<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigation:  Designing step by step Which aspect ratio is the right one?

In the first step of designing your project you should decide on the right aspect ratio. In this chapter we will show you how to find the aspect ratio that best suits your needs. Before you create your project, you need to know where your presentation will be rendered later. If the aspect ratio of your project matches that of the output device, that's the ideal case.

Always refer to your output device when asking about aspect ratio.

•Images taken with an SLR camera usually have an aspect ratio of 3:2.

•Older compact cameras take photos in 4:3.

•Smartphones take pictures and videos in 16:9 or 9:16.

•With an iPhone or iPad, you take pictures in 4:3.

The output devices, on the other hand, can have a different aspect ratio:

•Modern flat-screen TVs and PC monitors usually have an aspect ratio of 16:9.

•Social media channels have different requirements, e.g. 1:1 or 9:16 for portrait videos.

•When outputting via a projector, the aspect ratio can vary. Find out about this in advance.

You can see that the content of your project and the device on which you want to play back the presentation can have very different aspect ratios. If you adapt the photos and videos as well as backgrounds and other design elements to the aspect ratio of the output device, you'll end up with a coherent, professional project. AquaSoft SlideShow and Stages offer many options for this, which you will learn about at the following pages.