best colours for a presentation

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How to Choose the Best Colors for Your Presentations

Choosing colors for your slides is one of the most crucial decisions to make even before starting to work on your Google Slides or PowerPoint presentation. Basically, colors can help you communicate your message more effectively, and they can evoke many different feelings or emotions on your audience. Keep reading to find out how to choose the best colors for your presentation.

Color Psychology

Color temperature, neutral colors, some tips on how to combine colors for your presentation.

It is quite important to know how your audience perceives colors and how these are related to the topic you are talking about. For example, red can convey a sense of danger, but also love, depending on the context. These are some common connotations that colors have on humans:

• Red : Evokes passion and strength. It’s an energetic and intense color that represents power and determination. It’s usually present on brands related to beverages, gaming and the automotive industry.
• Blue : Conveys a sense of security, confidence, responsibility and calmness. It is the most representative color in the healthcare and finance industries.
• Yellow : This is the color of light. It is a stimulating color that conveys energy, awakes awareness and inspires creativity. You will surely find yellow in the food industry.
• Green : Undeniably, the color of nature, life and peace. This color conveys a sense of growth, balance and stability like no other. It is quite popular among big companies, especially in the energy and tech industries.
• White : It is considered the color of purity and innocence. When it comes to evoking simplicity, optimism and integrity, white is second to none. You will find it for sure in the healthcare industry, and it is making its way in the fashion industry too.
• Black : Even though black is associated with seriousness, it can also convey elegance and courage. Fashion brands and luxury products make good use this color.

Take note of these hints and try to choose the color that best suits your message. For example, in this template we used bright and vibrant colors, since it is an education-themed presentation intended for a very young audience:

Click here to download this template

Colors can be grouped based on their temperature , which can be determined by comparing any given color in the visible spectrum with the light that a black body would emit when heated at a specified temperature. So, according to their temperature, there are two groups of colors: 

• Warm colors: These range from red and orange to yellow. If you click on the footer below, you will be able to download one of our templates containing a palette full of warm colors:

• Cool colors: These range from green and blue to violet. Again, click on the footer below to download a template that contains cool colors:

Mainly, warm colors convey energy and optimism—it is like giving a warm reception to your audience. On the other hand, cool colors are associated with serenity and confidence, just what you need to have a peaceful time.

White, black and all shades of gray are not considered neither warm nor cool. In fact, we could say colors such as creme, beige, brown and others with a high amount of gray are also neutral.  These colors do not influence others and can actually be combined with almost any color. As for their meaning, elegance and solemnity are pretty much guaranteed, as well as harmony.  When combining neutral colors, oftentimes a bright color is used as a contrast to highlight certain elements and bring them to the front. Click on the footer below to see an example of a presentation with neutral colors: 

To achieve a nice color harmony and make the most of it, it is best if you take into account the color wheel, as well as the concepts of hue, saturation and brightness. 

• Hue is basically what differentiates a color from any other. Thanks to the hue, you can visually tell apart red from blue, for example.
• Brightness defines how light or dark a hue is, and measures its capacity to reflect white light.
• Saturation refers to how pure a hue is. A saturated color appears more vivid, whereas a desaturated color looks duller.

With this information, you can make several different combinations: 

• Monochromatic Color Scheme: These contain different shades of a single color. Click on the footer to see one of our monochromatic templates based on red.

• Complementary Color Scheme: These are composed of a pair of opposing colors on the color wheel. If you click on the footer below, you will be able to download a presentation template with this scheme.

Analogous Color Scheme: This scheme includes colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel. Click on the footer to see an example of this scheme applied to a presentation: 

Triadic Color Scheme: This uses three colors equally spaced on the color wheel. Click on the footer to download a presentation that makes use of the triadic color scheme.

In order to get the best combination, you will need to consider how many colors you will use in each slide and how you will manage the contrast between them. These should also be suitable for your intended message or your brand.   Finally, try not to overuse very intense colors—use them only for emphasis. Keep everything consistent by applying the same color to each instance of an element within your presentation (for example, use the same color in all the titles). Include illustrations or pictures that work well with the chosen palette. If you need to apply filters to the pictures, you can refer to our “ How to Apply Filters to the Pictures in Google Slides ” tutorial, or its PowerPoint equivalent. Some of our templates include color variants, making it so much easier for you to adapt them to your topic and/or brand. Just click one of the options that you will find below “Themes” on the right side of the screen. 

Selecting color variants

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40+ Stylish PowerPoint Color Schemes 2025

Color is an element that can make or break a design, and that rule holds true for presentation design as well. Choosing the right PowerPoint color scheme is super important.

But there’s one extra thing to consider – where your presentation will be given. A PowerPoint presentation can look quite different on a computer or tablet versus on a projected screen.

