# Slide design: 15 rules for decks people remember [Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/slide-design-tips) Most bad slides are not ugly. They are crowded, small and trying to be the talk instead of supporting it. These fifteen rules fix that, in roughly the order you will need them. ## The short version - The most important slide design rule is one idea per slide, stated as a full sentence headline. - The standard slide size is 16:9 at 1920×1080 pixels; 4:3 at 1600×1200 is still used on some older projectors. - Slide text should be large enough to read from the back of the room, which on a 1920×1080 slide means body text of roughly 36 pixels or more. - A deck looks consistent when every slide uses the same background system, two typefaces and one grid. - A deck that will be sent rather than presented needs more words per slide than one that is spoken over. Good **slide design** starts with one rule: one idea per slide. Say that idea as a short sentence at the top, support it with a single image, chart or a few words set large, and move the detail into what you say or into an appendix. Build at 16:9, 1920×1080 pixels, use one background system and two typefaces throughout, and decks become calmer, faster to follow and far easier to remember. The fifteen rules below cover the rest. ## Structure: rules 1 to 4 1. **1. One idea per slide** If a slide makes two points, it is two slides. Slides are free; attention is not. 2. **2. Write headlines as sentences** "Revenue grew fastest in the north" beats "Regional revenue". Someone flicking through should get the story from the headlines alone. 3. **3. Outline before you open the software** Write the headlines in a list first. If the list does not tell the story, no design will. 4. **4. Know whether it is presented or sent** A spoken deck can be sparse. A deck sent as a PDF must stand alone, so it carries more words, set in a clear hierarchy. A widescreen slide titled Q3 update listing six topics, an example of too much on one slide A label for a headline and six topics on one slide. The audience reads ahead and stops listening. A widescreen slide with the single headline Hiring is now our bottleneck set large over a gradient One idea, stated as a sentence. The speaker explains; the slide makes the point stick. ## Slide size and layout: rules 5 to 7 **5. Build at 16:9.** Almost every screen, projector and video call is widescreen now, so 1920×1080 is the default. Use 4:3 at 1600×1200 only when you know the room has an older projector. Changing the ratio after you have built a deck breaks every layout, so decide first. - 16:9 1920×1080: 1920 × 1080 - 4:3 1600×1200: 1600 × 1200 - Carousel 1080×1350: 1080 × 1350 The two slide sizes to scale, and the 4:5 portrait you will need if the deck is reposted as a carousel. **6. Use a grid and keep margins wide.** Keep content at least 80 to 100 pixels from every edge of a 1920×1080 slide, and align titles to the same position on every slide so nothing jumps when you click forward. **7. Leave a third of the slide empty.** Space is what makes the important thing obvious. If a slide feels full, it is too full. [Visual hierarchy](https://gradiently.design/guide/visual-hierarchy) explains why the eye needs room to find the point. ## Type on slides: rules 8 to 10 **8. Make text bigger than feels right.** Someone at the back of a room or watching on a laptop in a small window needs large type. On a 1920×1080 slide, these sizes are a sound starting point. | Text | Size on a 1920×1080 slide | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | Big statement | 120 to 200 px | One short line, for section openers | | Slide headline | 64 to 96 px | One or two lines | | Body and bullets | 36 to 48 px | Never below about 32 px if presented | | Labels and sources | 24 to 28 px | Small but legible on a laptop | Pixel sizes for a widescreen canvas. If your software uses points on a 13.33 inch wide slide, divide these by two for a rough equivalent. **9. Two typefaces, no more.** A heading face and a body face, used the same way on every slide. [Presentation fonts](https://gradiently.design/guide/typography-for-presentations) has tested pairings. **10. Cut bullets to fragments, or cut them.** Three short bullets is the limit. Better still, turn the list into three slides or one diagram. ## Colour and backgrounds: rules 11 and 12 **11. Use one background system.** Pick a ground and stick to it: perhaps a bold version for title and section slides and a calmer version for content slides. Changing backgrounds on every slide makes a deck feel assembled rather than designed. [Presentation backgrounds](https://gradiently.design/guide/presentation-backgrounds) has many ideas. - Title and section slides: `radial-gradient(circle at 85% 15%, #8b5cf6 0%, #3b0764 40%, #0c0a1d 85%)` - Content slides, calm: `linear-gradient(180deg, #0c0a1d 0%, #160f2e 100%)` - Light content for bright rooms: `linear-gradient(180deg, #f7f5fb 0%, #ece7f6 100%)` A three part system from one colour family: a lit version for openers, a near flat version behind content, and a light alternative. **12. Contrast is not optional.** Projectors wash colours out, and many people watch on dim laptop screens. Keep text well clear of the [WCAG contrast](https://gradiently.design/guide/color-contrast-accessibility) minimums, and never put text over the brightest part of a gradient or photo. ## Images, charts and endings: rules 13 to 15 **13. One image, shown big.** A single photograph filling the slide beats four thumbnails. Crop with intent and put the headline where the image is calm. **14. Make every chart answer one question.** Put the answer in the headline, highlight the one bar or line that proves it, and grey out the rest. ### Avoid - A chart pasted straight from a spreadsheet - Legends the audience has to decode - Every series in a different bright colour - Headline that just names the chart ### Do - The chart rebuilt in the deck's colours - Labels written directly on the lines or bars - One accent colour for the point, grey for context - Headline that states what the chart shows **15. End on the ask, not "Thank you".** The last slide stays on screen during questions, often for minutes. Use it for the one thing you want people to do or remember, with contact details. [Pitch deck design](https://gradiently.design/guide/pitch-deck-design) and [keynote slide design](https://gradiently.design/guide/public-speaker-slides) show strong endings for investors and stages. If you build the deck in Gradiently, rule 11 takes care of itself: the Studio has pages for decks, and one Mark carries the same background across every slide while moving its calmest area behind your words. The Designer can lay out first drafts from a description, and with Pro you can export the deck as a PDF and resize key slides into social posts in one step. ## FAQ ### What is the best slide size? 16:9 at 1920×1080 pixels for almost every modern screen. Use 4:3 at 1600×1200 only for older projectors. ### How many words should be on a slide? For a presented deck, as few as possible: a sentence headline and a handful of supporting words. Decks sent as PDFs can carry more. ### What font size should I use on slides? On a 1920×1080 slide, headlines around 64 to 96 pixels and body text 36 to 48 pixels, never much below 32. ### How many fonts should a presentation use? Two: one for headings and one for body text, used consistently on every slide. ### What should the last slide of a presentation be? Your key message or call to action with contact details, because it stays on screen during questions.