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In any speaking situation, visual aids are your friend. Regardless of the medium you use to create your visual aids, certain guidelines apply. Visual aids should:

• Be visible: Use the right font size. For flip charts, white boards, and chalk boards, titles should be two to three inches high; other text should be an inch and a half high. For transparencies and Microsoft PowerPoint slides, titles should be 38-44 points; other text should be 28-32 points.
  
• Fill the page: White space is fine, but do not group all of your text in the center of the slide with a wide, blank border.
  
• Be balanced: Make sure visuals are balanced top to bottom and left to right.
  
• Use color wisely: Choose colors that contrast so the distinction between colors is easily discernible. Remember that yellow is difficult to see on a white background. Red often signifies negative information, such as decreased revenue, while green often signifies positive information, such as an increase in sales.

The slides below present two very different kinds of information: the first is a chart that reflects statistical data, while the other is an agenda for the presentation. Even though the information on the slides is different, both follow the guidelines outlined above.

Tip: Both of these slides were created with one of HP's free PowerPoint templates.

As you assemble your presentation materials, remember that visual aids should supplement your presentation -- but never become the presentation itself. As you plan your visual aids, keep these guidelines in mind:

• Effective visuals are comprehensible at a glance. This means all graphics should be simple and clear, rather than dense and crammed with material. If you do need to include a lot of data on a page, use callouts to highlight key points.
  
• The information the visuals present should be relevant to the audience and designed to appeal to a mix of learning styles without being overwhelming. Remember that visuals should serve the audience's needs rather than the speaker's.
  
• Your visual aids should complement your spoken words, not replicate them. If you plan to read directly from your visual aid, the visual aid is a bad one, and you shouldn't use it.
  
• If you're using an effect just because "it looks cool" or is attention getting, think again.

For example, this slide includes too much unnecessary text and cannot be comprehended at a glance. Additionally, it doesn't use colors to highlight key terms and isn't very appealing.

Unlike the other delivery systems for visual aids, you can include more information in a handout. If you use handouts, it's essential that they be of professional quality, so keep the following guidelines in mind as your assemble your handouts:

• Unless you only have a single page to deliver, package pages together rather than distributing a single sheet at a time.
  
• For professional delivery, group and deliver your materials in a binder. Delivering materials in a binder will enhance their importance to your audience and will allow audience members to easily flip from page to page without shuffling sheets or mangling the pages.
  
• Use quality paper for your handout to put the final touches on your materials. Cardstock, glossy paper, and other specialty papers give your materials a professional feel. Thanks to HP's printing and paper technologies, you can use these papers with your own laser or ink jet printer.
  
• Consider customizing the presentation handouts for each participant in a small audience to further enhance the power of the handout. Even if you just include their name and title on the cover sheet, you've shown you are connected with your audience and thinking of each participant as an individual.