Grids and guides are key tools for establishing structure in design. They have been used for centuries by Renaissance painters, architects, cartographers, typographers, printers, and others. And they apply to PowerPoint as well, as they are a fundamental design concept. Therefore, plan your margins and guides to create structure and ensure all content fits the page.

Moreover, grids are helpful for incorporating the golden ratio. Your eyes are drawn to certain things that use golden ratios. You can see it on websites and in print. It works by directing our attention to some areas on a page.

First, ask yourself these questions: What is the end product? What am I making? An A4 magazine? Landscape book? Poster? Trifold Brochure? DL Flyer? There are many different types of print documents, and you have to determine what you want first.

Then, what size are you printing? There are some critical areas: the dimensions, bleed, and crop marks, then the paper stock, and the page count. Bleed usually is 5-10mm or more. Paper stock is going to affect how you are going to layout your document. For example, if you use thick paper, you will need higher margins.

Tip: BrightCarbon has a free tool called BrightSlide that creates these columns and grids for you with a few clicks.

You can create incredible print documents in PowerPoint but never use the default sizes. For instance, for an A4 portrait page use: Width 21cm, Height 29,7cm. Switch the sides for landscape A4.

A short guide for the margins:

Overly tight margins say that you are busy.

Overly wide margins say that you are a little bit artistic and calm. They convey a free feeling and open thinking.

A balanced margin communicates that it is informative and is easy to read.

An unbalanced margin, such as when the outer margin lines are broader than the inside margins, pulls the material closer and creates a sense of intimacy.

Your photos should convey a story while being true to your subject matter and personality. For example, do not put someone in an office next to a swimming pool, a tree, and a donkey unless you convey a narrative with them. Choose images that tell a consistent tale.

Tip: If you want your image to stand out but are not sure you are staying on brand, don’t hesitate to ask your marketing team for the guidelines.

“Don’t just add images to look good – push the boundaries of your brand,” Tom says, “I think that just gently pushing the boundaries of your brand is where brilliant work can come.”

There is a subliminal power in color, and you need to get it right. For instance, an analogous color scheme helps create harmony. For that scheme, you can choose 3-5 colors that sit side-by-side on the color wheel.

Choose no more than two or three typefaces for a document. You need to have a separate font for headings and the body copy. Although, limit elaborate and cursive fonts to headers because the body copy should be easy to read. You may use an additional font for subheadings or pull-out quotations optionally.

Serif fonts are best for print body text since they make reading lengthier paragraphs easier. For your print headlines, you can choose sans serif fonts. A best practice is to pick typefaces from the same family, such as Arial + Arial Black + Arial Rounded + Arial Light.

Tip: Georgia, Baskerville, and Garamond are the most suitable serif typefaces for printing. Century Gothic, Verdana, Gotham, and Helvetica are the best sans serif fonts for printing body text. They are all in PowerPoint.