Are you the type of person who spends more time designing your presentation theme than creating the slides for the presentation the next day? Are you the type of person who wakes up in the middle of the night searching the internet for the best font for a scientific presentation?
Good! It means that you are passionate about being a better “communicator”. It does matter more than you think, especially in academia.
Presenting your work is as crucial as, if not more important than conducting research. Unfortunately, scientists have a reputation for being poor presenters. There is no purpose in doing research in the first place if one cannot communicate their knowledge. So, as future scientists, we should make a point to be good communicators.
A good presentation is a lot more than just “reporting” your research work. The mere goal of a presentation is to influence your listeners.
There should be some constraints in a professional setting to avoid unnecessary distractions. And you have to be careful to keep the presentation content simple and to the point. So, How to make a presentation that has all these elements?
The design choices we make in our presentations – the colours, the icons, the photography and illustrations – all form a kind of shorthand through which our audiences recognize the importance of the work we are doing and get a feel for the message we’re aiming to communicate.
The same rules apply to the fonts we use. Fonts have as significant an impact on design style as the visuals. Beautiful photography and well-designed icons can all be undermined by a poorly-chosen typeface. You should select a typeface that complements the rest of your design style and the essence you want to express. To put it another way, you’ll need a typeface with the appropriate’ voice.’
For instance, understanding enough about typefaces was one of Steve Jobs’ greatest advantages in becoming our generation’s Gutenberg. As he mentioned in one of his famous speeches,
Because I had dropped out and didn’t have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and sans-serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, and what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture, and I found it fascinating.
How Steve Jobs became the Gutenberg of our times | TypeRoom
“The same way Gutenberg’s printing press gave rise to literacy in the late Renaissance era, Steve Jobs’ digital typefaces gave rise to design as something that is as important as the idea of creating. Everything”
Loukas Karnis
The information below will help you choose the best font for your next scientific presentation.
Are you using Windows-standard font?
Custom fonts will be discussed later in this article, but one of the essential points to consider is whether the typeface you want to use is Windows-standard. If you create a stunning presentation using a custom font and then transfer it to a colleague who doesn’t have the font installed, the presentation will be a mess of mis-sized default fonts that isn’t fit for purpose.
So, if you intend to use your presentation on many machines, you’ll need a Windows-standard font that will work on all of them.
This is critical for a variety of reasons. For example, imagine you’re preparing a presentation for a conference.
There is a bigger chance that you might not be presenting on your laptop. Suppose you used a different font that does not come by default in presentation apps like Microsoft PowerPoint or Apple keynote.
In that case, the program will pick another similar font available. In a situation like this, the problem is that your presentation design might be slightly off if your font is different, leading to some serious problems.
I found myself in a similar situation at a conference; for example, some of my slides’ equations were completely off, and some were not even visible. Having to present in front of an audience on top of that additional pressure is not an empowering feeling.
There are two solutions for avoiding such situations:
(1) You can use a default font that comes with the presentation app you will use. There are so many elegant fonts there that come with the presentation apps.
(2) Or, if you want to stick with a specific font that does not come with the presentation app you are using, and if you cannot use your own laptop, you can quickly install the font on the laptop or PC you are using. If you do this at a conference, make sure to take care of it before the conference begins. Even if your presentation is after the coffee break, do not wait until the coffee break to install the font.
Serif or sans serif?
Serif fonts feature small ticks or ‘wings’ at the ends of their lines. They are typically associated with serious, business-like, intellectual content. In contrast, sans serif fonts have no marks on the ends of their lines and are usually regarded as modern, sleek, and clean.
Serif typefaces are superior for print and body text, according to conventional knowledge, since the serifs lead the eye from one character to the next like connected handwriting.
On the other hand, Sans serif fonts are ideal for titles and text displayed on a screen. These aren’t, however, hard and fast norms!
One popular option is to use one of each; for example, titles could be sans serif, and body text could be serif, but the choice is yours – go with what feels best for your presentation.
Factors that affect the readability
Tracking
It might be good to go for ones that “aren’t built” to be tightly spaced. It provides breathing room within text and headings. It has a lighter appearance and is easier to read when adequately spaced.
Case
Write content in sentence case. Title case can be used in proper titles, product names and service names. Avoid the use of all uppercase or “all caps” in your typography, especially for paragraphs or text.
Write content in sentence case. Proper titles, product names, and service names can all use title cases. In your typography, avoid using all uppercase or “all capitals,” especially for paragraphs or body content.
Belt and suspenders
In typography, the term “belt and suspenders” refers to the use of various styles to reach the same goal. Your presentation font should always be essential when emphasizing words, so keep styles to a minimum.
Type size
Avoid using more than two font sizes because it may confuse your audience and make your presentation seem complex. Make sure your font size is at least 18 points.
Best fonts for a scientific presentation
Having so many alternatives to choose from might be intimidating at times. However, in that case, you must ensure that the typefaces you choose have all of the necessary characteristics. As a result, limit yourself to a few fonts. Here are a few such fonts that can be used in any professional presentation.
Helvetica
The typeface Helvetica has been called “the little black dress” of typefaces. Helvetica is a versatile font that may be used in any professional presentation. It has been considered one of the best fonts for a scientific presentation
Read more about Helvetica:
Futura
The typeface that landed on the moon. This font is designed with three simple shapes. Circles, triangles and squares. It is one of the most readable typefaces due to its simplicity and is regarded as one of the best fonts for a scientific presentation.
Read more about Futura:
Avenir
The theme of the font, Avenir is “A time for a font with a human touch”. It has a unique touch as the theme suggests that anybody would be comfortable reading content written in this font. Therefore, this font is especially well-suited to lengthy presentations.
Read more about Avenir:
Final words
It’s never easy to pick the best font for a scientific presentation. However, spending some time picking the correct font for your next presentation would not be a waste of time. Here are the key points for choosing the best font for your next scientific presentation.
- Use one, or a maximum of two, typefaces in your presentation
- Choose suitable font sizes (for titles, body copy) and use them consistently
- Be consistent with the use of bold, italics, or underline typefaces.
- Check if the conference or event has specific guidelines for formatting presentations and make sure to follow them
Images courtesy: Alphabet letters vector created by freepik – www.freepik.com , Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
