What is the 6x6 Presentation Rule [How to apply it]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- Apr 25
- 9 min read
Updated: Nov 21
A few weeks ago, our client David asked us while we were designing his presentation,
“Is there a rule for how much text should go on a slide?”
Our Creative Director smiled and said,
“Yes. The 6x6 presentation rule.”
As presentation designers, we see this all the time. Smart professionals who know their material inside out still struggle to decide how much to say on a single slide. Too many words make the audience tune out. Too few, and your message feels hollow.
So, in this blog, we’ll break down what the 6x6 presentation rule actually is, and how you can apply it without making your slides look like everyone else’s.
In case you didn't know, we specialize in only one thing: making presentations. We can help you by designing your slides and writing your content too.
What is the 6x6 Rule in PowerPoint Presentations
The 6x6 presentation rule simply means keeping each slide to a maximum of six bullet points, with no more than six words per line, so your audience can focus on what you’re saying instead of reading walls of text.
How to Apply the 6x6 Rule in Your Presentations
Most people hear about the 6x6 presentation rule and think it’s some kind of mathematical formula.
It’s not. It’s a mindset. It’s about clarity and restraint. The rule gives your message a framework so your audience isn’t squinting at cluttered slides or zoning out halfway through your talk. But the real trick is not just knowing the rule; it’s knowing how to apply it without making your slides look like lifeless bullet-point factories.
Let’s break that down step by step, the way we actually use it in our own client presentations.
1. Start with your message, not your slide
Before you even open PowerPoint or Keynote, ask yourself: What’s the one thing I want this slide to say? If you can’t answer that in a sentence, you’re not ready to design yet.
For example, say you’re pitching a new product. You might have a slide titled “Market Opportunity.” Instead of dumping four paragraphs of research data, pick the one insight that truly matters. Maybe it’s that “60% of millennials prefer eco-friendly packaging.” That’s your anchor. Everything else should serve that point.
The 6x6 rule works best when you already know what not to say. So think of it like packing for a trip. If you try to bring your entire closet, you’ll end up overwhelmed and disorganized. But if you pick only what you need, you’ll travel lighter, move faster, and look sharper.
2. Limit each slide to one key idea
Here’s the truth: most slides fail not because they’re ugly but because they’re greedy. They try to do too much at once.
We once worked with a tech startup that had 20 data points on one slide. It looked like a stock market crash had spilled onto the screen. The founder kept saying, “But it’s all important.” And sure, maybe it was. But the human brain doesn’t process information that way. When you throw ten different things at your audience, they remember none of them.
So apply the 6x6 presentation rule as a discipline of focus. Each slide should tell one story, one idea, one takeaway. Think of your presentation like a movie: every scene has a purpose, and when that purpose is done, you move on to the next.
If your slide needs more than six lines or feels cramped, that’s your cue to split it. Two clear slides always beat one overloaded one.
3. Write like you talk
A big mistake we see is when people write on slides the way they’d write in a report. It’s tempting to make everything sound official, but your audience isn’t there to read. They’re there to listen to you.
Instead of writing,
“Our strategic objective is to optimize market penetration in emerging sectors,” say, “We’re focusing on growing faster in new markets.”
That version still sounds professional, but it’s human. It fits neatly in a six-word bullet and doesn’t make your audience’s brain hurt.
If you want to test your wording, read your slide aloud. If it sounds natural, keep it. If it sounds robotic, rewrite it. The 6x6 rule isn’t just about quantity; it’s about rhythm and flow. Your slides should sound like a conversation, not a lecture.
4. Make visuals do the heavy lifting
Words are powerful, but visuals are what make people remember. So, while the 6x6 presentation rule limits your text, it opens up space for visuals to shine.
For example, if your slide says, “Revenue grew 45% last quarter,” don’t list ten supporting facts. Show a clean bar chart. Or even better, use a big bold number: +45% Growth. Let that visual breathe.
In one client project, we replaced five bullet points about customer satisfaction with a single smiling customer photo and a quote that said, “They actually listened.” That one image did more to build trust than any pie chart could.
Remember, your audience doesn’t want to decode your slides. They want to feel something — clarity, excitement, understanding. Visuals do that faster than text ever will.
5. Use whitespace as a design element
One of the most underrated presentation skills is restraint. Empty space isn’t wasted space. It’s breathing room.
When you’re applying the 6x6 rule, spacing is your secret weapon. Instead of cramming six lines together, spread them out. Give each idea space to exist. The eye needs pauses just like the ear does. A slide with balance feels calm and confident. A crowded one feels anxious.
Imagine sitting across from someone who talks nonstop without pausing. That’s what cluttered slides do — they never let the audience breathe. Whitespace is the pause. It’s what makes your message land.
6. Let consistency guide your design
The 6x6 presentation rule is not an isolated trick. It works best as part of a larger, consistent design system.
We often tell clients that a presentation should feel like a single experience, not 20 disconnected slides stitched together. Use the same font family, the same color palette, the same spacing. That way, when you limit your text to six lines, it still feels intentional, not accidental.
For instance, one of our clients used the rule perfectly but kept changing fonts between slides. The result? It looked chaotic. The lesson: clarity isn’t just about how much you write; it’s about how consistently you present it.
