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don't get me wrong. I like PowerPoint a lot.
I've been hired by many people to create really attractive and effective
presentations. However, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I have
also been tempted to hurl my copy of Microsoft Office out the window in
frustration. In hopes that others won't have similar experiences, I would
like to share a few PowerPoint tips that come to mind.
- If you're creating graphics to be used in PowerPoint, save them in
a JPEG format if possible. They
seem to import the best and display the nicest. Also, save them in RGB
color mode. Remember that the presentation is being shown on a monitor
and monitors display images in RGB format. CMYK
images will look like heck.
- If you're intending to create a presentation with photos to be output
as slides, you should check the requirements of the output vendor before
you start. I have frequently been asked to create slides using QuarkXpress
because of the way that PowerPoint handles images. As with many Office
applications, images are not handled in a way that works well with imagesetting
machines.
- If your presentation will be viewed on a system other than the one
it was created on, make sure that you have the same fonts on both computers.
If you don't, PowerPoint will have to use a default font in place of
a missing font. This could significantly change the look of your presentation.
- Create your tables using the Word Editor that comes attached to the
program. You can achieve a fair amount of control this way. Don't draw
rules and text in PowerPoint to create a slide. The program is not set
up to work this way. If you do and then later have to add an additional
column or row, you'll be in for a lot of work.
- There are times when PowerPoint will start to do strange things. I
can't explain them but the program will seem to fight your control of
a table or a template. My advice to you is to save your changes, quit
the program and reboot your system. When you reopen the program and
your document, your troubles should be gone.
- Take the time to create master pages and color schemes for your document.
If you don't, you'll be fighting the program's default settings the
whole time you're working on a document. You'll also be glad you did
if you need to change a color or text size on a 50+ page document. If
you set up the document properly, this will be a piece of cake. If not,
don't say I didn't warn you.
PowerPoint can be an invaluable and useful tool but, like any tool, it
should be used properly and with some amount of care. Following these
tips should help you avoid some common pitfalls.
Microsoft's vast website which offers tips, tricks and tech support,
can be found at www.microsoft.com.
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