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Color Theory Applied to Presentations
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By Template Ready
[Hits: 19861]
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Everyone knows that color can make a presentation moreinteresting and stimulating to look at. It can also conveyinformation, as in the differently colored slices of a pie chart.
But color used improperly is worse than no color at all. Badcolor choices or combinations can actually distract viewers fromyour message and can even cause unpleasant feelings in them. Thefollowing guidelines can help you use color effectively in yourpresentations:
* Too much color can be distracting. Resist the temptation todecorate your slides with a rainbow of colors. Graphic elements(such as charts) should never contain more than five colors;text slides should use at most two main colors and a third forhighlighting.
* Keep the colors, and their meanings, consistent throughout thepresentation. This will unify your presentation and give it aprofessional look.
* Even if you've chosen a harmonious set of colors, don't usethem arbitrarily. Let the colors to show the relationshipsbetween elements, with related things in related colors.
* As with the colors, keep the text (font) styles in your slidesconsistent.
* Don't arbitrarily switch colors (of background, text,graphics, or anything else) during the course of thepresentation. A change of color should only be used to emphasizekey information or to indicate a change of topic or message.
* Don't use red and green at the same time, because colorblindpeople can't see the difference between them.
* Backgrounds consisting of more than one color should usedithering (a gradual blending from one color to the next) foreasy viewing. It's usually preferable to use a solid light color(light blue or gray) for the background with a dark color fortext. This is the most effective combination for projectedslides.
* To help maintain visual consistency, develop a template thatyou can use to create each slide. A template is just a basicslide containing the background colors, font style, and graphicsthat will be common to every slide.
* Test your color combinations on the actual projectionequipment that will be used, or at least on a similar type ofprojector. The projected image will usually appear brighter andmore vivid than it does on your computer screen. You maydiscover that your perfect color scheme doesn't look so perfectwhen projected. It's better to discover this while creating yourtemplate than during your presentation.
Color Meanings
Colors in themselves, of course, have no specifically definedmeanings. Nevertheless, colors tend to carry subtle, subliminalemotions to viewers, whether by convention or by some naturalperceptual process, and you should bear these traditionalassociations mind when making your color choices.
Color preference:
9% Choose Black - Reliability, Authority, Power, Constancy,Prudence Black feels formal and powerful. Formal clothing tendsto be black for this reason.
20% Choose Blue - Tranquility, Intuitiveness, Trust, LoyaltyPeaceful, tranquil blue relaxes the nervous system and increasesproductivity. People seem to retain more information whenreading blue text.
3% Choose Brown - Credibility, Solidity, Strength, Maturity. Thecolor of earth and wood, brown creates a neutral and comfortableenvironment.
13% Choose Green - Life, Growth, Abundance, Vitality. Green isthe easiest color on the eye. It calms and has a neutral effecton the nervous system.
7% Choose Orange - Warmth, Happiness, Courage, Success. Orangeis the color most associated with appetite. It has a broadappeal. Suitable for anything and anyone.
11% Choose Purple - Luxury, Wealth, Sophistication. Purpleconveys a feeling of passion, romance, and sensitivity.
14% Choose Pink - Romance, Imagination, Fantasy. Pink feels calmand soft-hearted, with a tranquilizing effect.
12% Choose Red - Power, Warmth, Energy, Determination,Excitement, Passion. Red dominates and grabs attention. Itstimulates people to quick decisions and increases expectations.
4% Choose White - Purity, Innocence, Sterility. White is cooland refreshing.
5% Choose Yellow - Enthusiasm, Light, Creativity, Spirituality.Yellow draws attention, feels warm, and is the most visiblecolor of all.
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