“I want our pitch deck to look bold and energetic, so we’re thinking of using a bright red background with a strong script font. What do you think?”
That was a question from a client while we were designing their pitch deck. Our creative director, ever the voice of reason, took a deep breath before responding: “Red can be bold, but it can also be aggressive and overwhelming. And script fonts? They might look stylish, but they’re a nightmare for readability in a business presentation.”
It’s a conversation we have often. Fonts and colors aren’t just aesthetic choices—they make or break your pitch deck. If your audience struggles to read your slides or feels subconsciously put off by your color scheme, you’ve already lost them before you even start talking.
As a presentation design agency, we’ve worked with countless clients facing the same dilemma: choosing the right fonts and colors for a pitch deck that doesn’t just look good but also works. So, in this blog, we’re breaking down the best fonts and colors for pitch decks, why they matter, and why you should stop DIY-ing this crucial aspect of your business.
What are the Best Fonts and Colors for Pitch Deck
Fonts for pitch deck: The Silent Deal Breakers
You probably don’t spend much time thinking about fonts, but your audience does—even if they don’t realize it. A bad font choice will make your slides look cluttered, unprofessional, or worse, completely unreadable. So let’s cut through the noise and get straight to the best fonts you should be using in a pitch deck.
1. Sans-Serif Fonts Only (No, Really.)
If you’re still using Times New Roman or any other serif font in your pitch deck, stop. Serif fonts may look sophisticated in books, but on slides, they’re harder to read, especially on digital screens.
Stick to sans-serif fonts—clean, modern, and easy on the eyes.
The best ones?
Montserrat: A strong yet approachable font, perfect for headlines.
Lato: A versatile font that looks sharp and modern.
Roboto: Clean, professional, and widely available.
Poppins: Bold yet friendly, great for making a statement.
2. Avoid Fancy, Decorative, or Script Fonts
We get it. You want to stand out. But decorative fonts will make your slides look unprofessional and difficult to read. Save the script fonts for wedding invitations—your investors don’t have time to decode your text.
3. Hierarchy Matters
Choosing a good font isn’t enough—you need to use it the right way.
Title Fonts: Go bold. Make sure your headings are big enough to grab attention but not so oversized that they look childish. (32pt+ is a good rule of thumb.)
Body Fonts: Keep it smaller but legible. 18pt+ works well.
Contrast & Weight: Use bold for emphasis, but don’t overdo it. Every slide shouldn’t scream at the audience.
Colors for pitch deck: The Psychology of Persuasion
Colors aren’t just about making things pretty. They set the tone for your pitch and trigger subconscious reactions. The wrong colors can make your deck look cheap, outdated, or even aggressive.
1. Keep It Minimal
3 Colors MaxIf you need a rule to follow, here it is: stick to three colors.
Primary Color: Your main brand color, used for titles and key elements.
Secondary Color: A complementary shade for contrast and balance.
Accent Color: Used sparingly for highlights and emphasis.
More than three, and your deck starts to look like a rainbow explosion.
2. What Colors Work Best?
Certain colors are naturally more effective for business presentations.
Here’s what works and why:
Blue: Trust, stability, professionalism. Used by banks and tech companies for a reason.
Dark Gray/Black: Sleek, modern, and serious. Works great for backgrounds.
White: Clean, minimal, and ensures readability.
Green: Growth, success, sustainability (use with caution; not all greens look good).
Orange/Yellow: Energy and creativity, but be careful—it can feel too playful.
3. What to Avoid
Bright Red Backgrounds: Aggressive, alarming, and hard to look at for long.
Neon Colors: They burn eyeballs. No one should need sunglasses to read your slides.
Too Many Colors: You’re not designing a candy wrapper. Keep it professional.
Why You Shouldn’t DIY Your Pitch Deck
By now, you might be thinking, “Okay, I get it. Fonts and colors matter. But I can just pick them myself, right?” Wrong.
Here’s the hard truth: presentation design is an art and a science. You might think you’ve picked the perfect font and color scheme, but if it’s not strategically aligned with your pitch, audience, and industry, you’re sabotaging your own success.
Here’s why working with professionals like us at Ink Narrates makes a difference:
We know what works: We’ve designed pitch decks for startups, Fortune 500s, and everything in between. We understand the psychology behind every design choice.
We save you time: Stop wasting hours tweaking slides. Your time is better spent perfecting your pitch.
We make you look credible: A professionally designed deck signals to investors and clients that you mean business.
How to Get Started
If you find this a very difficult task & need professional help, it’s very easy to get started with us. Just click on the "Start a project" button on our website, make payment & get started. Else, if you'd like to talk first, reach out to us from the contact section of our website.
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