jtchew@csa3.lbl.gov (JOSEPH T CHEW) (06/26/91)
>I am looking for references to various standards for producing (technical) >overhead transparancies. Here's a first approximation from what's handy at my desk. More coming. Try reading Murch, "Using Color effectively: Designing to Human Specifications"; McVey, "Legibility in Film-based and Television Display Systems"; and Rubens and Krull, "Applications of Research on Document Design to Online Displays." All are in Technical Communication, Fourth Quarter 1985. They don't give specific layouts for transparencies, but they do give enough information to cobble one up, plus some idea of the reasoning behind the rules. Basically, here are my suggestions: * Use a clean, simple layout * Keep the writing short and simple * Use a good-sized font, not boldface but not too light * Provide navigational aids such as headers * Bolster your oral presentation -- don't transcribe it * Beware of gimmicky uses of color * Remember, white space sells (and enhances readability) The worst transparencies I've seen (and I've seen some genuine wonderments!) suffered from trying to cram too much onto a slide, usually with small type. This medium is _not_ the printed page. An idea: follow this up to the new group misc.writing, where a lot of people interested in technical communication may be found. --Joe "Just another personal opinion from the People's Republic of Berkeley"