When it comes to selecting a PowerPoint color scheme, this is an important consideration. We’ve rounded nearly stylish PowerPoint color schemes as inspiration. While darker color schemes might look great close-up on screens, opt for lighter backgrounds (for enhanced readability) for projected presentations.

Note: The last color in each scheme is for the slide background.

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1. Shocking Orange

When it comes to marketing and creative presentations, the orange color is the go-to choice among professionals. It not only works perfectly with both light and dark color pairings but also helps highlight all the important parts of a slide more clearly than any other color.

In this example, the bright orange (identified as Shocking Orange) instantly grabs the attention on top of the white background and makes the black typography highly visible and much easier to read.

2. Neon Green

Neon-themed high-contrast colors are a popular choice among marketers these days as they are quite effective as an accent color. These bright colors instantly pop out, highlighting key objects and text above all else.

Colors like Neon Green work best with a darker background. When you combine it with white color typography, you will come up with a color scheme that delivers results.

3. Orange and Greyish Turquoise

As we mentioned before, orange color is a popular choice in PowerPoint color schemes. But it doesn’t always have to be the dominating color. Sometimes, when you pair it with another light, secondary color, it gives you a pleasant and soothing color scheme.

In this example, you can see a light orange color being used to highlight the call to actions (CTAs) across the slideshow while a greyish-turquoise color is used to bring balance to the overall look and feel.

4. Bright Purple and Dark Blue

When creating a PowerPoint color scheme, choosing the right accent color is the key to achieving a professional vibe for the entire presentation. The important thing is to choose a color that sticks out without taking away the attention from the rest of the elements.

A color scheme with a bright purple accent goes perfectly with a dark background. Then you can add another dark blue to the mix to create another accent color to balance the attention.

5. Blue and Orange

A great thing about the orange color is how it goes well together with many other colors. It’s the king of accent colors. Blue is another color that comes out on top of the list.

Much like orange, the color blue is a great choice for creating attractive accents. And it works even better when you put those colors together.

6. Black and Gold

If your goal is to create a high-end and luxurious vibe across a PowerPoint slideshow, then no other color scheme works better than the simple yet elegant black and gold.

The classic black and gold color combination is considered one of the most iconic color schemes that have been used for decades by everyone from high-end fashion brands to luxury hotels and more. It’s the ideal color pairing for a classic, timeless look.

7. Pink and Gray

If you’re a fan of soft, pastel colors, this color scheme will work wonders for your presentation design. It’s especially an effective choice for lifestyle and fashion-related slideshows.

In this example slideshow design, you will see multiple shades of Pink, sometimes even as gradients, for the accents. This color blends beautifully with the light grayish background.

8. Red and White

PowerPoint color schemes don’t always have to be so complicated. Sometimes, a simple basic color combination is more than enough to create a compelling presentation design. This red and white color scheme shows how it’s done.

The color red is often associated with courage and authority. As a result, it is a go-to choice among modern brands and businesses for creating presentations that showcase their dominance in the market.

9. Cream and Green

This beautiful and soft color combination is a great choice for adding a soothing aesthetic to your presentation. It’s perfect for making PowerPoint slideshows for fashion, lifestyle, and travel-related topics.

In this design, the cream color works in harmony with the green to create a well-balanced look for the entire presentation. The color scheme also makes it much easier to bring more attention to the text and images.

10. Gray and Yellow

The color yellow is a great choice for accents but with the wrong color combination, it could mean disaster.

The gray color used in the above example is made of a combination of blue and cyan, which gives the design a unique background to effectively highlight the yellow accents without straining the viewer’s eyes.

11. Blue, Gray Green & Orange

With a bright overall scheme that’s easy on the eyes, this color scheme can help you create a modern PowerPoint presentation that’s readable and friendly. You can even tweak the colors somewhat to better work with your brand, if necessary.

The best thing about this color palette is that it lends itself to plenty of different presentation styles and applications.

12. Violet Gradient

Using the first two colors noted above, you can create a dark-to-light monotone gradient that can make for a modern PowerPoint design style.

Take this concept and expand it to any other colors you like for your spin on this modern color scheme.

13. Mint and Orange

On paper, these colors don’t seem to blend all that well, but with the right application min and orange on a black background can work.

Use a pair of colors like this for presentations where you are trying to make a bold statement or impact. This concept is often great for trendy topics or ideas that are a little unconventional.

14. Bright Blue and Light

The brighter, the better! Bright blue color schemes are a major trend in PowerPoint design … and for good reason. The color combination creates a bright, light feel with easy readability. Those are two things that pretty much everyone wants in a presentation template design.

The other thing that’s great about a color scheme like this – which focuses on one color – is that it matches practically everything else in the design with ease. It’s great for image-heavy presentations or those where text elements are a key focal point.

15. Teal and Lime

Two colors that you might not expect to see paired create a classy combo that’s interesting and engaging. Both teal and lime are considered “new neutrals” and work with a variety of colors easily. (What’s somewhat unexpected is putting them together.)

