When working with PowerPoint (especially when using older versions of PowerPoint and Windows), there may be times when you notice a disparity between the way a font looks in an electronic presentation and the way it appears when printed. Consider the following example . . .

Slide A - This slide comes from the original electronic presentation.

Slide B - This is how the slide appears when printed. Notice the difference in font.

Slide A (from the electronic presentation) appears as the creator intended. Notice the stylized font. However, when this same slide is printed (Slide B), notice the font substitution. (In this case the font is switched to the standard Arial.) Specifically, the printer is substituting one font for another — the known, generic Arial for the unknown.

Of course, this font substitution may not present a problem. If the electronic presentation is the only thing the audience sees, perhaps there is no difficulty with a font substitution. However, if the fonts used in the slides are part of a greater look and feel, much may be lost with a substitution. Additionally, the layout of text may vary greatly from one font usage to another. Notice in the example above how much smaller the Arial text (Slide B) appears. What would happen if it were larger than the original . . . In that case, all of the text may not even appear on the printed slide.

So, how to correct this problem? Fortunately the answer is simple. Just use a TrueType font — and both electronic and printed slides will appear the same!

To use a TrueType font

1. Open the desired PowerPoint presentation.



2. Add and select text as desired.



3. Select Format > Font.



4. In the Font field, choose any font with the TrueType symbol. Notice the TT designation. This denotes a TrueType font. Also, notice the reminder at the bottom of the dialog box.






5. Click OK.