Combining Colors in PowerPoint - 2 of 2

< Continued from Page 1

The Forgiving Nature of Color Gradients
Color/Text Considerations
General Color Issues

The Forgiving Nature of Color Gradient

Interestingly enough, the process of combining colors is much more forgiving when using gradients—colors that fade into each other. PowerPoint 2010 offers a greatly improved, user-friendly interface for making gradients, as shown in Figure 8, below.

Figure 8: Adding a gradient to a shape

Because nature regularly blends colors this way (think of a sunset), we are used to seeing colors gradually transition from one hue to the next, meaning that you can get away with combining just about any color set and still end up with a reasonably attractive and professional look. Just make sure the transitions are gradual.

Try blending colors to make a custom-designed slide background, a decorative shape—perhaps for a sectional background, as shown in Figure 9, below, or navigation button, as shown in Figure 10, below, —or even jazzy, 3-D text, as shown in Figure 11, further below.

Figure 9: Purple, gold, and gray gradient inside a shape

Figure 10: Gradient-filled shape used as a navigation button

Figure 11: Gradient-filled PowerPoint text

Color/Text Considerations

Going back to the issues of color quantity and contrast (black dots on the white background), those considerations are especially important when slides contain text. Unless such text exists in a navigation button or is purely decorative, generally the goal is for audience members to be able to read it, right? Therefore, opting for a simple background that contrasts sharply with the text color helps the message pop out and attract attention, as shown in Figure 12, below.

Figure 12: Text color should contrast sharply with a background

Placing text on top of pictures is popular but can be tricky because controlling the contrast then becomes more difficult. The solution again, is to make sure the text color contrasts as much as possible with a majority of the picture’s colors and then add a distinct shadow or glow to the text, as shown in Figure 13, below.

Figure 13: Shadow on text helps it appear more distinct on top of a picture

General Color Issues

Here are a few additional PowerPoint-related color tips we’ve discovered over the years:

• Using red text is almost never a good idea. That particular color, of all colors, tends to wash out when projected on a screen if any kind of unwanted ambient light also hits the screen—perhaps from sunlight streaking through a window or glare from a poorly aimed stage light.
• Unless there is a particularly good reason for using brightly colored text… don’t. Stick with white or light beige on a dark background or black (or otherwise very dark color) on a light background. Your slides will have a more professional appearance as a result.
• Stay away from gradients in text unless the words are large and intended to be primarily decorative in nature.
• When using gradients, simplicity is your friend. Limit the number of colors, and whenever possible, try using combinations that are readily found in nature for maximum appeal.