PowerPoint 2007 for Starters: The Missing Manual

Changing Background Color

In most cases, you won't want to change the background color of your slides. Instead, you'll rely on the professionally designed themes that come with PowerPoint, which coordinate text and background color and effects into an aesthetically pleasing package.

Of course, there's an exception or two to every rule. In the case of background color, one exception to the don't-change-it rule is when you need to match your presentation to a specific (non-PowerPoint) corporate or organizational palette, such as the one your Marketing department uses for brochures and four-color ads.

WORD TO THE WISE: Building a Better Background

You're the boss when it comes to choosing a background color and effect for your slides. But keep these tips in mind:

• Go dark—and be consistent. Dark backgrounds tend to look good in presentations delivered onscreen, while light (or white) backgrounds are best saved for printed materials. Whichever you choose, though—light or dark—just make sure you stick with it. Changing backgrounds from slide to slide is one of the quickest ways to confuse your audience. (In the interest of free choice, you'll find instructions in this section for changing individual slide backgrounds. But it's still not a good idea.)

• If you apply a background gradient, be careful how you arrange your text on top of it. Few things shout "this is my first PowerPoint presentation" louder than text spanning a background that ranges from light to dark. No matter what color you ...