How do you choose the perfect background for your PowerPoint presentations?

A well-designed PowerPoint presentation can make a difference for capture the attention of your audience from the first few minutes.

Among the crucial elements to take into account, The background occupies a prominent place. It not only influences the aesthetics of your slides, but also the clarity and impact of your message.

What is the point of adding background to a presentation?

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A medium for content, not a distraction

Above all, the background must valorize the text, images, and graphics for your presentation. If it's too busy or distracting, it may overshadow the main content and distract your audience.

Keep in mind that the background must not impact the readability of the content. It is therefore essential that The background is aesthetic but light. The contrast between the background and the text is essential. Opt for complementary colors or play with nuances:

• dark text on a light background;
• light text on a dark background.

A simple background, even monochrome, is often more effective than a complex background. Leave white or empty space to avoid visual overload.

Harmonize the content with the message

The choice of background should reflect the tone and theme of your presentation. For example, a creative project can afford bolder funds and colorful, while a business presentation often requires a simple and professional design.

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How do I choose the right fund?

Being able to get the right message across

Colors and styles should align with the subject and objective of your presentation. For example:

• Use sober colors (blue, gray, white) for formal contexts.
• Adopt dynamic tones (orange, purple) for creative presentations.

The choice of background should be influenced by the expectations and preferences of your audience. Sober colors that are suitable for formal contexts are often used in front of a mature audience while dynamic and colorful visuals are generally reserved for a younger audience.

Adopt the company's graphic charter

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Choosing the background for your PowerPoint slides should reflect the identity and values of the company that you represent.

For a presentation in environments such as banking institutions, opt for simple and professional funds. Neutral colors such as blue, gray or white reinforce credibility and convey a feeling of trust and seriousness.

Conversely, a company, such as a design agency or a tech startup, can afford bolder funds, integrating dynamic gradients, modern textures, or lightweight illustrations to reflect their innovative spirit.

Finally, if the company is committed to specific areas, such as the environment or health, choose funds evoking these themes : green tones for an ecological organization or soothing colors for a company in well-being.

Adapting the fund to the type of business makes it possible to visually align the slides with the brand image and better capture the attention of the audience. Most businesses have a logo or a website, remember to use the colors of these to make a reminder!

What types of funds?

There are many types of funds that can each have their advantages and will not be used in the same context or for the same slides. You can Mix background types in the same presentation while remaining attentive to its harmony.

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For structure your presentation effectively and facilitate the understanding of the process, you can for example switch between two types of slides. Opt for a light background on the content slides to maximize the readability and clarity of the information. On the other hand, choose a dark background for interlayers, powerful messages or moments of breathing.

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Those dark slides mark a visual break, creating memorable moments and reinforcing the impact of key points. This dynamic alternation helps maintain the attention of your audience while structuring your presentation in a fluid and coherent manner.

Opt for a plain background

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Les plain backgrounds are simple and versatile. They adapt easily to all contexts and guarantee optimal readability.

• Benefits : Simplicity, neutrality, simplicity.
• tip : Choose soft colors like off-white or light gray to avoid straining your eyes.

Choose the gradient for a touch of elegance

A subtle gradient can add depth to your slides without overloading them.

For example, A gradient from light blue to white can evoke professionalism and modernity. However, it must remain discreet because overly pronounced gradients can become distracting.

Make the bold choice of the background image

The photos or illustrations can enhance the visual impact, but they should be used with care.

If you want to add a background image, consider add transparency or a filter to the image so as not to compromise the readability of the text. For example, why not put a blurry photo in the background? It will work great in the case of a creative presentation.

Make sure that the image selected is of a high resolution. A blurry or low-quality image can affect the overall impact of your presentation. Often it is better not to put the image if it does not meet these characteristics than to want to insert it at all costs.

To find nice images that are free and royalty-free, you can use the site Unsplash. There you will find numerous inspirations for high resolution backgrounds.

To go further, work on your backgrounds in tools like Photoshop, by playing with texture, material or relief effects. This adds depth and perspective to your slides, giving them a polished, professional look that will captivate your audience.

Use pre-designed and custom themes

The themes integrated in PowerPoint: true or false good idea? These designs offer ready-to-use solutions. They can be particularly useful if you are short on time or If you are new to PowerPoint.

These pre-designed themes allow you to be able to Play with textures and depths. They are a good way to get used to the different types of backgrounds on PowerPoint.

In order to customize your rendering, you can also change the colors, fonts, and styles of your theme!

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How do I insert a background?

Insert a background that fits your PowerPoint slides is an essential step to personalize your presentation and enhance its visual impact. Here is a detailed guide to the procedure, along with keyboard shortcuts to increase efficiency.

Change the background of a slide or a set of slides

1. Select the slide (s) concerned:

• In the left panel, click the slide you want to customize.
• To apply a background to multiple slides, press and hold Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) and click on the slides.

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2. Access the background options:

• Right-click on a selected slide and choose “Setting in the background”.
• Or, on the ribbon, go to the tab “Creation” then click on “Setting in the background” to the right.

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3. Choose the type of background:

• Solid color: select a color from the options offered or click “Other colors” for more choices.

• Gradient: click on “Degraded” and set up the shades.
• Image or texture: click on “Fill with image or texture” and download an image from your computer.

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4. Apply to all slides:

• If you want to apply this background to all slides, click “Apply everywhere”.

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Add a background using Slide Master mode

To harmonize the design of your presentation and save time, you can insert a background directly into the Slide mask.

1. Access the Slide Master :

• Click on the tab “Display” in the ribbon.
• Select “Slide mask”.

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2. Customize the background :

• Follow the steps in the previous section to insert a color, gradient, or image as a background.
• This change will automatically apply to all slides based on this master.

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3. Exit Mask mode :

• Once done, click on “Close Mask mode” in the ribbon.

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Some useful shortcuts:

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• Ctrl + A (Windows) or Cmd + A (Mac): to select all slides.
• Ctrl + Z (Windows) or Cmd + Z (Mac): To cancel a change.
• Alt + W + M (Windows): Quickly open Slide Master mode.

Insert a background from PowerPoint themes

If you prefer to use a ready-to-use design, PowerPoint offers themes with pre-designed backgrounds.

1. Access the themes:

• Click on the tab “Creation”.
• Browse through the themes offered in the top bar.

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2. Apply a theme:

• Click on a theme to immediately apply it to your presentation.
• You can change colors and fonts via “Variants” in the same tab.

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3. Personalize further:

• Once the theme is applied, you can still change the background of specific slides using the previous steps.

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Remember to always test the final result with the content to ensure harmony between the background and the elements on the slide. Funds play a key role in bring dynamism and capture attention of your audience, but they're not everything.

‍To go further in the customizing and creating compelling slides, explore all the possibilities offered by advanced tools and techniques. See you on the blog Mprez to find more ideas and inspiration for your presentations.