What’s great about this PowerPoint color scheme is that the extra interest from the hues can help generate extra attention for slides. The template in the example also mixes and matches teal and green primary color blocks to keep it interesting from slide to slide.

16. Colorful Gradients

Gradients are a color trend that just keeps reinventing and resurfacing. In the latest iteration, gradients are bright with a lot of color. Designers are working across the color wheel for gradients that have more of a rainbow effect throughout the design, even if individual gradients are more subtle.

What you are likely to see is a variety of different gradients throughout a project with different colors, but maybe a dominant color to carry the theme. Use this for presentation designs that are meant to be more fun, lighter, and highly engaging.

17. Light Blue Minimal

This color scheme with light blue and a minimal aesthetic is super trendy and so easy to read. You can add a lot of style with a black-and-white style for images or a deep blue accent for header text.

While a pale blue is ideal here, you could also consider experimenting with other pastels and the same overall theme for a modern presentation design.

18. Bright with Dark Background

The combination of bright colors on a dark background can be fun and quite different from the traditional PowerPoint color schemes that are often on white or light backgrounds. This design style for a presentation is bold and engaging but can be a challenge if you aren’t comfortable with that much color.

When you use a style like this, it is important to think about the presentation environment to ensure that everything will look as intended. A design like this, for example, can work well on screens, but not as well on a projector or in a large room.

19. Navy and Orange

The navy and orange color combination is stylish and classic for presentation design. To add a fresh touch consider some of the effects such as the template above, with color blocking and overlays to add extra interest.

What makes this color combination pop is the element of contrast between a dark and a bright pair. The navy here is almost a neutral hue and works with almost any other design element.

20. Dark and Light Green

A modern take on a monotone color scheme involves using two similar colors that aren’t exactly tints and tones of one another. This pairing of dark green and light (almost minty) green does precisely that.

What’s nice about this color scheme is that the colors can be used almost interchangeably as primary elements or accents. It provides a lot of flexibility in the presentation design.

21. Bright Crystal Blue

Blue presentation color schemes will always be in style. The only thing that changes is the variance of the hue. This pair of blues – a bright crystal blue with a darker teal – works in almost the same way as the pair of greens above.

What’s nice about this color palette though is that the dark color is the accent here. That’s a modern twist on color design for presentations.

22. Blue and Yellow

Blue and yellow are classic pairings and can make for a striking presentation color combination. With a bright white background, these hues stand out in a major way.

What works here is the element of contrast. A darker blue with a brighter yellow creates an almost yin and yang effect with color. The only real caution is to take care with yellow on a white or light background with fonts or other light elements.

Teal is a personality-packed color choice. If you are looking for a bold statement with a PowerPoint template, start here.

While the above color scheme also includes a hint of yellow for accents, the teal color option is strong enough to stand alone. You could consider a tint or tone for a mono-look. It also pairs amazingly well with black-and-white images.

Teal is a fun color option that will provide a lot of practical use with your slide deck.

24. Bright Coral

This color scheme is one of those that you will either love or hate. The bright coral color is powerful and generates an immediate reaction.

It’s also quite trendy and will stand out from many of the other more bland PowerPoint colors that you may encounter. This is a great option for a startup that wants to present with a bang or a brand that has a similar color in its palette. It may not work so well for more traditional brands or those that are more conservative with their slide designs.

25. Dark Mode Colors

A dark mode color scheme might be the biggest trend in all of design right now, and that also applies to presentation design.

This purple and emerald color paired with black with white text looks amazing. It is sleek, modern, and has high visual appeal without having to use a lot of images.

This works best for digital presentations when you don’t have concerns about room lighting to worry about.

If you aren’t ready to jump into dark mode on your own, the Harber template above is a great start with nice color, gradients, and interesting shapes throughout the slide types.

26. Navy and Lime

A navy and lime combination is a modern take on colorful neutrals that are anything but boring.

These colors have a nice balance with a white or light background and are fairly easy to use. With so many brands already using blue in their base color palette, this is an option that works and is an extension of existing elements for many brands. (Use your blue and add the lime to it.)

Also, with this color combination, the idea of a minimal overall slide structure is nice so that the power of the colors and impact comes through. They work beside images in full color or black and white.

27. Modern Blue

When you aren’t planning to use brand colors – or maybe as a startup or independent contractor so you don’t have them yet – a modern color combination can add the right flair to a PowerPoint presentation.

The bright grayish-blue in the Lekro PowerPoint template – you can find it here – adds the right amount of color without overwhelming the content. Plus, subtle orange accents help guide the eye throughout this PowerPoint color scheme. https://elements.envato.com/lekro-powerpoint-presentation-67YW3M

28. Blackish and Yellow

While at first pass, black and yellow might seem like a harsh color combination, it can set the tone for a project that should emanate strength. This PowerPoint color scheme softens the harshness of the duo with a blackish color, that’s grayer and has a softer feel.

