sleep right in the middle of the lecture.
- Put your laptop on Do Not Disturb if that is an option.
Powerpoint Tips
- Looping a Presentation
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- Powerpoint
- Slideshow>setup slideshow> check “loop continuously until ESC”
- Then, go to transitions, uncheck “on mouse click” and check “after”
- Adjust the time you want to display each slide.
- Google Slides
- File> Publish to the web> choose the amount of time before the slides advance
- choose “restart the slideshow after the last slide”>click publish
- Powerpoint
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- Videos in Slides
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- Best PowerPoint Options
- Use Downloaded Video Files
- 4 K video downloader is a site that allows you to download youtube videos
- To edit an imported video, click on the video
- You will have the options to format or playback video
- Click on the Playback tab
- To start the video automatically
- Playback>start:>automatically
- To start the video when clicked
- Playback>start:>when clicked on
- To play full screen
- Playback>play full screen
- To loop the video
- Playback>loop until stopped
- Google Slides
- Insert
- Search>Youtube for the video you want to use
- By URL> Paste youtube URL in the provided search box
- My Drive> search your drive for a video
- Shared with me> search your shared files in Drive
- To Format
- Right-click video or go to format>format options
- Video Playback
- You can start and end at a specified time
- There is no full-screen option so you will need to stretch the video to the slide size or click play full screen while the presentation is going
- You can also check autoplay when presenting so your video will start as soon as you get to that slide.
- Insert
- Best PowerPoint Options
- Helpful Tips
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- Use the biggest fonts you can while maintaining information
- No less than 30 pt for main items
- No less than 24 pt for subitems
- Use easy to read fonts such as Verdana, Calibri, Arial, or Garamond
- Use the biggest fonts you can while maintaining information
-
- Don’t put too much information on each slide
- Align your text or photos on each slide so that there is continuity throughout the presentation.
- When using tables and graphs, simplify the information and maximize screen space
- Use a dark background and light text
- Please arrive with your PowerPoint presentation ready.
- ITSMedia techs are not responsible for creating, editing, or last-minute changes to powerpoints or google slides.
- We typically do our best to help but it is the presenters’ job to come prepared.
Remember- If ITSMedia is setting up to show the presentation for you, we’ll need to know ahead of time about the audio embedding in the file so that we can be prepared to set up speakers.
Download a sample powerpoint following these guidelines.
Other PowerPoint Tips: