Blog2021-05-06T12:54:43-07:00

Presentation Resource List (from Presentation Pitfalls)

I recently read “Presentation Pitfalls” by John Polk and Justin Hunsaker. In addition to the superb presentation design content and slide design rational, it includes a very thorough resource section at the end. Three full pages of books and podcasts. Get the book – it is a great presentation resource! The compiled list is also a great resource. For online reference, here is the presentation resources listed:

Presentation Design

  • Altman, Rick. Why Most PowerPoint Presentations Suck and How You Can Make Them Better. Pleasanton, CA: Harvest Books, 2012.
  • Duarte, Nancy. Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media, 2008.
  • Haims, Nolan. The Better Deck Deck.
  • Malamed, Connie. Visual Design Solutions: Principles and Creative Inspiration for Learning Professionals. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2015.
  • Minto, Barbara. The Minto Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing, Thinking, and Problem Solving. London: Minto International, 1996.
  • Reynolds, Garr. Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery. Berkeley, CA: New Riders, 2008.
  • Simon, Carmen. Impossible to Ignore: Creating Memorable Content to Influence Decisions. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2016.
  • Simon, Carmen. Made You Look: How to Use Brain Science to Attract Attention and Persuade Others. New York: Random House, 2020.

Storytelling and Presentation Delivery

  • Abrahams, Matt. Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot. New York: Simon Element, 2023.
  • Chen, John. Engaging Virtual Meetings: Openers, Games, and Activities for Communication, Morale, and Trust. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2020.
  • Duarte, Nancy, and Patti Sanchez. Illuminate: Ignite Change Through Speeches, Stories, Ceremonies, and Symbols. New York: Portfolio, 2016.
  • Gibson, Glenn. Before the Mic: How to Compose Meaningful, Memorable, and Motivational Presentations. Victoria, BC: Self-published, 2019.
  • Halpern, Belle Linda, and Kathy Lubar. Leadership Presence: Dramatic Techniques to Reach Out, Motivate, and Inspire. New York: Gotham Books, 2004.
  • Heath, Chip, and Dan Heath. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. New York: Random House, 2007.
  • Pollard, Tim. The Compelling Communicator: Mastering the Art and Science of Exceptional Presentation Design. Lafayette, CO: Oratium, 2016.
  • Whittaker, James. The Storyteller’s Spellbook: How to Make Your Ideas More Compelling and Your Career More Magical. Self-published, 2017. Kindle edition.
  • Zimney, Sally. Speaking Story: Using the Magic of Storytelling to Make Your Mark, Pitch Your Ideas, and Ignite Meaningful Change. Minneapolis, MN: Two Harbors Press, 2017.

Data Visualization

  • Berinato, Scott. Good Charts: The HBR Guide to Making Smarter, More Persuasive Data Visualizations. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2016.
  • Duarte, Nancy. DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media, 2019.
  • Evergreen, Stephanie D. H. Effective Data Visualization: The Right Chart for the Right Data. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2016.
  • Few, Stephen. Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten. Burlingame, CA: Analytics Press, 2012.
  • Knaflic, Cole Nussbaumer. Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2015.
  • Tufte, Edward R. Beautiful Evidence. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press, 2006.
  • Tufte, Edward R. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press, 1983.
  • Wong, Dona. The Wall Street Journal Guide to Information Graphics: The Dos and Don’ts of Presenting Data, Facts, and Figures. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2010.
  • Zelazny, Gene. Say It with Charts: The Executive’s Guide to Visual Communication. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001.

Tool Usage

  • Bossé, Chantal. Microsoft PowerPoint Best Practices, Tips, and Techniques: An Indispensable Guide to Mastering PowerPoint’s Advanced Tools to Create Engaging Presentations. Birmingham, UK: Packt Publishing, 2023.
  • Hogan, Stephy. The Reluctant Designer’s Field Guide to PowerPoint. Self-published, 2022.
  • Parkinson, Mike. A Trainer’s Guide to PowerPoint: Best Practices for Master Presenters. Alexandria, VA: ATD Press, 2018.
  • Terberg, Julie, and Echo Swinford. Building PowerPoint Templates v2. Self-published, 2021.

Communication Adjacent

  • The Arbinger Institute. Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2000.
  • Covey, Stephen M. R. The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything. New York: Free Press, 2006.
  • Duhigg, Charles. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. New York: Random House, 2012.
  • Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.
  • Martin, David. Free the Genius: How the Very Best Grow Their Meaning, Mission, and Contribution. Ignite Press: 2019.
  • Norman, Don A. The Design of Everyday Things. New York: Basic Books, 2013.

Podcasts

By |January 22nd, 2026|Resource/Misc|

New Podcast Episode Available! “Presentation Pitfalls with John Polk”

This latest episode of The Presentation Podcast brings together hosts Troy, Sandy, and Nolan with special guest John Polk—author, workshop leader, and consultant—to discuss his new book, Presentation Pitfalls: Ten Traps Business Professionals Fall Into and How to Avoid Them (co-authored with Justin Hunsaker).

