132 slide:ology
Before you can decide on a color palette, you need to
determine your background color. With the technological
advancement of projectors, there are no restrictions on
what background color to use anymore, because most
colors now translate well. However, in certain circum-
stances, a darker background might be more effective
than a lighter background, and vice versa.
Two factors determine whether dark or light is appro-
priate: the formality of the event and the venue size.
The human eye requires contrast for visibility, and
pure black or pure white backgrounds have the great-
est opportunity for contrast since they are without
color. Look at the color palettes on the right. Here the
PowerPoint color palette appears on various colored
backgrounds. The palettes on the black and white
backgrounds on the opposite page are completely
visible and have full contrast. On the midrange colored
backgrounds, the contrast is diminished. Some of the
colors are indistinguishable from the background, and
portions of the palette are unusable.
When choosing your color palette, make sure that it
contrasts with the background and the other colors
you have chosen—and holds up to a projection test.
Colors might look great on your computer screen, but
then look different or diluted when projected. If color
integrity is important to you, either use your own pro-
jector as often as possible or arrive at your venue early
enough to have time to adjust the projector.
Choosing Your Colors
• Formal
• Doesn’t influence ambient lighting
• Does not work well for handouts
• Fewer opportunity for shadows
• For large venues
• Objects can glow
• Informal
• Has a bright feeling
• Illuminates the room
• Works well for handouts
• For smaller venues (conference rooms)
• No opportunity for dramatic lighting
or spotlights on the elements
Dark
background
Light
background
Using Visual Elements: Background, Color, and Text 133
Contrasting with
the background
is critical so the
audience can see
your content.
In these samples
some colors pop
out but many blend
in. That’s because
the background is a
midtone instead of
very dark or very
light. Midtones
reduce the contrast.
Pastels and light
gradients can be
“blown out” by
the projector and
appear indistin-
guishable from
each other by
the audience.
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