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wish, you can delete or add slides within the outlines. You can even rearrange your slide sequence as you edit your
material. You can also rearrange, add, or delete slides in a sorter view of the actual visuals themselves, in a thumbnail
size.

Using Color in a Slide Presentation

When you are working with color, decide on a color scheme before you start to worry about readability and effect
within a presentation. Readability is all important. The text must stand out from your background, and good contrast
between the background and your text will allow for that. If you choose a dark color for the text, use a light, soft color
for background elements. A good combination is a soft yellow background with bright dark blue text. Bullets can be
set in a darker blue. This color combination will provide good printouts for audience distribution. If you want to use a
dark background, such as a dark gray or navy blue, the type and other elements should be white, pale yellow, or some
other pale color. This color combination will look good on the screen, but it will not provide the best handouts. Be
aware, however, that it is easy to overdo the color effects and ruin an otherwise good presentation.

Consistent use of color will add a cohesive quality to your presentation. If you use the same color consistently for
each element throughout the slide presentation, it will communicate your ideas without confusion. For example, if you
are using dark-blue bullets in a standard bullet shape, don't change the shape to a triangle midway through the
presentation. Changing the color midway through a presentation would be even worse. Your viewer will wonder why
you have made the change and unconsciously look for the reason even when there is none. Templates usually provide
a color scheme that works well. If you don't like the design of a template, but like the colors, use them as part of a
slide layout you do like. To conclude your presentation, add a black slide; it's what the pros do.
Slide-Show Transitions

Transitions are visual effects applied to a slide when it appears on a screen. They can be as simple as a dissolve or a
soft gradual appearance of the new slide, just like in the movies when a new scene unfolds.

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Transitions such as a dissolve can be applied to appear from the top down, bottom up, left to right, or right to left.
Many fancy effects are included, but these are completely out of place in a scientific presentation. Whatever the
transition you decide on, use it consistently from one slide to the next.

You can also apply a build to your presentation. Instead of having the entire slide show up all at once, it can build.
The first view will show the title only; succeeding bullets are then exposed to the viewer one at a time. Previously
exposed bullets still remain on-screen. The build adds a dash of suspense and a little action to a motionless format.
Although builds add interest to a presentation, limit their use only to what works well. If used for every slide, the
build also becomes tedious. You can set the timing to take place automatically between the display of one slide to the
next to allow you exactly enough time to talk through the material, or you can control the display from slide to slide
by clicking the mouse.

Features like these allow electronic slide-show programs to offer many ways to improve clarity and add interest to a
presentation.
When using electronic presentations, it is wise to carry a set of slides or overheads with you in case of problems.
Electronic gadgetry doesn't always work, especially if you get stuck with a technician who doesn't really know how to
run the equipment.

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