Depending on some variables such as client preference or AV equipment available, I go with 1 of 3 options when developing a widescreen presentation.
Option 1:
– Page setup = 16”x9”
– This is the easiest to work with and tends to be the least confusing for people inexperienced with widescreen shows
– Problem is all graphics should be created at full size, not upsized from an existing 4×3 presentation
Option 2:
– Page setup = 10”x5.63” (or 8”x4.5”)
– Best size to use if have to use existing graphics from a 4×3 presentation and if client wants to reuse elements in their (4×3) presentations
– Problem is it really confuses people unfamiliar with widescreen shows and aspect ratios
Option 3:
– Page setup = 10”x7.5” (standard 4×3 presentation)
– Add black letterbox bars to top and bottom leaving a 16×9 “active” area
– Again, good for using existing 4×3 presentation graphics or need to supply images for client to repurpose into their presentations
– Also good for multi-source shows as lower letterbox area can contain quick reference syncing information (eg. L1, C1, R2 (left 1, Center 1, Right 1))
– Problem is needs to have real scaler that can cut off unused portion sent to project and a good projector as not all pixels are being used
– Troy @ TLC