How to Make the Cover Page of a Presentation [A Guide]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- 23 hours ago
- 7 min read
A few weeks ago, our client Jenna asked us a question while we were working on her product strategy deck. She said,
“What exactly makes a cover slide feel important without looking like a movie poster?”
Our Creative Director replied,
“When it sets the tone and still leaves room for curiosity.”
As a presentation design agency, we work on many presentation cover pages throughout the year. And in the process, we’ve noticed one recurring challenge: most cover slides either try too hard or don’t try at all.
They’re either overwhelmed with visuals or barely put together. So in this blog, we’re going to break down what actually makes a cover page work and how you can do it without overthinking every pixel.
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.
Why the Cover Page Matters
Let’s get one thing out of the way. People do judge a presentation by its cover. Especially if they don’t know you, or don’t know what to expect.
The presentation cover page is the handshake before the meeting starts. It quietly tells your audience what kind of thinker you are. Are you someone who respects their time? Someone who shows up prepared? Someone who knows the difference between a Canva template and actual design?
That first slide sets the tone.
And here’s the part most people miss: a good cover page doesn’t just look good. It gives direction. It creates a moment of pause. It invites your audience to mentally lean in, even before a single word has been spoken.
Now, why does this matter?
Because attention is expensive. And you’ve already spent some of it the moment they open your deck or walk into the room. If your first slide looks like it’s been pulled from a free stock library, people immediately assume what’s coming next will feel just as forgettable.
But if your cover page has been designed with clarity, contrast, and context, then you’ve bought yourself a few precious seconds of attention. That’s your opening. And that’s all you need.
We’ve seen this again and again. From investor decks to internal strategy reviews to client pitches. The decks that get remembered always start with a strong cover slide. Not flashy. Just intentional.
That’s the difference.
How to Make the Cover Page of a Presentation
Let’s get into the real stuff. You’re here because you don’t want to waste the first slide of your deck. Good. Because the cover page is one of the most misused, misunderstood, and under-designed pieces of a presentation.
So here’s what we’ve learned from designing hundreds of these over the years—what works, what doesn’t, and how to stop second-guessing every design decision.
We’ll walk you through how to approach the presentation cover page with clarity, from scratch.
1. Know the job of your cover slide
Before you even open PowerPoint or Google Slides, get this straight: the cover page is not decoration.
It’s a positioning tool.
It tells your audience three things without needing a full paragraph:
What this presentation is about
Who’s presenting it
Why it matters now
When any of these are unclear or missing, the cover slide becomes dead space. Pretty background, maybe. But zero function. That’s where most people get it wrong—they design for aesthetics before purpose.
So start with intent. Write down, in one short sentence, what the point of the presentation is. Not the title. The point.
For example:
We want to secure Series A funding.
We’re presenting the annual marketing roadmap.
We’re pitching a rebrand for client X.
That’s the spine of your cover slide. Everything else should follow from that.
2. Write a clear, human title
This is the headline of your deck, and it’s often where things start to slip. People try to sound formal. Or worse, impressive.
“FY25 Business Strategy Framework & Prioritization Model”
That’s not a title. That’s jargon soup.
Instead, go with: "Our FY25 Strategy: Priorities, Pivots & Progress”
See the difference? One reads like a Word doc. The other reads like a conversation.
You don’t have to be clever. Just be clear. And if you can be clear and human, you’re already doing better than most.
Also, don’t put your name as the title. “John Smith – Marketing Director” is not a compelling lead-in. Keep that in the byline or footer.
3. Use whitespace like you mean it
Whitespace isn’t empty space. It’s breathing room.
When we design a presentation cover page, we give the headline space to exist. No cramming it into a corner. No centering it inside a box for no reason. Let it stand on its own. Big, bold, confident.
This creates hierarchy. Your audience knows exactly where to look. And because there’s nothing else fighting for attention, they actually read the title.
Resist the urge to fill space just because it feels empty. Space signals importance. If you’ve written a strong headline, give it the spotlight.
4. Choose a visual direction, not just a visual
Now let’s talk visuals. A lot of people default to adding a stock image. Usually something abstract, generic, or vaguely inspirational—mountains, lightbulbs, chess pieces.
