When you open your presentation software, may it be PowerPoint, Google Slides or Keynote, you will notice you can select different aspect ratios. What is the difference? Which one should I use?
Quick Primer: 4:3 ratios are generally called Standard Screen, while 16:9 Wide Screen.
- Most mainstream projectors are designed with 4:3 (e.g. 800×600), unless specified to support HD / Wide Screen format (with reference to 720p or 1080p).
- Many computer monitors designed for productivity have a 16:10 ratio, which I personally prefer, but the industry has gradually shifted to 16:9 (e.g. 1920×1080) to be consistent with TV panels for manufacturing cost savings.
- Most big screens used at office meeting / huddle room these days are actually regular HDTV (great value), so you will be dealing with a 16:9.
So What should you use? It depends on where the presentations will be shown.
The safe default is likely 16:9.
Most offices now use HDTVs as shared screens for meetings and presentations. If you are presenting at a venue you have never been, ask about the video set up (Projector or Big Screen), as well as cable connections (HDMI or DVI) to be safe. In fact, Microsoft has defaulted to 16:9 to encourage the transition since Powerpoint 2013.
If you open an older presentation file from the Internet or company Intranet, you may still find presentations with 4:3 ratios. The other exceptions maybe with presentations designed for mobile devices or slides that will likely be printed (e.g. 8.5 x 11) but that should be very rare. Ultimately it comes back to the norm for how slides are used at your organization.
