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Q157216: PPT: PowerPoint Slide Shows Look Bad in 16 Colors

Article: Q157216
Product(s): Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.0,4.0,4.0a,4.0c,7.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbenv kbgraphic kbuikbfaq
Last Modified: 16-APR-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95, version 7.0 
- Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0, 4.0a, 4.0c 
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SUMMARY
=======

If you run a PowerPoint slide show on a computer that is using a 16- color
Windows display driver, practically everything except text appears very grainy.
Most colors and all gradients appear as though they are crosshatched. Text does
not appear dithered, but it is available in only a limited range of colors.

To adequately display a PowerPoint slide show, your Windows display settings
should be 256 colors (or more.)

MORE INFORMATION
================

When you run Windows in 16 colors, every pixel (dot) on your screen is one of
only 16 possible different colors. Any color that is not one of those 16
different colors is simulated by dithering, or mixed by placing dots of
different colors next to each other.

This dithering is more noticeable in PowerPoint than it is in Windows Explorer or
Program Manager because those programs are specially designed to look good in 16
colors.

If you can change your display settings to 256 colors, PowerPoint slide shows
look much better. A 256-color display setting essentially means that Windows can
choose up to 256 different colors at a time. These 256 colors are chosen from
16,777,216 possibilities. This means that when you view Slide One, PowerPoint
can choose the 256 colors that display that particular slide the best. When you
go to Slide Two, PowerPoint can choose the 256 colors that display that slide
the best, and so on.

If you can change your display settings to 15-bit or 16-bit High Color (32,768 or
65,536 colors respectively) it means that Windows can use up to 32,768 (15-bit)
or 65,536 (16-bit) colors simultaneously out of 32,768 or 65,536 possibilities.
This means that PowerPoint slides sometimes look better under 256 color display
settings than in High Color.

If you can change your display settings to 24-bit True Color, it means that
Windows can use up to 16,777,216 colors simultaneously out of 16,777,216
possible colors.

For more information about changing your Windows video settings, please see your
Windows documentation and Help.

Additional query words: 4.00a 4.00c 97 powerpt dotted ppt95 patterned Genigraphics palette video driver VGA 8514 640x480 1024x768 800x600

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Keywords          : kbenv kbgraphic kbui kbfaq
Technology        : kbPowerPtSearch kbPowerPt700 kbZNotKeyword2 kbPowerPt700Search kbPowerPt400 kbPowerPt300 kbPowerPt400c kbPowerPt400a
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0,4.0,4.0a,4.0c,7.0
Hardware          : x86

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