Pair this combo on a light background or with black and white images for a stylish, mod look.

29. Orange and White

A bright color can soften the harshness of a stark PowerPoint design. Especially when used for larger portions of the content area, such as background swatches or to help accent particular elements.

The Sprint template makes great use of color with a simple palette – orange and white with black text – but has slide ideas that incorporate the color throughout for something with a more “designed” look to it. (And if you aren’t a fan of the orange, change the color for use with this template to keep the modern feel.)

Purple presentations are in. The color, which was once avoided by many in design projects, has flourished with recent color trends.

Because more funky, bright colors are popular, a presentation with a purple focus can be acceptable for a variety of uses. The use in Batagor template has a modern design with a deep header in the featured color, which works best with images that aren’t incredibly bold in terms of color.

31. Blue-Green Gradients

Another trending item in color is the use of gradients. This trend can be applied to PowerPOint presentations as well.

Use a blue-to-green gradient for a soft and harmonious color scheme that won’t get in the way of content. Use each hue alone for accents and informational divots throughout the presentation design.

32. Black and White

Minimalism is a design trend that never goes away. A black-and-white (or gray) presentation screams class and sophistication.

It can also be easy to work with when you don’t want the color to get in the way of your message. And if a design can stand alone without color, you know it works.

33. Reds and Black

If you are designing a presentation for viewing on screens, such as desktops or tablets, a dark background with bright color accents and white text can work well. (This combination gets a lot trickier on projector displays.)

While reverse text and red aren’t always recommended, you can see from the Nova template that they can be a stunning combination. But note, this modern color scheme is best for specific content and audiences.

34. Blue and Pink

This color scheme is a spin on Pantone’s colors of the year from 2016. https://designshack.net/articles/graphics/how-to-use-the-pantone-color-of-the-year-in-design-projects/ The brighter, bolder versions of rose quartz and serenity and fun and sophisticated.

The unexpected combo sets the tone with a strong, trustworthy blue and adds softness with the paler pink. The colors work equally well with white or darker backgrounds.

35. Blue and Green

Blue and green accents can help a black or white background come to life in a presentation template. The colors here can work with either background style, based on how you plan to display your presentation.

What’s nice about these colors is that they are pretty neutral – since both are found in nature – and can be used with ease for design or text elements in a PowerPoint color scheme.

36. Beige and Gray

If you are looking for a softer color palette, consider beige and gray. These hues can work well on screens or projected, making them a versatile option.

The nice thing about such a neutral palette is that it gives content plenty of room, so that will be the true focus of the presentation.

37. Tints and Tones

While the purplish blue-gray in the Business PowerPoint Presentation template is stunning, it represents a greater trend in presentation design. Pick a color – maybe your dominant brand color – and use tints and tones for the presentation color scheme.

By mixing the color with white or black and gray, you’ll end up with a stunning set of color variations that match your messaging.

38. Bold Rainbow

While most of the color schemes featured here only include a color or two, bright color schemes with wider color variations are trending.

This distinct “rainbow style” can be somewhat difficult to use without rules for each color. Proceed with caution.

39. Bright Neutrals

Lime green is the brightest “neutral” you might ever use. A fun palette that’s versatile can be a solid foundation for a color palette.

It works exceptionally well in the Rouka PowerPoint template thanks to a pairing with a subtle gray background. Using a light, but not white, background can be great for screens and projected presentations because it takes away some of the harshness of a white background. The subtle coloring is easier on the eyes for reading and viewing.

40. Rich Browns

Browns aren’t often what comes to mind when thinking of building a color scheme, but rich browns can be a modern option.

Pair a neutral beige-brown with a darker color for an interesting contrast that works with almost any style of content.

41. Mint Green

Go super trendy with a modern and streamlined palette of mint green and gray on white. While this combination can have a minimal feel, it also adds a touch of funkiness to the design.

Add another hint of color – think orange – for extra accents.

42. Dark Gray and Blue

It doesn’t get more classy than a combination of grays and blues. This new take on a classic color scheme adds another brighter blue as well to pick up on modern trends.

Just be careful with text using a dark background such as this one. White is probably your best option for typography (and look for a font with thicker strokes!)

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The Psychology of Color in PowerPoint Presentations

• April 12, 2013
• Kevin Lerner

Discover how the colors you choose for your PowerPoint presentations can guide the emotional response of your audience.

What are the best colors for a powerpoint presentation it all depends on who your audience is and what you want them to feel.

When used correctly, color can help audience members sort out the various elements of a slide. But its power goes beyond mere clarification. To some extent the colors you choose for your visuals guide the emotional response of your audience.

