Tag: powerpoint presentation fonts

What Are Designers’ Go-To Fonts for PowerPoint Presentations?

Branding

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Microsoft Office

PowerPoint presentation design experts

powerpoint presentation fonts

Times New Roman

Jun 13, 2018

Your performance as a speaker, with the effective integration of powerful visuals, makes a good presentation. If you want to get the branding right, you should balance these two in every pitch.

If you’re going to use a PowerPoint presentation for your pitch, the content of your deck should reflect your overall message.

One way to emphasize the content is through using the right fonts. This aspect of visual design is one of the most important choices you have to make. Arranging the text strategically can help you send a powerful message.

Getting a customized PowerPoint presentation? Here are a few things you should know about font styles:

Serif vs Sans Serif

These are font styles that you should familiarize yourself with. You can use these for various parts of the presentation, differentiating one part from another, or putting emphasis to retain information.

If you see small elements extending from the letters, these are called “serifs” and fonts with these are commonly used in magazines, books, or anything related to print. Sans serif lacks the projecting elements jutting from the edges. You can see this style dominating most web-based experiences.

To give you a visual representation of the two styles, take Garamond and Arial for example. Garamond is characterized by the small lines at the ends of its characters while Arial has none of these.

While on the topic of various font styles, fonts are categorized in five different ways: Geometric, Humanist, Old Style, Transitional, Modern, and Slab Serif.

Font Alternatives

Times New Roman had been the default font for Word Documents for decades, only to be replaced by Calibri in Office 2007. If you would like to veer from the norm, here are some fonts you can use as alternatives:

  • Libertad
  • Carrig
  • Helvetica
  • Raleway
  • Open Sans
  • Alégre Sans
  • Roboto
  • Futura
  • Lato
  • Centabel Book

Before you choose your font, however, here are factors you need to consider:

Theme

The font you choose should go well with the theme of your presentation. It should match the message you’re trying to convey because if it doesn’t complement the look and feel of your deck, it will be noticeable.

Demographics

Know your audience—their age range, their interests. It’s important that you engage them through things they understand and like. For example, if you’re presenting to a group of young people, make sure that you’re using a typeface that can be easily understood.

Legibility

To make sure you hold the readers’ attention, make sure the text is readable. Save the fancy-looking fonts for headlines and more prominent usages.

Mood

This is what you get when you combine the aesthetics of the typeface to the readability of the text. The font you choose evokes emotion, but its readability can take communication to a whole new level.

There are plenty of fonts to choose from, which is why you should stick to just one. Two to three types should suffice—no point in combining two fonts that look the same. Improve your design by combining the ones that complement each other and let your presentation stand out.

Typography, Is It Really Important?

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PowerPoint Experts

powerpoint presentation design

powerpoint presentation fonts

sales pitch

typography

May 23, 2018

Typography is one of the most overlooked aspects of presentation design, yet it plays a critical role in how your message is received. The typefaces you choose, the spacing, and the overall presentation of your text can make a significant difference in readability, professionalism, and the effectiveness of your slides. Good typography ensures that your content is both legible and visually appealing, while poor typography can distract from your message.

Here’s why typography is important in presentations and how to use it effectively:

1. Enhances Readability

The most fundamental role of typography is to make your text easy to read. If your audience can’t read your slides easily, they’ll miss out on key information. The right choice of font, size, and spacing ensures that your message is accessible and clear.

How It Helps:

  • Font Choice: Use fonts that are easy to read at a distance. Sans-serif fonts like Arial, Calibri, and Helvetica are generally more readable on screens than serif fonts.
  • Font Size: Ensure your font size is large enough to be legible for everyone in the room. A minimum size of 24pt is recommended for most presentation text.
  • Line Spacing: Adjust the spacing between lines to avoid overcrowded text. Proper spacing makes your slides easier to read and digest.

Example: A corporate presentation on a large screen should use a sans-serif font like Calibri, with text size at least 28pt for body text and 36pt for headings.

2. Conveys Tone and Personality

Typography can communicate more than just words—it can also convey the tone and personality of your presentation. Different fonts and styles evoke different emotions and set the tone for your message.

How It Helps:

  • Formal vs. Informal: Serif fonts like Times New Roman or Georgia convey a more traditional, formal tone, while sans-serif fonts like Arial or Helvetica feel more modern and casual.
  • Consistency: Using consistent typography throughout your presentation creates a cohesive look, which enhances the professional feel of your presentation.

Example: If you’re giving a formal financial report, using a classic serif font for headings paired with a clean sans-serif font for body text can strike the right balance between professionalism and readability.

3. Draws Attention to Key Points

Typography can be used strategically to emphasize important points or guide the viewer’s attention to critical elements of your presentation. Bold fonts, contrasting colors, or larger text sizes can highlight key messages.

How It Helps:

  • Hierarchy: Use different font sizes and styles to create a hierarchy on your slides. Titles should be the largest, followed by subtitles, and then body text. This structure helps guide the audience’s eyes to the most important information.
  • Contrast: Use contrasting font styles or weights (bold vs. regular) to differentiate between points and draw attention to critical information.

Example: In a marketing pitch, bold the key takeaway in a larger font size to make it stand out from the rest of the slide.

4. Improves Aesthetic Appeal

Well-chosen typography can make your presentation look polished and professional, while poor typography can make it look cluttered or amateurish. A clean, visually appealing layout helps engage your audience and makes your presentation more enjoyable to follow.

