Tips for Oral Presentations
Session Logistics
- All oral presentations will have digital projectors (LCD) and notebook computers (Windows XP with MS PowerPoint 2003) available for use in all symposium and paper sessions. No slide or overhead projectors will be available.
- We will not require presenters to upload presentations to a server in advance this year, however, this does not mean that you can just stroll in to your session, plug in a USB drive or CD and talk...
What you will need to do
- Save a copy of your presentation as a PowerPoint Show (the filename will end in .pps), with a file name consisting of your presentation number (use leading zeros if less than 100) and your initials (e.g., 009GEK.pps). Inappropriately named and saved files will add work to that of the moderator.
- Test your presentation on a computer with PowerPoint 2003 before giving it Media Room.
- Use PowerPoint's built in formatting features (from templates) or design your own template for best results.
- Bring your presentation on a USB stick/jump drive, with a backup copy on CD-R (not CD- RW; do not use a multisessioned CD). Be sure to include a backup of the presentation file (.ppt) in the backup.
- We will support presentations on Windows only, not Macintosh.
- Submit your presentation to the Media Room on Sunday, or at the very latest the day before your presentation.
To avoid embarrassment...
Fonts
- Choose common fonts such as Arial or Times New Roman; Comic Sans and Verdana will also work. Courier New, a monospaced font, is appropriate for some uses. Automatic font substitutions due to missing fonts can change the look and spacing of your text with unintended results.
- Font sizes should be readable from the back of a large room. Use a minimum size of 20 pt.
- Do not be tempted to put too much text on a single slide.
- The most common form of color blindness is red/green insensitivity. Refrain from contrasting these colors in text or graphics. Use bright red text sparingly, as it is very difficult to read.
- Make sure there is a good contrast between your text and the background (white and yellow text on a dark background; black, navy, or dark brown on a light background). Use shadowing to emphasize contrast when the background varies.
Graphics
- Before inserting your graphics into PowerPoint, take them through a graphics editor to adjust the contrast, size, resolution, cropping, and rotation. Although recent versions of PowerPoint will do these things for you, it inflates the size of your file. Loading bloated files/slides can take longer than anticipated, eating into the time allotted for your talk.
- Save a copy of your graphics files in .jpg (for photos and graduated fills) or .gif (large areas of solid colors, suitable for graphs) format, not .tif, .psd, or .ai.
- Remember that repeated saves of .jpg files reduces their quality. Work with a .psd or .tif file (in your favorite drawing program) for extensive adjustments, before saving as a .jpg.
- Make graphics only as large as they need to be. Do not plan on shrinking a 300 dpi 8 x 10 picture in PowerPoint. Screen resolution is 96 dpi (dots per inch for a graphic at 100%). Scale your graphics in PowerPoint's Format Picture->Size feature for a slide show resolution of 800 x 600 (90%) or 1024 x 768 (70%). It is unknown at this time which resolution the projector will be that you will have available.
- Be sure to insert graphics (see Insert menu) rather than copy and paste them or drag them onto your slide. Improperly inserted graphics may not show up.
Transitions
- Use fancy slide transitions sparingly, these may take longer to perform than you anticipate, slowing your talk.
- Some slide templates include automatic animation between slides; evaluate whether seeing these 20 times is worthwhile.
- For any transition or animation, ask yourself: does it detract from my message by drawing the eye inappropriately?
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I want to bring my own computer?
We will strictly adhere to the program schedule and cannot reliably switch equipment in the time allotted. If there is a special reason you must use your own computer, you will need to bring your own LCD projector as well and logistics must be worked out well in advance with your moderator.
I've never used PowerPoint before. How do I start?
Decide on your presentation theme. PowerPoint has many templates already made or you can design your own. For best results, decide on a template that you will use throughout your presentation. The primary reason to use a template is that global changes in background, font, and style can be managed on the master slide without having to individually change each slide in your presentation. You can also modify an existing template to the styles and colors you want. Google "PowerPoint Instructions" for links to more in-depth tutorials.
What if I have mathematical symbols to show?
You can use the Symbol font but if you want to make sure something complex displays correctly, save it as a picture (gif) and insert it (see Graphics above).
What kinds of animations can I be sure will work?
Support for slide animations varies from version to version of PowerPoint. To be safe, limit yourself to simple entry animations such as Fly In, Appear, and Dissolve (see Transitions above). Avoid exit animations that are triggered when you move to the next slide. Do not use QuickTime transitions.
What should I do if I want to embed a movie?
Work with your moderator, particularly if you are creating your movie on a Mac platform. Test it out well beforehand. Read the instructions in PowerPoint with respect to compatibility issues. Don't assume that because it works on your PC that it will work on your moderator's.
Still have questions?
Please contact Dave Horn.