We’re in the widescreen era now

There is no longer any reason to use the standard (4:3) aspect ratio for a presentation.

I know it’s what you’re comfortable with and the template you’re using defaults to standard (choosing widescreen distorts your logo and built-in stock photos), so it’s easier to stick with it. And maybe you’re afraid of the printer cutting off your content when you print off your whole deck as a leave-behind.

I’d like to talk to you about that sometime.

But I digress.

I’m here to tell you today that it’s time to consign the 4:3 aspect ratio to the scrapheap of PowerPoint history. You know those black bars that show up on either side of the screen when you present? Those are the signifiers of mediocrity. They broadcast the message that you are out of your element, incompletely prepared, and tolerant of waste (in this case wasted space).

Someone at home in a given conference room will have had occasion to tailor their slides to fit the monitor there. Someone at home with modern technology will have come to terms with the fact we aren’t using tube TVs anymore, and pull-down screens with projectors long ago gave way to widescreen high-def wall-mounted monitors.

Printer issues? They’ve been remedied: The current and past couple versions of PowerPoint ironed out the problems we were seeing printing slides rendered in widescreen. Now you get the whole slide on a single page, with just an extra half inch of whitespace on the top and bottom. It’s nothing. You’re likely better off printing three slides on a page anyway, as handouts: This conserves paper and toner, and results in a decent layout.

If you haven’t made the transition to widescreen, I assure you at least one of your competitors has (and they look a little better than you, at least in this regard). Make the move. Do it yourself or demand it of the decision-makers and branding officers responsible for generating new presentation templates.

Or send me the one you’re using right now and I’ll convert it for you. [It may only take me five minutes.]

Whichever way you get this done, you’ll see a benefit.

Gary Reichardt1 Comment