How It Helps:

  • Visual Harmony: Consistent fonts, spacing, and alignment create visual harmony in your slides. Avoid mixing too many font styles, which can make your presentation feel chaotic.
  • White Space: Good typography often goes hand-in-hand with the effective use of white space. Plenty of space around text improves readability and gives your slides a cleaner, more modern look.

Example: Choose one or two fonts to use throughout your presentation—one for headings and another for body text—and make sure they complement each other for a unified look.

5. Supports Branding

Typography plays a crucial role in reinforcing your brand’s identity. Consistent use of brand fonts helps your presentation align with your company’s overall visual style, making it more memorable and professional.

How It Helps:

  • Brand Consistency: If your company has specific fonts for branding, use them in your presentations to maintain consistency with other marketing materials.
  • Builds Recognition: Over time, using the same typography across all company presentations helps reinforce brand recognition and trust.

Example: If your company’s website and marketing materials use a specific font, ensure that same font is used in your presentations to create a consistent brand experience.

6. Reduces Cognitive Load

When typography is used effectively, it reduces cognitive load for your audience. Clear, well-structured text helps the brain process information more efficiently, allowing your audience to focus on the content rather than struggling to decipher the text.

How It Helps:

  • Minimizes Distraction: Poor typography, such as overly decorative fonts or inconsistent text alignment, distracts the audience. Well-chosen typography ensures the focus stays on the message.
  • Enhances Focus: Clear, clean typography helps your audience process and retain the information more easily, enhancing the overall impact of your presentation.

Example: Avoid using overly decorative or script fonts for body text, as these can be hard to read and may distract from your core message.

Final Thoughts

Typography is a powerful yet often underestimated tool in presentations. It not only enhances readability but also sets the tone, emphasizes key points, and supports your brand. By using clean, consistent typography, you can improve the aesthetic appeal and effectiveness of your presentation, ensuring that your audience stays engaged and understands your message.

Saving Typeface: Tips for PowerPoint Presentation Fonts

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Powerpoint tips

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Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Nov 12, 2015

A good presentation comes in a package. This includes an effective speaker supported by powerful visuals. A PowerPoint that complements your performance is essential in leaving a lasting impact on people. There are many aspects of visual design, and among one of the most important is your choice of fonts.

While crowding text is highly discouraged, text isn’t necessarily banned from your slide deck. Arranging text strategically in your PowerPoint and choosing the right font style and size can drive home a powerful message.

But that’s often easier said than done. How do you use text to communicate to your audience? Which fonts prompt a response? We attempt to answer these questions with a few basic rules:

Limit the Fonts You Use

Familiarizing yourself with the pros and cons of both serif and sans serif fonts will save you time choosing between them. However, there are several font types, and deciding which one to use is still pretty tricky. Using three or more fonts is already a bit of a handful.

According to Engage Interactive developer, Jamie Wright, if you can’t justify your use of a third font, it would be good to keep it out of the picture. Too many fonts can be confusing for your audience. You want your audience to focus on your speech, not on a distracting font. If you want to draw your audience’s attention to the text on the slide, try combining font types.

For example, serif fonts are often used for the body of text, while sans serif fonts are used as headlines. Because sans serifs are easier to read, using them for a headline draws immediate attention. On the other hand, serifs guide the eyes with their design, making them better for longer blocks of texts. Knowing the strengths of different font types will let you use them to your advantage.

Consider Readability

Size matters. Unless you intend to have it invisible to the viewer, your text should be readable. Color also plays a huge role in presentation design. The color you choose evokes a psychological response on your audience. Audience members respond differently to different types of colors. But also make sure your words are visible by choosing a color that contrasts with its background.

Contrast is a key element of text readability. Low-contrast text and text with color similar to its slide are unreadable. People won’t be able to get the message of your presentation if they can’t see what’s on your slide. At the same time, don’t overdo it.

Don’t sabotage yourself with flashy, animated text. Keeping your text simple yet readable is enough to keep your audience’s attention.

The Font that Must Not Be Used

Aside from bullet points, another PowerPoint taboo is the use of Comic Sans. The Comic Sans font has gained a bad rap for a number of reasons. Among these is the font being overused in inappropriate situations. While there is nothing wrong with this font per se, you wouldn’t want to be associated with it.

The general disapproval of Comic Sans is enough to discredit any presentation that makes use of the infamous font. If you want to look for similar but less stigmatized options, there are alternatives to choose from. Ban Comic Sans, an organization dedicated to eradicating the notorious font, provides an entire list on their site.

But still use them wisely. Don’t go for unconventional fonts on a whim. Always think about the effect your font will have on your presentation.

Conclusion

When organized strategically, text can enhance presentation design. In order to maximize the element of text, consider the fonts you use. Don’t saturate a slide with several fonts unless you can justify it. Be aware of font size and color. Any text you put on a slide must always be clear and readable to your audience. Similarly, don’t go over the top with your design.

Unconventional fonts can be distracting. The main purpose of your font choice is to emphasize what you’re trying to say, not draw attention to itself.

If you want professional help in deciding how to organize your PowerPoint, contact our SlideGenius experts today and get a free quote!

References

“Fonts.” Ban Comic Sans. Accessed October 8, 2015. www.bancomicsans.com/main
Wright, Jamie. “How Many Fonts Is Too Many Fonts?” Engage Interactive. Accessed October 8, 2015. www.engageinteractive.co.uk/blog/how-many-fonts-is-too-many-fonts
Spector, Lincoln. “Six PowerPoint Nightmares (and How to Fix Them).” PCWorld. Accessed October 8, 2015. www.pcworld.com/article/237106/six_powerpoint_nightmares_and_how_to_fix_them_.html

Featured Image: “Stencil Font” by Cory Schmitz on flickr.com