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Change Font Colors and Styles on PowerPoint Slides

Add some color and style to your PowerPoint presentation

By Wendy Russell Wendy Russell Writer Brock University Former Lifewire writer Wendy Russell is an experienced teacher specializing in live communications, graphics design, and PowerPoint software. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 21, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email MS Office Powerpoint Word Excel Outlook Several factors, such as room lighting and room size, affect the readability of your slides during a presentation. When creating your slides, choose font colors, styles, and sizes that make it easy for your audience to read what is on the screen, no matter where they are seated. Instructions in this article apply to PowerPoint 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010; PowerPoint for Mac, PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, and PowerPoint Online.

Choose the Right Font Color and Style

The image below is an example of a poorly designed slide concerning readability. When changing font colors, choose colors that contrast strongly with your background. When selecting a font and background color combination, also consider the room you will be presenting in. Light color fonts on a dark background are often easier to read in dark rooms. Dark color fonts on light backgrounds, on the other hand, work better in rooms with some light. In the case of font styles, avoid fancy fonts such as script styles. Difficult to read at the best of times on a computer screen, these fonts are almost impossible to decipher when projected onto a screen. Stick to standard fonts such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Verdana. The default font sizes in a PowerPoint presentation — 44 point text for titles and 32 point text for subtitles and bullets — should be the minimum sizes you use. If the room you are presenting in is large, increase the font size.

Change the Font Style and Font Size

When you want to change the look and size of the text in a PowerPoint presentation, scroll through the list of font styles found in PowerPoint and find one that will stand out in your presentation. Select the text you wish to change. In the Mini toolbar, select the Font dropdown arrow, scroll through the available fonts, then choose a font. While the text is still selected, select the Font Size dropdown arrow and choose a new size for the font. Preview your changes. If the font doesn't appear the way you want, choose a different font style and size.

Change the Font Color

Color is one way to hold an audience's attention. Choose colors that provide plenty of contrast so that your words stand out against the presentation background. Select the text.​ Go to the Home tab and, in the Font group, look for Font Color. Its symbol is the letter A with a colored line under it. This line indicates the current color. If this is the one you want to use, select Font Color.​ To change to a different font color, select the Font Color dropdown arrow to display other color choices. Choose a theme color or a standard color, or select More Colors to see other options. Select a blank area of the slide to see the effect.

PowerPoint Slide After Font Color and Style Changes

Here is the completed slide after changing the font color and font style. The slide is now much easier to read.
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