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How to make Google Slides look good: theme, fonts, layouts
How to design a presentation in Google Slides: slide size, your own theme in Theme builder, fonts with Cyrillic, colors, layouts and checks before you present.
- How to set up your own theme instead of the default one
- Where Google Slides keeps Cyrillic fonts and theme colors
- How to turn an ordinary presentation into a design exercise
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Five steps to a tidy presentation in Google Slides
- 1
Step 1
Slide size and a plan before the design
- 2
Step 2
Set up the theme in Theme builder
- 3
Step 3
Cyrillic fonts and text levels
- 4
Step 4
Theme colors and contrast
- 5
Step 5
Build from layouts and check before presenting
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This guide is for you if you are
Making a presentation in Google Slides
For study, work or a talk, and you don't want it to look like the default theme on a white background.
Fixing every slide by hand
You recolor headings and move blocks on every slide and want to set it up once.
Learning design
You want an exercise in grids, typography and color in a familiar tool everyone has.
In short
- Choose the slide size in File → Page setup first, then start on the design.
- Design the theme, not each slide: changes in View → Theme builder apply to every slide.
- Add Cyrillic fonts via "More fonts" and set theme colors in Slide → Edit theme → Colors.
- Make a few layouts for the slide types in your plan and build the whole presentation from them through the Layout menu.
- Check contrast, presenter view and the downloaded file before the talk, not during it.
Five steps to a tidy presentation in Google Slides
- 1
Step 1
Slide size and a plan before the design
Anyone with a Google Account can create presentations in Google Slides; some features are only in Google Workspace plans, but you don't need them for design. Before choosing colors, decide where the slides will be shown and set the size: on a computer, open File → Page setup. The options are Standard (4:3), Widescreen (16:9), Widescreen (16:10) and Custom, a size of your own in inches, centimeters, points or pixels. You can only change the size on a computer, not in the mobile app.
- 16:9 suits most modern screens and video calls, but it's worth asking the organisers what screen the room has;
- if you prefer centimeters or pixels, turn them on in Tools → Preferences ("Use measurement unit preferences");
- write a plan: slide titles in order and the type of each one (title, section, text, image, number, quote).
💡 Change the size at the very start. If you change it once the slides are built, you'll have to rearrange elements, especially images and text boxes near the edges.
- 2
Step 2
Set up the theme in Theme builder
A common mistake is designing each slide by hand. Google Slides has Theme builder for this: View → Theme builder, then click the template slide you want to edit. Here you change the background, theme and layouts for all slides at once, add a logo to every slide and create your own layouts to reuse. When you're done, click Close above the slide.
- remove anything decorative from the template slides that you don't need on every slide;
- set equal margins: drag the title and text placeholders so the distances from the edges match;
- keep the background calm: a color or an image via Slide → Change background; images must be .gif, .jpg or .png under 50 MB, and Add to theme applies the background to the whole presentation;
- put the logo or section number in the same place on every layout.
💡 Treat it as a mini design system: one theme, a few rules, no "just on this slide" exceptions. Styles and components in Figma work on a similar principle.
Show your Google Slides theme
A fresh pair of eyes quickly spots where the hierarchy gets lost or contrast is too low. People in the community share their work and get feedback. It's free to join.
Get feedback on your slidesFree. 1,504 designers are already in the community.
- 3
Step 3
Cyrillic fonts and text levels
The font menu doesn't have many fonts by default, but you can extend the list: open the font menu and choose More fonts. In the dialog you can search by name or type ("serif", "script", "mono"), and Ukrainian is among the languages fonts are available for. Pick a font where Cyrillic letters look as good as Latin ones: type a Ukrainian phrase in it, not just "Hello".
- one font for headings and one for text, or a single typeface in different weights;
- set fonts and sizes in the Theme builder placeholders, not on every slide;
- separate the levels by size and weight: slide title, subtitle, body text, caption;
- keep one alignment: usually left, centered only for short titles.
💡 If you had to shrink the font to make the text fit, the problem isn't the font but the amount of text. Split the slide in two or move the text into speaker notes.
