Top Tips on How to Highlight Text and Data in a PowerPoint Presentation

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Financial and business presentations are overloaded with information. And for consultants making these presentations, it is important to draw the audience attention to key data. Read on to find out how to make relevant data stand out and to direct the audience’s attention to a pertinent fact using PowerPoint tools.

For more PPT Presentation Tips and Advice, visit www.24point0.com

Manipulation of Typography

Typography can be manipulated to provide the necessary highlights and audience cues. This can be done through:

1. Varying Font Attributes: Different font sizes or using bold and italics for important keywords will draw the audience eyes to the important information on a PowerPoint Presentation slide. But care should be taken to ensure that not more than 2 or 3 words are highlighted on a PowerPoint slide.

2. Visual Effects on Text: Using visual effects on text like shadow, glow, bevel, etc. serves to highlight important text which is also visually appealing. This can be done by selecting the following option as shown in the screen shot below.

Visual Effects on Text

3. Animation Effects on Text: Fades and blinds on slides, especially on a bulleted list will help the presenter highlight talking points. This can be done through choosing the following options as shown in the screen shot below.

Typography manipulation has to be done only on well-designed and formatted PowerPoint presentations that highlight and effectively communicate key information. This could be time consuming and might not look professional. Use www.24point0.com’s wide range of PowerPoint Production Services that include the Rapid Makeover and Concept to Creation services.

Using Callouts

To draw audience attention to elements in a graphics effectively, Callouts can be used. Callouts can be resize and recolored to suit the requirements of the PowerPoint presentation. The screen below shows how callouts can be added to a PPT presentation.

Using Callouts

Callouts are especially effective to point out elements in graphics such as maps and charts. www.24point0.com has a wide range of editable maps available as well as charts such as customizable hierarchical charts, synergy maps and manpower resource diagrams.

Applying Contrasting Colors and Gradients

The best and most aesthetically pleasing way of calling attention to a particular visual element in a graphic is by applying contrasting colors or even a gradient. This technique is useful to highlight particular cells that contain key data in tables.

Colors and Gradients

Using well-designed tables, is essential for these effects to be visually appealing. Use www. 24point0.com’s easily editable tables and graphs

When applying a gradient to a shape that has text, ensure that the colors used for text are at high contrast from the gradient color to ensure readability.

Adding Visual Effects to Shapes and Graphics

When using an editable graphic in PowerPoint that has important data to be highlighted, apply a visual effect to set this element apart from the rest. This can be done through selecting the options shown in the screen shot below.

Shapes and Graphics

Knowing what your key messages are before making a PowerPoint presentation, is important. This well help you bring attention to these messages through the use of the previously explained techniques. Graphics and visuals always help attract the audience – if you cannot create these from scratch, browse through 24point0’s wide range of business diagrams and illustrations and choose the ones that can best communicate and enhance the content of your presentation.

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in February, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

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