Blue: The most popular background color for presentation slides

Blue is one of the most common background colors. It’s calming and conservative, which is why it’s very popular with business presenters, as well as for for trainers. Studies have shown that blue has the power to slow our breathing and pulse rates. Dark blue backgrounds with light text are great for conservative corporate no-nonsense presentations. Lighter blue- more common in re cent times- work well in relaxed environments with the lights on, and help promote interaction.

Examples of BLUE in Presentations

• Quest Diagnostics: A serious company with a seriously navy blue background. The subtle angled lines promote a feeling a movement and technology. Blue complements the Green of Quest’s logo, and the white title bar provides a clean but stark contrast to the body.
• This blue template for waste management firm Republic Services provides a conservative backdrop for the financials and white bullet points. The yellow titles stand out, as does the orange, red and blue themed imagery at the bottom, not to mention the company’s logo.
• This slide for Dr. Soram Khalsa’ Complementrix Vitamin system features a template with a dark blue with angled lines. And the inner portion of the template featured a light blue-hue burst of a sun-ray to convey bright life and energy.
• This slide for Lender Direct featured an image of a file folder, edited in Photoshop, with a 80 % transparency set against a light blue background. The light blue graphic helped to convey a sense of openeness , and professionalism, while maintaining the company’s blue brand.

Green: Stimulates interaction and puts people at ease

Green stimulates interaction. It’s a friendly color that’s great for warmth and emotion. Green is commonly used in PowerPoint presentations for trainers, educators, and others whose presentations are intended to generate discussion. It’s also a great color for environmental and earth-oriented discussions.

Examples of Green in Presentations

• This slide for Hills Pet Nutrition features a modern green background with textured lines promoting a warm, but contemporary feeling. Great for their topic on pet affection.
• Money is green and so is this presentation for Presidio Finance. The white text contrasts nicely with the forest green finance images, helping to project a no-nonsense image of success and accomplishment.
• In this slide for TD Waterhouse, we created top title bar in dark green, integrating smoothly with their lime green logo. The green-hued process chart on the slide image stands out comfortably against the textured grey background.
• The flowing green arcs at the bottom and green title text helps substantiate this slides message of health and vitality. Executive Success Team’s green logo and brand also promotes a relaxed and comfortable feeling, just like Mona Vie.

Red: Handle with Care in Presentations!

Red is one of the most influential colors in your software palette — but it also carries negative cultural attachments, so use it carefully. Red is also a great color for conveying passion. Or talking about the competition. Do not use Red in financial information or tables and charts.

Examples of RED in Presentations

• The rich red of Oracle is maintained in this template, featuring red title text in an inset red rectangle and a red bottom bar of binary numbers for a look of blazing edge technology
• Trace Security uses a similar red title bar element, tying in to their black and red logo and brand.
• Red and black are also colors for Sales Training Consultants, and in this slide, we used a flat beige background, with a title bar in bright red together with red bullets and a red target graphic.
• The body pages of the Grenada presentation feature Red, but in an inset border. Text is inversed in white, as is the main body area. The key states in this map are highlighted in red.

Purple: Mystical and Emotional color in presentations and design

Purple is often associated with royalty and wealth. Purple also represents wisdom and spirituality. Purple does not often occur in nature, it can sometimes appear exotic or artificial. Nearly all the clients who come to me with presentations featuring purple or lavender are women. It’s a feminine color and it’s a good color for emotional or spiritual presentations.

Examples of Purple in Presentations

• Crosley & Company’s branding is maintained with a dominant dark purple background, and orange titles.
• A soft lavender background option gives these two medical doctors a chance to add some warmth for their mostly women audiences.

Yellow, Orange, & Gold: Attention-getting colors of affluence and prestige

Yellow can create feelings of frustration and anger. While it is considered a cheerful color, people are more likely to lose their tempers in yellow rooms and babies tend to cry more in yellow rooms.

Since yellow is the most visible color, it is also the most attention-getting color. Yellow can be used in small amount to draw notice, such as key words, or highlights but not in backgrounds. Rather than using flat yellow as a background color, consider a more “golden” or orange color. Simply adding texture to a yellow background or superimposing a photo (in Photoshop) with low transparency, can add more richness to the yellow background image.

Examples of Yellow / Gold in Presentations

• This flat yellow slide is for Web-Reach, an internet consulting firm in Miami. Even though their message was to compete with the Yellow Pages phone book, their yellow background was flat and uninspired.
• With a simple fix in Photoshop, yellow became Gold, and the same slide became more robust. We added a red bar to the top, and a grey arc to the left. Same information, just a textured golden hue helped deliver elegance and style.
• A golden textured earth background helped this slide convey the message of international elegance. The green money background blends with the gold, and the black text brings a nonsense message to the page.
• A golden textured background for Fountainhead Consulting with elements of yellow, blue, red, and grey.

Black: A strong and definite color that’s often overlooked!

