How to pick an effective color palette for your PowerPoint presentation
What does that color communicate? Use color to support your message when you present.
Your audience will have conscious and unconscious reactions to your color selection. Take a look below for common color associations.
Blue - a universal favorite for presentations. Think “true blue” for loyalty and trustworthiness. Blue can communicate authority, responsibility and security.
Red - a power color...daring, intense and dramatic. Red evokes very strong emotions and can actually increase blood pressure and eye-blinking. Associated with blood and fire, red
stands for courageous and powerful action.
Green - the color of nature, is restful and soothing. Green communicates balance, harmony and tranquility.
Frequently used for natural products, the health industry and the environment, green has a positive association across all cultures.
Yellow says happiness, optimism, cheerfulness.
It symbolizes hope and appeals to the intelligent and thoughtful audience. Associated with the sun, yellow is stimulating and attention getting.
Fun loving, positive and exuberant orange. Great for inspiring action. Cheerful, bold and energetic, orange tempers the daring of red with the happiness of yellow.
Purple is the most stimulating of the cool colors.
It is associated with royalty, mystery and sophistication. Excellent for a new trend or unique idea, regal purple blends popular blue with powerful red.
Brown is the color of the earth. Wholesome and homey, nurturing brown communicates stability and security. Think warm chocolate brown for practical and affordable.
Gray is subtle and serene. Think mysterious fog or moonbeams. With its associated Silver or a bright primary color, gray is frequently used for technology products.
Black is sophisticated, dramatic, powerful and mysterious. A great accent to other colors. Black communicates mourning and bad luck in many culture.
Your color palette consists of the color you choose for the template or background, the text and any bullets or chart objects used in your presentation. See more information on how to select the right template.
TIP: Cool colors like green, blue and purple, visually recede. Warm colors like red, orange and yellow will advance toward the audience.
