What Font Size Is Best for Presentations?

Table of Contents

Choosing the right font size for a presentation isn’t just a design detail—it directly affects readability, engagement, and how well your message lands. The best font size depends on slide type, viewing distance, and context, but there are clear best practices you can rely on.

The short answer

For most presentations:

Titles: 36–44 pt
Body text: 18–24 pt
Captions or footnotes: 14–16 pt (minimum)

Anything smaller than 18 pt becomes difficult to read in a room, especially on projectors or shared screens.

Why font size matters in presentations

Presentation slides aren’t documents—they’re visual aids. Viewers should be able to read text instantly, without effort. Fonts that are too small force your audience to squint, disengage, or stop following along.

Good font sizing helps:

Improve audience comprehension
Keep attention focused on key points
Support accessibility and readability
Make slides effective in both live and virtual settings

A simple rule of thumb

If you can’t comfortably read your slide from 6–10 feet away, your font size is too small.

Another common guideline is the “10–20–30 rule”:

No more than 10 slides
No longer than 20 minutes
No text smaller than 30 pt

While not universal, it reinforces the importance of large, readable text.

Font size tips for better slides

Use fewer words, not smaller fonts
Increase line spacing for clarity
Avoid cramming multiple ideas onto one slide
Use contrasting colors for better readability
Test slides on the actual screen you’ll present on

Modern presentation tools like Beautiful.ai automatically apply smart font sizing and layout guidelines, helping your slides stay readable without manual tweaking.

The best font size for presentations is one that prioritizes clarity over content density. When in doubt, go bigger. Clear slides lead to better understanding—and better presentations.