Creating a Presentation and Working with Slides
A presentation explains a topic clearly with slides. We learn to add slides, choose a layout and design, use effects wisely and follow the rules of a good presentation.
All topics (3 of 11)
Chapter 1. Types of Algorithms
Chapter 2. Office Programs
Chapter 3. Computer Graphics
Chapter 4. The Internet and Safety
Chapter 5. Encoding Information
A presentation presents information on a topic as a series of slides shown one after another. Programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint, LibreOffice Impress or the browser-based Google Slides are used to create presentations. Each slide can hold a title, text, a picture, a table, a chart or a video.
When you add a new slide, you choose a layout, which is a template that arranges the title, text and picture. To make all slides look the same, a single design theme is applied. Transitions between slides and animation of objects make a presentation livelier, but they should be used in moderation.
The rules of a good presentation are simple. Put one main idea on each slide, keep the text short and the font large (usually at least 24 pt). The background and text colors should contrast well, and the pictures should be high quality and fit the topic.
When the presentation is ready, check it in slide show mode: in most programs the show starts with the F5 key. Save the file and, if needed, export it as a PDF. When speaking to an audience, it is better to rely on the key words on the slide than to memorize the text.
Key takeaways
- A presentation is a set of slides shown in order; a slide can hold text, pictures, tables and other objects.
- A layout and a single design theme make all slides look consistent.
- Put one main idea on a slide, with short text and a large font.
- Effects are used in moderation, and the presentation is checked in slide show mode.
Practice tasks
- In a presentation program, create a 5-slide presentation on the topic “My Favorite Subject”: a title slide, two text slides and two picture slides.
- Apply one design theme to all slides, check that the background and text colors are easy to tell apart, and set a font size that is comfortable to read.
- Add a transition effect to the presentation, animate one object, then start the show with the F5 key and look for mistakes or hard-to-read spots.
Review questions
Test yourself: think first, then reveal the answer.
1What is a slide layout?Show answerHide answer
A ready-made template that arranges objects such as a title, text and a picture.2How many main ideas should a slide of a good presentation have?Show answerHide answer
One; too much text tires the audience.3Which key starts the slide show in most programs?Show answerHide answer
The F5 key.
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