- 4
Step 4
Theme colors and contrast
A theme in Google Slides is a preset group of colors, fonts, background and layouts. You can change the theme colors separately: Slide → Edit theme → Colors. On the right, under "Theme colors", pick the color to change and enter a hex value or adjust transparency. That way your colors are always at hand and you don't have to type the code every time.
- stick to a background, a text color, one main color and one accent;
- use the accent for the single most important element on a slide, not for every heading;
- check contrast: under WCAG, text needs at least 4.5:1 against its background, large text 3:1;
- you can take a theme you like from another presentation: Slide → Change theme → Import theme, from a Google Slides or PowerPoint file.
💡 It helps to build the palette in advance and then just type the hex codes into the theme. How to choose one: How to choose a color palette.
Do your Google Slides look like a school project? Show them to the community → - 5
Step 5
Build from layouts and check before presenting
Once the theme is ready, create every new slide from a layout: select the slide and pick an option in the Layout menu. If a slide doesn't fit any layout, first ask whether it holds too much, and only then add a new layout in Theme builder. Before presenting, go through a checklist:
- open Slideshow and look at every slide full screen, not in the editor;
- check Presenter view with Speaker notes: what you plan to say belongs there, not on the slide;
- download a copy via File → Download in the format you need and open it on another device: has text shifted, have fonts been replaced?
- make sure no slide is formatted by hand "outside the theme": those are the first to fall out of style.
💡 Make it an exercise: take an old presentation (a study or work one), move it onto your own theme with a few layouts and show the before and after in the community. Ask something specific: what stands out first, and is the text readable?
You're not alone with these questions
We counted what people ask about most in our community. Learning, portfolios and Figma are the top three. And everyone makes presentations: for study, work and presenting case studies.
Messages by topic in Spaceberry Community, July 2024 — November 2026. Keyword search.
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Questions and answers
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Is Google Slides free?
According to Google, anyone with a Google Account can create presentations in Slides. Some features are only available in paid Google Workspace plans. For the design work in this guide (size, theme, fonts, colors, layouts), a regular account is enough, so you can start today without paying anything.
How do I change the slide size in Google Slides?
On a computer, open File → Page setup and choose Standard (4:3), Widescreen (16:9), Widescreen (16:10) or Custom with your own size in inches, centimeters, points or pixels. You can't change the size in the mobile apps, only on a computer. Do it before you design: after a ratio change you'll have to rearrange elements on finished slides.
How do I change the design of all slides at once?
Through View → Theme builder. There you can change the background, theme and layouts for all slides, add a logo to every slide and create your own layouts. Theme colors are changed separately in Slide → Edit theme → Colors. That way one edit updates the whole deck, and you don't have to recolor every slide by hand.
Can I use a theme from another presentation?
Yes: Slide → Change theme, then Import theme at the bottom right, then choose a Google Slides or PowerPoint presentation and the theme you want. Handy when a team or school already has a branded template. But for learning, build a theme yourself at least once: that's how you understand how it works.
Is the Spaceberry community paid?
No, Spaceberry Community is free. It's run by Spaceberry Foundation, a non-profit organization. All you need to join is a Telegram account. In the chat you can ask questions, share your work for feedback and take part in design games: the same brief for everyone, a deadline and a community vote. Conversations are in Ukrainian.
Get feedback on your theme
Join 1,504 designers who learn, share their work and play design games. Show your slides and find out what to improve. The community talks in Ukrainian.
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Updated · Spaceberry Foundation
Sources:
- Google Docs Editors Help — Change slide size & measurement units in Google Slides
- Google Docs Editors Help — Change the theme, background, or layout in Google Slides
- Google Workspace Learning Center — Tips for great presentations (Theme builder)
- Google Docs Editors Help — Change how paragraphs and fonts look (More fonts)
- Google Docs Editors Help — Present slides (Presenter view, speaker notes)
- Google Docs Editors Help — Create, view, or download a file
- Google Workspace — Google Slides
- W3C — Understanding WCAG 2.2: Contrast (Minimum)