A good screen setup matters more than expensive software. If people at the back cannot read the words, the best slides are useless. Here are the main choices to make.
Projector or TV?
- TV: bright, sharp and simple; works well in small rooms and in daylight.
- Projector: gives a much larger picture for a bigger room, but needs a darker space and a good screen or white wall.
- For both, choose a 16:9 format, the standard of modern laptops and slides.
Where to place the screen
Put the screen high enough to be seen over heads, and to the side of the pulpit if possible, so people can see the preacher and the words. A simple rule: the farthest seat should be no more than about six times the height of the picture.
Connecting the laptop
- Use an HDMI cable (or an adapter for your laptop).
- Set the laptop to extend the display, not mirror it, so the operator keeps the control view.
- Open the projector output of BibleSlide on the second screen in full screen.
- Check that the text is sharp and nothing is cut at the edges.
Readable text
Light text on a dark background, a large font and no more than four lines per slide. Test it from the last row before the first service.
And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
King James Version
Keep a spare HDMI cable and adapter in the projection box. They are the most common failure on Sunday morning.
