
For example, in a keynote presentation, the height of the text should take up around 6.5% of the slide’s total height. This principle can be applied to text appearing in other types of presentation, too. One way to decide on the right size for your text is to consider the height of each line of text in proportion to the total height of the slide. For example, in a sales or training presentation, the height of the title (per line) should take up approximately 4% of the slide’s total height headers around 3% and copy text around 2%. Accessibility considerations also come into play, as well as readability across different typefaces and devices. Each presentation has its own unique requirements – it all depends on what you’re using the slides for, what you’re hoping to achieve with them, and how your audience will be viewing them.

So, when you are using text in a presentation or document, how do you decide what size it should be? We’ve found there’s no hard-and-fast rule for how big or small text on slides should be. So you can (and possibly should) have a lot more text. Whereas, with documents like reports – while you can create them in PowerPoint – they aren’t presentations there won’t be anyone talking over them. The main reason you need to avoid lots of text in presentations is because it’s virtually impossible to read and listen to someone speaking at the same time. In a presentation, you want to allow the audience to listen to the presenter while looking at an appropriate visual or diagram with minimal words, so that it all comes together seamlessly.

It’s no secret that at BrightCarbon we generally recommend keeping text on slides to a minimum.