Don’t forget your basic black. Often overlooked, black is a background color with useful psychological undertones. Its neutrality makes it a good backdrop for financial information. Black connotes finality and also works well as a transitional color which is why the fade to black transition is powerful, as it gives the impression of starting fresh.

Examples of Black in Presentations

• It’s a matter of black and white for this construction company. It’s intro slides were pure white text on a black background, emphasizing the company’s core beliefs. After the 3 b&w slides, the room lit-up with a series of dynamic colorful slides as the speakers enlightened the audience.
• Over 10 years old, this slide from Ryder transportation remains one of the strongest visuals. Set against a flat black background, the company’s grey logomark conveys a true sense of stability and no-nonsense action. The monotone building blocks tell a strong story.

White: Pure, Fresh and Clean. But a little boring.

White is also a calm and neutral color for presentations. It’s terrific for conveying a fresh start such as a fade to white. It represents purity or innocence. Good for positive information where you want the focus purely on the message, and not competing with a brand image. It’s clean/open and inviting and can create a sense of space or add highlights. But it can also be perceived as cheap, flat (it’s the default color for PowerPoint slides) and harsh on the eyes. Consider grey as a better background color.

Examples of White in Presentations

• To help to maintain a clean and open look this consumer collaborative called on us to integrate their brand colors set against a plain white background. The blue and orange bars provided a conservative frame, while the arcs provided a contemporary look of flow and motion.
• This slide for a large architecture and construction firm featured a flat white background offset by a colorful series of modern buildings and logos.

Grey and Silver: A conservative color; Good when Black or White won’t work.

According to psychologists, grey is often thought of as a negative color. It can be the color of evasion and non-commitment since it is neither black nor white. Some say that Grey is the color of independence and self-reliance. A few years ago, silver was the most popular color for cars. And in the presentation world, this calm color is making a comeback. Grey (or “Silver”) is a softer background than the harsh default color of white, and works well on almost all presentations. A dark grey background with light text…or light grey background with dark text…you can’t go wrong!

Examples of Grey in Presentations

• Farmers Insurance’s silver background integrates subtle ray of light elements to help add depth and texture to this slide. The red, blue, and black stock images blend comfortably with the rest of the page. And the white border around the letters add a level of modernism and clarity.
• The stainless steel background of this slide helps promote a modern contemporary look, helping to link the 4 brands together.
• A clean flowing blue arc with a non-obtrusive silver background help make this slide for Margie Seyfer appear fun but conservative
• Interim Healthcare’s brand is maintained, but a muted image in silver help add depth and dimension to the slide’s message, while supporting its key points.

We perceive dark colors as being “heavier” than light ones, so graphic elements that are arranged from darkest to lightest are the easiest for the eyes to scan. On charts, it’s best to arrange colors from dark to light.

Remember that most eyes aren’t perfect. Because color perception deficiencies are common, certain color combinations — including red/green, brown/green, blue/black and blue/purple — should be avoided.

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7 Things To Keep In Mind When Selecting The Best Colors For Your Presentation

• By Judhajit Sen
• May 8, 2024

The impact of colors on slide presentations is profound. Colors don’t just about make slides look pretty; they influence how your audience feels and understands your message. Different colors evoke various emotions and associations. For instance, red can express urgency or danger, while blue can evoke calmness and trust.

Choosing the right colors is crucial. For instance, a pitch to new clients might need exciting colors to energize them, while a presentation to long-standing investors might require stable and reassuring hues.

Professionalism is key. Amateurish presentations can tarnish your image. Your slides should match your professionalism, making color selection vital.

But it’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about conveying information effectively. High contrast between background and text aids readability, while low contrast can hinder comprehension. Striking the right balance ensures your audience grasps your message effortlessly.

Color choice impacts perception. It aids retention and enhances visual appeal, making your presentation memorable. Whether you’re restricted by brand colors or have the freedom to choose, picking the right palette is essential for success. So, ensure your color scheme reflects your message and captivates your audience, setting the tone for your presentation’s success.

Key Takeaways

• Branding : Incorporate your company’s color palette to maintain brand identity and convey a consistent message.
• Readability and Contrast : Prioritize high contrast between foreground and background colors for optimal device readability.
• The 60-30-10 Rule : Balance dominant, secondary, and accent colors using this straightforward guideline for harmonized color proportions.
• Color Psychology : Understand how colors evoke emotions and perceptions to convey your message strategically.
• Color Groups : Differentiate between warm and cool colors to avoid mixing across groups and prevent visual discomfort.
• Color Schemes : Choose color combinations that suit your audience and setting, prioritizing readability and consistency.
• The Color Wheel : Utilize this tool to grasp color relationships and categories, guiding your selection process for cohesive presentations.

