Font and Text Formatting

What it is

Font and text formatting refers to how you style text in your presentation - including font choice, size, color, contrast, and spacing. Proper formatting ensures text is readable for everyone, whether viewing on screen or in person.

Different presentation contexts require different formatting approaches. Virtual presentations viewed on screens have different requirements than live presentations viewed from a distance in a room.

Why it matters

Text formatting affects accessibility for people with various disabilities:

• Low vision: Need larger fonts and high contrast to read text
• Color blindness: Cannot rely on color alone to distinguish information
• Cognitive disabilities: Benefit from clear, simple fonts and adequate spacing
• Screen reader users: Need properly structured text that reads logically

Good formatting also benefits all users by making content easier to scan, understand, and remember.

For virtual presentations

Virtual presentations are viewed on computer screens, tablets, or mobile devices. Consider these guidelines:

Font selection

• Use sans-serif fonts (Arial, Calibri, Verdana) for better screen readability
• Avoid decorative or script fonts that are hard to read on screen
• Stick to one or two font families for consistency

Font size

• Minimum 18pt for body text
• Minimum 24pt for headings
• Larger sizes (28-32pt) for main points or emphasis
• Remember that text appears smaller when screen sharing

Color and contrast

• Maintain contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text
• Maintain contrast ratio of at least 3:1 for large text (18pt+)
• Avoid light text on light backgrounds or dark text on dark backgrounds
• Do not rely on color alone to convey information
• Test in grayscale to ensure content is still distinguishable

Text formatting

• Use bold for emphasis rather than italics (italics can be hard to read)
• Avoid underlining except for links
• Use adequate line spacing (1.5 or double spacing)
• Align text to the left for easier reading
• Keep text blocks short and scannable

For live in-person events

Live presentations are projected and viewed from various distances in a room. This requires larger text and stronger contrast than virtual presentations.

Font selection

• Use bold, simple sans-serif fonts (Arial Bold, Calibri Bold, Tahoma)
• Avoid thin or light font weights that disappear at a distance
• Never use decorative fonts for in-person presentations

Font size

• Minimum 28pt for body text
• Minimum 36pt for headings
• 44pt or larger for main points
• Consider room size - larger rooms need larger text
• Apply the "3H rule": text height should be 1/30th of viewing distance

Color and contrast

• Use very high contrast (pure black on white, white on dark blue)
• Avoid subtle color differences that disappear when projected
• Consider room lighting - bright rooms wash out colors
• Test slides in the actual presentation environment if possible
• Avoid red/green combinations for color blind audience members

Amount of text

• Limit to 6-8 lines of text per slide maximum
• Use bullet points rather than paragraphs
• Keep sentences short and concise
• One main idea per slide

Room considerations

• Dark backgrounds work better in darkened rooms
• Light backgrounds work better in well-lit rooms
• Avoid busy background images that compete with text
• Ensure text remains readable even with room lights on