Overview

Presentations are often viewed in conditions you can't control: bright meeting rooms, projected displays, or shared screens. Colours and text that look sharp on your monitor may become hard to read in those environments.

Small decisions around colour contrast, font size, and label styling can significantly affect how clearly your data comes across to your audience.

Applying a few simple principles when customizing your slides helps ensure your data is always clear, regardless of where it's being viewed.

Colour Contrast

Good contrast means your text, labels, and data stand out clearly against the background behind them.

Light text on dark backgrounds and dark text on light backgrounds both work. Avoid combinations that are too similar in tone, like light grey text on a white background, or dark navy on black.
Don't use colour alone to convey meaning. If you're distinguishing two datasets using only red and green, viewers with colour vision differences may not be able to tell them apart. Pair colour with labels where possible.
Use desaturated or muted colours as backgrounds. Save stronger, more saturated colours for the elements you want your audience to focus on.
Test your slides at a distance before your presentation. What looks clear up close can blur together when projected.

Labels and Collar IDs

Labels and ID text are small by default, which can make them hard to read on a projected display.

Increase font size for labels on busy slides. If your slide contains many drillholes or assets, smaller label text becomes illegible quickly.
Choose a label text colour that sits clearly against the background terrain or asset colour behind it. Avoid light-coloured label text over light terrain.
Load and display only the collar IDs most relevant to your audience's questions. Showing every ID at once clutters the slide.

Fonts and Text Legibility

Avoid very small text on slides intended for projection. What reads clearly on screen may be too small for a room.
Avoid thin or light font weights for key data. They lose visibility quickly on projected or lower-contrast displays.
Keep label text consistent across slides. Varying font sizes between slides can feel inconsistent and distract from the data.

Layer Density

The more objects visible on a slide at once, the harder it is for a viewer to know where to look and the more demanding the slide is to render.

Add only the objects that support what you're communicating on that specific slide.
If you need to show multiple datasets, consider whether that's better split across two slides than combined into one.
This matters most when a slide will be shown on a lower-powered device — such as an iPad at a booth — or over a slower connection at a conference.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Light grey labels on a white or near-white background
High-saturation colour on every layer, with no visual hierarchy

Additional Notes

Once you've finished building a 3D Slide or added Hotspot labels, take a moment to review your slide in Presentation mode to make sure the important information is legible as you navigate through the slide.

Learn More

Still Have Questions?

Reach out to your dedicated VRIFY contact or email support@vrify.com for more information.