Designing and Using Handouts

PowerPoint Handouts

Most people appreciate having a copy of the PowerPoint on which they can make notes and refer to the slides as you progress through a presentation or workshop. PowerPoint handouts can be printed with 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 9 slides per page. You can print in color or black and white. Generally speaking, most people prefer to use handouts with 3 slides per page. Although the print is small, most people can still read the slide and there are lines for taking notes next to each slide.

Worksheets and General Handouts

If you have included activities in your presentation or workshop, you may need to develop worksheets for the participants. As a general rule, use a larger font for the worksheet. If you include lines for writing, provide ample space for people who may write larger. Although you will probably give the participants directions for completing the worksheet or activity, include printed directions as well.

When developing worksheets:

  • Use an easy to read font such as Arial or Verdana and avoid cute fonts that are never easy to read
  • Keep the font size at 11 or 12 point
  • Use the bold, italics, or underlining options to emphasize specific points only - don't over use any of these options
  • Avoid using the shadow option as the text will often look blurry
  • Refrain from using all caps as they are harder to read than upper and lower case type
  • Use the drawing tools of your word processing program to create text boxes and lines
  • Include plenty of white space so that the text is easier to read
  • Use bullets when listing information or when providing steps in a process
  • Be careful if you use shading in text boxes - never use more than 5-10% shading - or you may have a dark box when you print and be unable to read the text
  • Use the table option when presenting statistics - it's easier to read
  • Stay consistent with the look of your worksheets - don't jump around from one style to another

If you are providing training for educators, then you should consider printing double the number of worksheets. This will enable each participant to have one on which to write during the workshop and then another for use in the classroom. If budget doesn't allow for this, consider making the materials available to the participants via email.

HandoutsClick here to move forward!

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last updated 11-06-03