Quick answer: Presentation fonts are read at distance, on a projector, on a phone screen, and on the wrong machine. The constraints are stricter than the web, and the safe choice is the right one.

The default: one sans family

Most presentations work with one neutral sans-serif family, used across headlines and body at different weights. The familiar grotesque and humanist sans faces are the default because they read at distance and carry the weight.

A second font is added only when the brand calls for it: a serif display for an editorial deck, or a monospace for a technical deck.

The hierarchy

  • Headline: the large weight, consistent across the deck.
  • Subhead: the medium weight.
  • Body: the regular weight, at a size that's readable from the back.
  • Code and labels: the monospace or the small label weight.

The minimum size

The Kawasaki 30-point rule is a useful floor; in practice the headline is often 36–48 points and the body 18–24 points. Any smaller, and the audience on the back row reads nothing.

The font and the machine

PowerPoint opens the file on a different machine and substitutes fonts that aren't installed. The substitution shifts the layout and breaks the slides.

  • Use fonts that are installed with the operating system, or embed the font in the file.
  • Test the deck on the machine that presents it.
  • PDF export is a fallback for the read-only version, but it's not editable.

CJK fonts

Chinese, Japanese, and Korean decks use their own fonts, and they're not interchangeable:

  • Japanese: Yu Gothic.
  • Korean: Malgun Gothic.
  • Simplified Chinese: Microsoft YaHei.
  • Traditional Chinese: SimSun.

The PPTX must use the correct font for the language, or the deck renders with a substitute.

Pairing

  • One family, two weights: the safest and most consistent.
  • Serif headline, sans body: editorial, more formal.
  • Sans headline, monospace for code: the developer-tool deck.

What to avoid

  • Decorative or script fonts for body.
  • Thin weights on a projector.
  • Three or four families in one deck.
  • A typeface that isn't embedded or installed.
  • Center alignment for long sentences.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my brand font? Yes, embed it; if the license doesn't allow embedding, use a fallback for the PPTX. Are serif fonts safe for slides? A serif display works for the headline; the body stays sans. How many fonts? One family is ideal; two is the maximum. Does this apply to the social images? The social images follow a similar rule; the social font guide covers it.

Pick one clean sans, set a fixed hierarchy, and embed the font. The font choice is the least risky place to be conservative.