Seven Things to Remember When Selecting the Best Colors for Your Next Presentation

Incorporating branding elements into presentations is vital for conveying a consistent message. Start with your company’s color palette, ensuring it complements the logo and brand colors. This cohesion reinforces brand recognition without overpowering the message. For instance, HubSpot subtly integrates its signature orange across presentation slides, maintaining brand identity without overt logos.

Even with predefined templates, understanding color selection remains crucial. You may need to choose colors for visuals to ensure text clarity, enhancing comprehension within brand guidelines.

Colors wield psychological influence, shaping perceptions and emotions, thus becoming integral to branding and marketing strategies.

Consistency reinforces professionalism. Use consistent color schemes, fonts, and layouts throughout presentations to strengthen your message, identity, and credibility. Aligning with brand colors fosters trust and familiarity, which is essential for audience engagement and recognition . Whether using predefined palettes or online tools, maintaining brand-aligned consistency enhances presentation effectiveness.

Readability and Contrast

Creating slides with optimal readability and contrast is crucial for effective communication. When choosing colors, prioritize high contrast between foreground graphics or text and the background to ensure clarity and visibility. This contrast not only enhances readability but also aids individuals with color blindness in distinguishing content.

Using light and dark contrasts within color groups, such as black text on a white background or white text on a navy background, enhances text visibility and readability. Avoid color combinations that strain the eyes or lack sufficient contrast, like neon green text on a dark background.

Incorporating neutral colors, such as gray or white, as background shades can further enhance readability and professionalism. Whether using dark or light backgrounds, ensure text colors contrast sharply for maximum impact.

Before finalizing your presentation, test your color choices for readability, accessibility, and compatibility across different devices and screens. Utilize contrast checker tools to measure contrast ratios and color blindness simulators to assess accessibility. By prioritizing readability and contrast, you can create visually engaging slides that effectively convey your message to all viewers.

The 60-30-10 Rule

The 60-30-10 rule is a straightforward guide for harmonizing colors in your slides. It advises using 60% of a dominant color, 30% secondary color, and 10% of an accent color. The dominant color serves as the backdrop or main hue. The secondary color complements or contrasts with the dominant one. The accent color adds emphasis to crucial elements like headings or graphs.

To apply this rule effectively, consider the rule of thirds. This principle advocates for distributing color proportions to create balance and visual interest. By allocating 60% to the dominant color, 30% to the secondary, and 10% to the accent, you establish hierarchy and contrast without overwhelming your audience. For instance, you might employ a light background (60%), dark text (30%), and vibrant highlights (10%) to achieve this balance.

Color Psychology

Understanding color psychology is essential when creating presentation slides. Colors evoke emotions and perceptions, influencing how your audience interprets your message. Different colors carry distinct meanings and associations, impacting your presentation’s overall mood and reception.

For instance, red signifies passion and urgency, while blue conveys trust and professionalism. Warm colors like red and orange grab attention, making them suitable for highlighting important points, while cool colors like green evoke a sense of trust and stability.

Cultural upbringing, brand exposure, and personal experiences influence individuals’ emotional responses to colors. Therefore, while color meanings provide guidance, they aren’t absolute. It’s crucial to consider your audience’s context when selecting colors for your slides.

Color psychology plays a crucial role in marketing and branding. It aligns colors with brand identity and messaging to evoke desired emotions and perceptions. By strategically using colors that resonate with your message and audience, you can enhance the effectiveness and impact of your presentation.

Color Groups

Colors can be divided into two main groups: warm and cool colors. Warm colors include reds, oranges, and yellows, which tend to stand out and attract attention. On the other hand, cool colors encompass greens, blues, and purples, which recede into the background and draw less attention.

It’s advisable to avoid mixing colors from these groups as they can create unpleasant contrasts. For instance, red text on a blue background or green text against an orange background can strain the eyes and make reading difficult.

Creating a color palette using colors from the same group is beneficial when designing presentation slides. For example, a combination of blue, purple, and gray blends harmoniously without competing for attention.

While warm and cool colors generally have distinct effects, they may vary depending on quantity and contrast. For instance, small black shapes on a white background may appear more noticeable due to the contrast, emphasizing the importance of considering these factors when combining colors on slides.

Neutral colors like white, black, and beige complement warm and cool colors and serve as versatile options for backgrounds or accents. However, caution should be exercised when crossing the warm/cool boundary, as mixing colors across these groups can lead to visual discomfort, especially for individuals with color blindness.

Utilizing PowerPoint themes can simplify color combinations, as theme colors are curated to complement each other and perform well in various presentation environments. By understanding color groups and their effects, presenters can create visually appealing slides that effectively convey their message while avoiding visual distractions and discomfort for the audience.

Color Schemes

A color scheme in presentations is a collection of colors that work well together, creating a pleasing and unified appearance. You can easily find suitable color palettes using online tools, or you can start with your logo or brand colors and build from there.

