A good rule of thumb is to use a sans-serif font such as Helvetica or Arial for any presentation that will be displayed through a multimedia projector. Serif fonts like Times or Palatino have softer edges to the eye and may tend to look fuzzy when displayed on a large screen.

Use fonts that will be large enough for your audience to see, but not so large that they become distracting when projected on the conference room wall. One way to be sure that you are playing it safe is to use the 24 karat rule. For golden presentations, don't use fonts smaller than 24 points. If you want to go a bit smaller, just make sure you stick with 18 points and above.

Make sure that you preview your presentation before you present. Nothing is more embarrassing than getting to your client's conference room, only to find that your text is unreadable. If possible, have another set of eyes take a look at your work too. Authors are usually the first to skip those tiny errors such as a misplaced apostrophe or a missing comma.

Aim for simplicity in all you do. Keep running text to a minimum. Try to aim for no more than six to eight words per line. Use graphics, animation, or sounds wherever they can provide an effective accent. The key is "accent." Remember that your content is the most important aspect of your presentation. And given that you cannot put all of your content on slides, YOU (delivering the body of the presentation) are the most important player in the game. Anything that detracts from you, detracts from the key point of delivery.

Here are a few tips that will help you to create the perfect presentation:

• Stick to one sans-serif font. Use different styles, colors, or sizes (i.e., bold, italic) for impact.
• Use italicized fonts sparingly, as they are difficult to read. Italics are meant to make an audience pause - so don't overuse them.
• Clearly title each screen.
• Use a larger font and/or a different color for title text.
• Be easy on the eyes. Always use white text on a dark background or dark text on a light background. Never use a white background in a dark room.
• Minimize text when projecting charts or graphs. Let the graphics speak for themselves. Use only enough text to clearly label the graphic.
• Use high-contrast colors (white or light colored text on a navy blue or black background) for maximum effect.
• Use landscape layout as opposed to portrait layout. This makes it easier for the audience to read longer lines of text.

Typefaces can offer a wide range of images, from imposing to casual, authoritative to informal. One of the key challenges in choosing a typeface is selecting one appropriate to audience and message. Choose a typeface that elicits the desired emotional response from the audience -- not just a visually appealing one.

Legibility:
The ease with which the audience can read the type.

Some typeface designs are more legible than others. In general, typefaces with a high x-height are easier to read than those with a lower x-height. The x-height refers to the height of the lower case letters (vowels + x). The x-height is slightly different in all typefaces. Serif typefaces with a higher x-height are generally easier to read than typefaces with a lower x-height because the letters are "lighter" -- they contain more "air".