Starting a CERT Program
Step 5: Tailoring Training
Tips for Using Photographs
There are several important factors to keep in mind when adding photographs to the PowerPoint slides.
- Use photographs in .jpg format. .jpg files are smaller in size and will help to keep your PowerPoint presentation smaller. Using files that are formatted as .bmp or .tif will increase your file size dramatically and may cause operational problems when you run the slide show.
- Don't use too many. Unless you have the expertise to use photo-editing software to reduce the file size of the photos you use, you will see that your PowerPoint file will become very large, very quickly. If you use too many photographs, your PowerPoint file will become so large that it will cause the computer to operate very slowly or to freeze.
- Don't "clutter" the slide. Aside from making your file size unwieldy, too many photos on a single slide can become clutter and destroy the effect you're trying to make.
- Don't overshadow the text message. While there may be nothing better to emphasize a point, photographs should always support the text message, not overshadow it. Size your photographs appropriately so that the message of the visual remains clear to the student.
- Think before adding photographs to the Word file. The visuals in the Word files (both Instructor Guide and Participants Manual) currently meet the requirements for accessibility to the disabled, as required under Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you add photographs to the visuals in the Word files (or anywhere else in the Word files, for that matter), you must include captions describing the photos to remain compliant. Also, photos will increase the file size and may not reproduce well when you copy the training materials.