Keynote slide size recommendation

[Danza]

hey guys,

i'm making a presentation in keynote that is going to be projected on a 22'x20' screen. my questions is: what slide size should i use to make sure i get the best resolution out of my presentation. right now my slides are 1024x768 but because i don't know what that means in feet or inches i'm confused. what are the units used to measure slide sizes and have anyone made presentations for projection that can help me suggest the proper slide size? thanks in advance.

[Mal]

It has absolutely nothing to do with the physical size of the screen and everything to do with the resolution of the projector. It's fairly rare to find a projector that will do a resolution over 1024x768, though some of the nicer ones will. You'll have to find out what type of projector is being used. In general, higher is better, but higher than what the system is capable of is pointless.

jW

[IJ Reilly]

Mal is correct -- most projectors these days are XGA resolution (1024x768). Also, if possible, I'd recommend setting up your Mac with the projector ahead of time, and creating a ColorSync calibration for the projected image. It only takes a few minutes and can really improve the quality of your presentation.

[EricNau]

Mal is correct -- most projectors these days are XGA resolution (1024x768). Also, if possible, I'd recommend setting up your Mac with the projector ahead of time, and creating a ColorSync calibration for the projected image. It only takes a few minutes and can really improve the quality of your presentation.
Exactly what's the proper protocol for setting up a ColorSync profile? And what exactly does it do - does it change the output to both monitors, or do you set profiles for both monitors individually?

[Danza]

I'm with EricNau - what would a Color Sync do and how do I do it?

[IJ Reilly]

Exactly what's the proper protocol for setting up a ColorSync profile? And what exactly does it do - does it change the output to both monitors, or do you set profiles for both monitors individually?

System Preferences/Displays/Color. Click on "Calibrate..." When the Calibrator Assistant opens, select "expert mode." From there, follow the instructions -- they're pretty easy. When you're done, name the profile and save it. Profiles apply to displays individually.

For laptops used for presentations I also suggest selecting "Show displays in menu bar."

[Danza]

i just took a look at the color calibrator and its slightly confusing...i don't quite understand what it means when it asks me to "move the left slider until the brightness of the grey shape in the middle matches the background as much as possible" or "move the right slider until the shape is neutral compared to its background". how do i know? it looks as though its changing the color of my display. do i only want to do this when i hook it up to the projector? is this different from the actual "color sync" program in utilities? thanks!

[Mal]

It's good to do it on your display as well, but you'll also have to do it hooked up to the projector because they display differently. What it will allow you to do, however, is make it look the same (or as close as possible) on both the monitor and the projector so your colors won't come out different than expected.

When it says to move the sliders, just move them until you can't distinguish the Apple logo in the little picture from the background. It helps to slightly unfocus your eyes if you're able to do that, you just need the colors to match up.

jW

[EricNau]

System Preferences/Displays/Color. Click on "Calibrate..." When the Calibrator Assistant opens, select "expert mode." From there, follow the instructions -- they're pretty easy. When you're done, name the profile and save it. Profiles apply to displays individually.

For laptops used for presentations I also suggest selecting "Show displays in menu bar."
So there's not a need to adjust the projector settings as well? ...Just keep the projector at default, and change everything through OS X?

And at the first screen, I find it confusing as well. Is the Apple supposed to disappear into the striped background?

[IJ Reilly]

So there's not a need to adjust the projector settings as well? ...Just keep the projector at default, and change everything through OS X?

And at the first screen, I find it confusing as well. Is the Apple supposed to disappear into the striped background?

You'll calibrate the projector while it's hooked up and you can watch the projected image as you make the adjustments. The Apple logo will never entirely disappear, but if you let your eyes go out of focus, you can get the background and the logo to be pretty closely matched with a bit of effort. You go through five of these screens. Then you can set the gamma curve and white point (I tend to leave them at the default). If you own a new iMac, this exercise is virtually essential. For some reason the default calibration profile for the display is a mess.

[EricNau]

You'll calibrate the projector while it's hooked up and you can watch the projected image as you make the adjustments. The Apple logo will never entirely disappear, but if you let your eyes go out of focus, you can get the background and the logo to be pretty closely matched with a bit of effort. You go through five of these screens. Then you can set the gamma curve and white point (I tend to leave them at the default). If you own a new iMac, this exercise is virtually essential. For some reason the default calibration profile for the display is a mess.
Just to clarify, when using a projector, do I change the settings through OS X, or adjust it through its built-in menu (or both)?