If you’re looking to elevate your business presentations game, then this episode is a goldmine! Discover deep insights into the most common mistakes professionals make and, more importantly, how to avoid them. New episode of The Presentation Podcast now available!

Listen on your favorite podcast app, or at The Presentation Podcast site here.

By |January 20th, 2026|Resource/Misc|

Presentation App Default Page Size

Here is a question we get from clients pretty often: “What is the difference between page size and aspect ratio? Do either matter?”

The answer is yes! They do matter, and each becomes even more important if multiple presentations are being combined into a single presentation. 

  • Aspect Ratio is the shape of the slides, and the aspect ratio needs to match the AV technology if the presentation is going to fill the AV screen properly. Nowadays, the standard aspect ratio is 16:9 – basically a rectangle. 
  • Page Size is the actual measurements used to create that aspect ratio in your presentation software. So yes, 13.333” x 7.5” is the same aspect ratio as 26” x 14.625”. However, and this is important, when the 26” wide slides are pasted into the 13.333” wide presentation, fonts and graphics may not scale down properly, nor maintain the same slide layout. 

Obviously, the ideal scenario is for presentations to be created at the correct aspect ratio for where they are being presented (meaning the slides will fill the screen exactly) AND for all presentations to be created with the same page size. If both are done properly then presentations can be combined into a single file, and/or slides can seamlessly be added between presentations as needed. 

With that in mind, below is a handy list of common presentation applications, such as PowerPoint and Adobe, and their default page sizes. In the case where an application doesn’t support inches, we simply exported the file to PowerPoint to pull the page size in inches. The great news is that all these apps use the standard 16:9 aspect ratio.  

 

Default Page Size of Presentation Apps: 

Microsoft PowerPoint Windows/Mac/Web: 1280 x 720px (~96ppi), 13.333 x 7.5in 

*TIP: while the technical resolution of PowerPoint is 720p, the resolution is really based on the output (eg. what the computer projects). TLC Creative Services designs all presentations with images and content based on full HD, 1920×1080 if no end use resolution is specified.

Apple Keynote: 1920 x 1080px (~96ppi), 26.67 x 15in 

Figma: 1920 x 1080px (~96ppi), 20 x 11.25in 

Canva: 1920 x 1080px (~96ppi), 20 x 11.25in 

Google Slides: 960 x 540px (~96ppi), 10 x 5.625in 

Beautiful AI: 1920 x 1080px (~96ppi), 20 x 11.25in 

Gemini (AI created presentation): 960 x 540px (~96ppi), 10 x 5.625in 

Adobe Express: 1920 x 1080px (~96ppi), 20 x 11.25in 

 

Now you know. 😊 

-The TLC Creative Services presentation design team 

By |January 13th, 2026|Resource/Misc, Software/Add-Ins|

App Default Fonts

Fonts are critical! Well… words are more critical, but because words are displayed using fonts, that makes fonts critical. Of course, over the course of each year, working with literally thousands of presentations created by thousands of different authors, I can confidently say that fonts are one of the pain points of working with presentations. It is not uncommon to encounter various font issues due to the diversity of presentation authors, their work environment (e.g., app and device), and their font choices. Managing these differences can be challenging, as presentations are often shared across multiple devices, platforms, and even presentation applications, each with its own default font and font availability. 

Ever wonder what the absolute default font is for an application? For example, when you open the app and create a new presentation from scratch…what font is waiting for you to start working with?  

Well, here is some helpful information for everyone who works with presentations – a list of the default fonts for these presentation applications. 

Default Fonts by Application 


PowerPoint Desktop/Web/Mac: Aptos 

Aptos is a Microsoft font and will automatically install on all devices and operating systems (Windows, Mac, Android, desktop, tablet, or mobile device). The only caveat is if, by chance, Aptos is not currently installed on the device, then the device will need to be online when the presentation opens for the auto-installation to happen. 

 

Apple Keynote: SF Pro 

SF Pro is a Mac OS system font. It is automatically available on all Apple devices running Mac OS (desktop, tablet, phone). But note, this font cannot be installed on non-Mac OS devices (e.g., convert a Keynote presentation to PowerPoint, open that PowerPoint file on a Windows computer, and the SF Pro font is not going to work! PowerPoint will randomly assign a replacement font, which may or may not maintain the text alignment). 

 

Figma: Inter 

Inter is a Google font and will automatically install on all devices and operating systems (Windows, Mac, Android, desktop, tablet, or mobile device) when used in many programs. Note: PowerPoint is not one of these applications that trigger Inter to automatically download and install. But if using PowerPoint on Windows desktop or Mac desktop (where custom fonts can be installed), Inter can be downloaded from Google Fonts and installed on the device (tip: install the OTF version of the font, not the variable font, .VTF).   

