Technical Information
Visual Presentation Requirements and Suggestions during Videoconferencing
Keep the learner’s focus on the content, not the design.
Avoid distracting design templates or animated transitions in PowerPoint.
- Do not use busy, cluttered backgrounds or other unreadable visuals
- Do not use lines or “cute” ornamentals around or along the sides of slides.
Use a “sans serif” type font.
- Arial, Comis Sans MS, Lucida Sans, Tahoma, or Trebuchet MS are good font choices.
- Make titles at 40 pt., text at 32 pt. and subtext at 28 pt. (but, no smaller than 20 pt.)
- The MS default font Calibri (12 pt.) is 25% smaller than others (so, as rule use the next point size larger with “Calibri” (14 pt.), but no smaller than 22 pt.)
- For contrast, use lighter text with darker backgrounds or darker text with lighter ones.
- Limit the rows of text per page (fewer is better; don’t exceed about 9 lines).
Do not scan small graphs or complex data charts from books.
- If imports of text are a must, make them as big and legible as possible (think 20 pt.).
- Use photos of high resolution (800x600 or better) and good contrast for the best effect.
- Be sure remote sites have a handout copy of all visuals or they are posted on-line.
Recognize the limitations of television displays.
- A videoconference uses a flat panel television set or a projector.
- Video can have a lower image resolution than seen on a computer monitor.
- What is legible on a computer might be difficult to see on a TV or projector.
- Graphics may appear even smaller on TV or a screen from across a room.
Watch contrast. TV has a limited contrast ratio and color intensity values.
- TVs display a contrast range of 30 to 1.
- Movies display a contrast range of 100 to 1.
- Eyes can discern a contrast range of 1000 to 1.
All modern video is a horizontal layout and a 16x9 (wide x high) aspect ratio.
- Plan all designs with horizontal layouts.
- Any vertical images may require two slides with an upper view and lower view.
- All views may be balanced with supporting text to maintain horizontal design.
Get image ideas from television newscasts and commercials.
- The impact of a strong visual idea relies on design simplicity.
- Notice the limited number of words & concepts used to tell a story.
- Complex images or diagrams often require more than one slide.
- Start with a general view and use separate slides to zoom-in progressively closer for more detail.
Need Help?
Call 740.593.2467 or email street@ohio.edu