7. Use the rule to engage, not restrict
Here’s where most people misunderstand the 6x6 presentation rule. It’s not a law. It’s a guide.
If a slide makes sense with five bullets or fewer words, great. If one slide breaks the rule because a short quote tells the story better, that’s fine too. The point isn’t to follow the rule blindly. It’s to stay focused on clarity and audience connection.
We once worked on a keynote where a client used just one sentence per slide: "We forgot who we built this for." No bullets. No numbers. Just that line on a blank background. It broke the rule, but it made everyone in the room go quiet — and that silence said everything.
The 6x6 rule gives you a framework, but your instincts give it meaning.
8. Pair it with storytelling
A clean slide is good. A clean slide with a story behind it is unforgettable.
Every bullet point should connect to something human — an example, a moment, a visual, or a metaphor. If your slide says “Improve retention by 20%,” tell the story of how one customer almost left but stayed because your team listened. That’s what your audience will remember.
The 6x6 rule helps your slides say less so you can say more. It strips away the noise, giving your stories the space to breathe. Without it, your message risks drowning in data.
9. Rehearse with your slides, not through them
A mistake even experienced speakers make is using slides as their script. The 6x6 presentation rule forces you to move away from that. When your slide only has six short lines, you can’t hide behind it. You have to talk.
We always tell clients: your slides are your cue cards, not your content. They remind you what to say but never say it for you.
A good practice is to rehearse your presentation with your slides, not through them. That means speaking naturally while glancing at your slide only to anchor your next point. You’ll sound more conversational, confident, and authentic — exactly what audiences connect with.
10. Audit your deck before presenting
Once your slides are ready, step back and audit them like an editor. Ask yourself three questions for every slide:
Is there more than one core idea here?
Can I make this simpler without losing meaning?
Would I enjoy looking at this if I were in the audience?
If the answer to any of those is “no,” it’s time to trim.
In one training session, a client cut 25 slides down to 12 after doing this audit. The final presentation was half as long but twice as engaging. The audience left remembering the key message instead of drowning in details.
11. Adapt the rule to your context
The beauty of the 6x6 presentation rule is that it scales. It works for boardrooms, classrooms, investor decks, and webinars. You can bend it slightly depending on your audience.
If you’re presenting to executives, you might use fewer words and more visuals. If you’re teaching a complex topic, you might add supporting notes but still keep the slide itself clean.
The point is to make the rule serve your purpose, not the other way around. Think of it like jazz. Once you know the notes, you can improvise. But until then, stick to the structure.
12. Remember what your slides are really for
At the end of the day, the 6x6 rule is just a tool for communication. Your audience isn’t grading your formatting. They’re there to understand something that matters.
You can have perfect slides and still lose the room if your delivery is flat or your story is confusing. And you can have simple slides that resonate deeply if your energy and clarity are real.
That’s why we love this rule. It reminds us that presentations aren’t about looking smart. They’re about being understood.
When you apply the 6x6 presentation rule with intention (when you strip away the fluff and keep only what matters) you create something powerful: slides that don’t just look good but actually work.
3 Ways the 6x6 Rule Transforms Your Decks
1. Your message becomes impossible to ignore.
When you trim the noise, your main point finally gets the spotlight. Instead of forcing people to read through clutter, you guide their attention straight to what matters. A single clear idea per slide sticks in their mind far longer than a paragraph ever will.
2. Your audience actually listens to you.
Fewer words on screen mean more eyes on you. The 6x6 presentation rule quietly shifts focus from the slides to the speaker. You stop reading and start connecting. That’s when people lean in, nod, and truly engage with your story.
3. Your slides start looking like they were designed on purpose.
Suddenly, everything feels more balanced, more intentional. Clean layouts, even spacing, and confident use of whitespace make your deck look professional without you having to over-design it. The result? A presentation that feels calm, clear, and unmistakably credible.
Questions We Get Asked About the 6x6 PowerPoint Rule
Isn’t the 6x6 rule too limiting for complex or data-heavy presentations?
That’s the beauty of it. The 6x6 presentation rule isn’t meant to limit your content; it’s meant to discipline your storytelling. When you have complex data, the goal isn’t to fit it all on one slide but to guide the audience through it piece by piece.
Think of each slide as a scene in a film. You reveal information gradually, with context and pacing. If a topic truly demands more detail, include it in your notes or a separate handout, not on the slide itself. The clarity you gain far outweighs the convenience of cramming everything in one place.
Is the rule still relevant when most presentations rely on visuals?
Yes. The rule simply ensures your visuals and words never compete for attention. It helps your audience process what they see without distraction, keeping your message the focus.
Why Hire Us to Build your Presentation?
If you're reading this, you're probably working on a presentation right now. You could do it all yourself. But the reality is - that’s not going to give you the high-impact presentation you need. It’s a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error. And at the end of the day, you’ll be left with a presentation that’s “good enough,” not one that gets results. On the other hand, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of presentations, mastering both storytelling and design. Let us handle this for you, so you can focus on what you do best.
How To Get Started?
If you want to hire us for your presentation design project, the process is extremely easy.
Just click on the "Start a Project" button on our website, calculate the price, make payment, and we'll take it from there.
We look forward to working with you!