 

Canva: Canva Sans 

Canva Sans is native to Canva and is the default font when no other Canva template is applied. Canva Sans will not automatically be installed if a presentation created in Canva is downloaded and opened in a different application. Canva Sans can be downloaded from third-party sites for use outside of Canva.  

 

Google Slides: Arial 

Arial, used by Google Slides, is a Google Font, and will automatically install on all devices and operating systems (Windows, Mac, Android, desktop, tablet, or mobile device) when used in many programs. PowerPoint will automatically use the Microsoft version of Arial for seamless use. 

 

Beautiful AI: no specific default font 

Beautiful.ai takes a different approach to fonts with no true default font. When creating a presentation, the user selects a presentation style that sets the font (which becomes the default font for that presentation). Beautiful.ai leverages Google fonts, so they will automatically download and install on all devices and operating systems (Windows, Mac, Android, desktop, tablet, or mobile device) when used in many programs. Note: PowerPoint will not automatically download and install Google fonts, but PowerPoint on Windows desktop and Mac desktop (where custom fonts can be installed), allows Google fonts to be downloaded and installed on the device (tip: install the OTF version of the font, not the variable font, .VTF). 

 

Gemini (AI-created presentation): no specific default font 

Gemini also does not have a designated default font; rather, based on the presentation options, a font is selected, and that font becomes the default font for that presentation. All Gemini presentations leverage Google fonts, so they will automatically download and install on all devices and operating systems (Windows, Mac, Android, desktop, tablet, or mobile device) when used in many programs. Same note: PowerPoint will not automatically download and install Google fonts, but PowerPoint on Windows desktop and Mac desktop (where custom fonts can be installed), allow Google fonts to be downloaded and installed on the device (tip: install the OTF version of the font, not the variable font, .VTF). 

 

Adobe Express: Source Sans (when no template with fonts specified is applied) 

Source Sans is the default font in Adobe Express when no template (which specifies a font) is applied. Source Sans is an Adobe Font and will automatically load for Adobe apps, including PDFs. While Adobe Cloud fonts cannot be downloaded, they can be installed on any device through the Creative Cloud app, and other applications, like PowerPoint, will recognize and use those fonts. 

 

Now you know 😊. 

-The TLC Creative Design Team 

By |January 8th, 2026|PowerPoint|

New Podcast Episode Available! “Presentation Predictions for 2026: AI, Design, and Our Future”

New episode of The Presentation Podcast now available! Listen to “Presentation Predictions for 2026: AI, Design, and Our Future” now.

This marks a milestone for The Presentation Podcast – over a decade of expert commentary on the ever-evolving world of presentation design! Hosts Troy Chollar, Sandra Johnson, and Nolan Haims kick off 2026 with a review of their 2025 presentation predictions. They then unveil their presentation and PowerPoint forecasts for 2026. Listen on your favorite podcast app, or at The Presentation Podcast site HERE

By |January 6th, 2026|Resource/Misc|

20 Years of Sharing Presentation Insights—and What’s Next for 2026

20 Years!

This is a momentous blog post. I started sharing presentation-related content online in 2006 – that was 20 years ago!  

I started here with ThePowerPointBlog.com, then added Facebook and later LinkedIn posts. Over the years, the voice of TLC Creative Services has grown beyond just me to include our incredibly talented presentation design team, who added to many of the posts. 

In 2025, we took a big step forward by bringing on a dedicated social media manager. Her role has been to keep our posting consistent, and core themes each month. One of my favorite initiatives this past year, which was suggested by our social media manager, was our “Looking Back” series. Each Friday, we revisited a past blog post that was still relevant to PowerPoint and presentation design today. There is a lot of information and knowledge here, and the “Looking Back” series included posts originally shared 18 years ago! This series was shared on both The PowerPoint Blog and our TLC Creative LinkedIn account. It was a fun way to reflect on how far presentation design has come, and how far we’ve come with it. 

What’s Ahead for 2026? 

We’re excited about what’s next! Here’s a quick look at what we’re cueing up for 2026: 

  • For the blog: We’ll share two new posts every week (Tuesday & Thursday) 
  • For our Presentation Podcast: We’ll continue dropping two episodes each month (on the first & third Tuesdays) 
  • TLC Creative Facebook & LinkedIn: Posts aligned with blog content, plus more behind-the-scenes photos and updates.  
  • VXP Meetings LinkedIn: This is a new channel for 2026 where we are (finally) sharing information focused on our virtual meeting tools and production; specifically, tutorials, case-studies, and real-world projects 

The Goal?

My goal is the same: sharing resources, tutorials, example files, and conversations about presentations. We are happy to have TLC Creative Services, Inc. as part of everyone’s presentation journey in 2026. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, practical tips, or just want to see what’s possible in the world of presentation design. 

Thank you for joining us at TLC Creative, as we are all part of the presentation community. Here’s to a creative and connected 2026! 

-Troy @ TLC 

By |January 1st, 2026|Personal|
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