Professional presentations often use specific color combinations, such as gray and yellow or blue and white. These combos are seen as professional because they balance sophistication with energy and optimism or trustworthiness with clarity and authority, making them perfect for business settings.

Consider your presentation screen when choosing colors. Darker schemes suit close-up screens, while lighter ones are better for projections to ensure readability. Avoid bright colors, especially red text on projectors, as they wash out easily.

When choosing colors, think about your audience and setting. Neutral colors like blue, gray, and white are great for professional presentations, while brighter ones like yellow or green might work better for creative or educational topics. Always prioritize readability and avoid jarring color combinations.

Stick to your chosen color scheme throughout the presentation for consistency. Limit yourself to three or four colors to maintain cohesion and avoid distractions. Ensure enough contrast between text/graphics and the background for clarity.

The Color Wheel

The color wheel is a potent tool for understanding color relationships and categories. It features three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) , three secondary colors (orange, green, and purple) , and six tertiary colors (like red-orange or yellow-green) . This wheel helps in creating diverse color schemes for presentations.

Isaac Newton, at the age of 23, invented the color wheel. He realized how colors, perceived by humans, blend to form captivating combinations. His categorization included:

1. Primary Colors : Red, yellow, blue 2. Secondary Colors : Orange, green, violet (formed by mixing primary colors) 3. Tertiary Colors : Colors like red-orange or blue-violet (resulting from mixing primary and secondary colors)

Understanding the color wheel involves recognizing warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows) and cool colors (blues, greens, violets). Warm colors evoke feelings of energy and brightness, while cool colors suggest calmness and serenity.

Three fundamental color combinations are essential:

1. Complementary Color Combinations : Colors opposite each other on the wheel create high contrast and catch attention. 2. Analogous Color Combinations : Colors adjacent on the wheel, offering balance with one color dominating the foreground and the other as the background. 3. Triadic Color Combinations : These vibrant and harmonious colors evenly spaced on the wheel form a dynamic contrast. Creating a triangle on the wheel reveals these three colors.

Selecting the Perfect Palette: Best Color Choices for Your Presentation

Choosing the right colors for your presentation is more than just making it visually appealing. It’s about conveying your message effectively and creating a lasting impression on your audience. From branding alignment to readability and psychological impact, here are seven essential considerations when selecting colors for your next presentation.

1. Branding : Ensure your color choices align with your brand identity to reinforce recognition and trust.

2. Readability and Contrast : Prioritize high contrast for readability and accessibility across different devices and screens.

3. The 60-30-10 Rule : Harmonize colors using this simple guide for balanced color proportions.

4. Color Psychology : Understand how colors influence emotions and perceptions to evoke the desired response from your audience.

5. Color Groups : Differentiate between warm and cool colors and use them strategically to create harmony and avoid visual discomfort.

6. Color Schemes : Explore various color combinations, considering your audience and setting, to maintain consistency and enhance readability.

7. The Color Wheel : Use this powerful tool to grasp color relationships and categories, guiding your selection process for cohesive and engaging presentations.

By mastering these fundamental principles, you can craft presentations that mesmerize your audience and convey your message.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do colors impact presentations? Colors play a significant role in presentations, influencing the audience’s emotions and understanding. They can evoke various feelings and associations; for instance, red can convey urgency, while blue instills calmness and trust.

2. Why is choosing the right color important? Selecting suitable colors is crucial as they reflect professionalism and enhance message clarity. Different presentations require different color tones; for example, vibrant hues may energize new clients, while stable shades reassure long-term investors.

3. How can I ensure my presentation looks professional? Maintaining professionalism in presentations is vital for a positive image. Matching color schemes to your brand’s identity fosters consistency and credibility, reflecting your expertise.

4. What role does readability play in color selection? Readability is essential for effective communication. Optimal contrast between text and background aids clarity, ensuring your message is easily understood. Consistency in color usage enhances readability and professionalism throughout the presentation.

Enhance Your Presentation with Perfect Colors

Are you struggling to find the right colors for your presentations? Let Prezentium , the AI-powered business presentation service provider, be your guide. With our expertise in visual design and data science, we offer three specialized services tailored to your needs:

1. Overnight Presentations : Send us your requirements by 5:30 pm PST, and wake up to a stellar presentation delivered to your inbox by 9:30 am PST the next business day.

2. Prezentation Specialist : Our team of experts transforms your ideas and meeting minutes into captivating presentations. We also assist in creating new designs and templates.

3. Zenith Learning : Join our interactive communication workshops and training programs, combining structured problem-solving with visual storytelling for maximum impact.

Harness the power of color psychology and strategic color selection to elevate your presentations. Whether you need to align with your brand, prioritize readability and contrast, or master the 60-30-10 rule, Prezentium has you covered.

Don’t miss the opportunity to captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression. Contact Prezentium today and take your presentations to the next level!

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