The intent is right, but the execution falls flat.
If you’re going to use visuals, let them serve the idea. That could be a photograph, an illustration, a pattern, or even a strong background color. What matters is that it supports your message rather than distracting from it.
Here are three directions that consistently work:
A. Minimalist with a bold color
A single color background with strong typography. No image. No icons. Just clarity. This works especially well for serious topics like strategy, performance reviews, or financial updates.
B. Contextual image with overlay
A high-quality image that speaks directly to the theme of the deck, layered with a semi-transparent overlay to help the title stand out. This gives a polished, professional look without overwhelming the content.
C. Branded illustration or graphic motif
Custom visuals that tie into your company’s branding or the topic at hand. These work well for internal presentations, product launches, or creative reviews. They’re harder to execute, but memorable when done right.
Avoid anything too literal or cliché. If you’re talking about “team performance,” don’t use a photo of people high-fiving. Your audience has seen that image a hundred times.
Instead, focus on tone. Match the visual to the mood of your message.
5. Design your layout like a landing page
If you think about it, your cover slide is basically a landing page. It has to capture attention, explain the offer, and guide the viewer forward.
So we borrow principles from landing page design all the time:
Strong headline at the top or middle
Clear subhead with context or tagline
Presenter name and date in the corner or footer
Optional: company logo, but small and non-dominant
It doesn’t need to be fancy. It needs to be frictionless.
Remember, hierarchy matters. The viewer should instinctively know where to look first, second, and last. Don’t make them guess.
6. Font choices that don’t scream for help
You’d be surprised how many cover pages fall apart because of poor font choices.
Here’s the truth: if your font looks like it came from 2005, your presentation will feel like it came from 2005.
Use one or two clean, modern fonts that align with your brand. Avoid playful or novelty fonts unless you really know what you’re doing (and unless your brand calls for it).
Font size matters too. Your title should be big enough to read even from the back of the room—or on a Zoom screen share. Subheads should be clearly subordinate. And don’t forget letter spacing and line height. These little things make a big difference.
And please: no center-aligning everything. Use alignment to create structure. Your layout should have rhythm, not randomness.
7. Colors that communicate, not complicate
Colors set the mood. But too often, people go overboard or choose combinations that just don’t work on screen.
If your brand has a primary palette, start there. Choose one dominant background color and one or two accent colors for text or highlights. Keep the contrast high for readability.
Light text on dark backgrounds looks slick on screens, but bad on print. Dark text on light backgrounds is safer, especially if you’re sharing a PDF. Pick what works best based on the medium your audience will use.
And whatever you do, test it on the actual presentation format. Something that looks great on your laptop might be unreadable on a projector or mobile device.
8. Don’t treat the logo like a trophy
It’s not the Olympics. Your logo doesn’t need to be front and center in gold foil.
Yes, include it—if the deck is external-facing. But make it small. Subtle. Professional.
If it’s an internal deck, half the time we recommend skipping it entirely. People already know who they’re working with. Focus on content, not branding clutter.
If you must include it, bottom right or top right corner. Keep it consistent across all slides. Don’t resize it to fit every layout. One size, applied with restraint.
9. Test it with fresh eyes
You’ve made your cover slide. Now step away.
Come back after an hour. Or show it to a colleague.
Ask a simple question: “Does this make you want to keep reading?”
If the answer is anything less than a yes, tweak it.
Because here’s the thing—we all get desensitized to our own work. What looks polished to you might be confusing to someone else. And that’s who the slide is really for.
Sometimes, you’ll find that cutting something—an icon, a shadow, a line—makes the whole thing stronger.
Trust the edit.
10. Own the tone you’re trying to set
Your cover slide sets the emotional temperature for the room. If it feels rushed, sloppy, or uninspired, that energy trickles through the rest of the presentation.
But when it feels sharp, thoughtful, and intentional, people pay attention.
So own the tone. Make your cover slide speak for you before you even open your mouth. Let it say, “This will be worth your time.”
That’s not decoration. That’s design doing its job.
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.