Denne guide findes ikke på dit sprog endnu, så her er den på engelsk.
Kort fortalt
- A good presentation background supports the content on each slide: expressive on title and section slides, quiet on slides people need to read.
- Design backgrounds as a family of three, one each for title, section and content slides, all built from the same colours.
- Standard slide sizes are 1920 by 1080 pixels for 16:9 and 1600 by 1200 pixels for 4:3.
- Content slides need a large calm area with strong, even contrast where the text and charts sit.
- Projectors wash out subtle colour and dark detail, so test a presentation background on the screen it will be shown on.
På denne side
A good presentation background sets the tone of the talk and then gets out of the way of the content. The practical approach is a small family of backgrounds built from the same colours: an expressive one for the title slide, a slightly calmer one for section breaks, and a quiet one with a large, even area for content slides. Make them at 1920 by 1080 for 16:9 decks or 1600 by 1200 for 4:3, and check them on the screen or projector you will present on.
If you are building a whole deck system, pitch deck design covers structure and slide types. This guide is about the backgrounds underneath.
Presentation background sizes: 16:9 and 4:3
Most presentation tools now start new decks at 16:9, which matches most laptops, monitors and TVs. 4:3 is still useful for some older projectors and for decks that will be printed or read as documents. Pick the ratio first, because a background made for one never fits the other cleanly.
Slides 16:9, 1920×1080
1920 × 1080
Slides 4:3, 1600×1200
1600 × 1200
Design a background family, not one background
The title slide can afford drama because it carries a few words. A content slide with a chart, six bullet points or a screenshot needs a calm field with even contrast everywhere text might go. One background can't do both jobs well, so make three from the same palette.
| Slide type | Background | Text area |
|---|---|---|
| Title | The most expressive version: colour, light, texture | Short title, placed in the calmest region |
| Section break | Same colours, less contrast, or a single bold field | One or two words, large |
| Content | Nearly flat, or a gentle gradient at one edge | Most of the slide, with even contrast |
| Data and screenshots | Flat or the quietest version | Everything; the chart is the content |
| Closing | Can return to the title background | Contact, call to action or thank you |
A title slide can use the full background: light, colour and space.
A content slide in the same family: the background calms so the list reads first.
How to keep text readable on slide backgrounds
Slides are read from a distance, often in a lit room, on a screen that is dimmer or less contrasty than your laptop. Every contrast problem you see on your own screen gets worse there. Aim well above the minimum: the WCAG thresholds of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text are a floor, not a target. Colour contrast explains how to check.
Avoid
- A busy gradient behind body text and charts
- Mid-tone backgrounds where neither white nor black reads well
- Text crossing the brightest part of a gradient
- Dark, subtle detail that a projector turns to grey
Do
- A calm content background with even lightness
- Clearly dark or clearly light grounds
- Words placed in the calmest region
- Bold, simple structure that survives any screen
Keep a safe margin too. Leave roughly 5 percent of the width clear at every edge so nothing important is cut off if the screen crops or scales the slide. It also stops text crowding the edge of a gradient, where colour often changes fastest.
Dark or light presentation backgrounds
Dark backgrounds feel cinematic and focused in a dim room, and they make colour glow. Light backgrounds read better in bright rooms and on printed handouts, and they are easier on screen-sharing apps that compress video. If you will present in both kinds of room, build the family in both, sharing one accent colour.
Making a presentation background set
- 1
Choose the ratio
16:9 at 1920 by 1080 unless you know the room needs 4:3 at 1600 by 1200.
- 2
Build the title background
Start from your brand colours or a gradient you like, with a clear light source and a calm area for the title.
- 3
Derive the rest
Reduce contrast and texture for section slides; nearly flatten it for content slides. Keep the same hues throughout.
- 4
Set it as the master
Place each background on a master or layout in your slide tool, so every new slide uses the right one automatically.
- 5
Test at distance
Present to yourself from across the room, or on the actual screen. Fix anything you have to squint at.
In Gradiently, a Mark renders live behind each slide at 16:9 or 4:3 and moves its calmest region behind your words, so the same background can stay expressive on a title slide and quiet behind a list. Copy to sizes lays a finished slide out again for other formats, such as a LinkedIn post announcing the talk.
Spørgsmål, folk stiller
What size should a presentation background be?
1920 by 1080 pixels for 16:9 slides, or 1600 by 1200 pixels for 4:3. Larger is fine as long as the ratio matches.
Should presentation backgrounds be dark or light?
Dark suits dim rooms and cinematic talks; light suits bright rooms, printed handouts and screen sharing. Build both from one palette if you present in different settings.
How do I make text readable on a slide background?
Use a quiet background on content slides, place text in the calmest region, and aim for contrast well above 4.5:1, since projectors and rooms reduce it.
Can I use a gradient as a presentation background?
Yes. Use the expressive version on title and section slides, and a much calmer version of the same gradient behind content, charts and screenshots.
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