Slide presentation graphics using a personal computer. A comparative evaluation of available software

Most of the available methods for preparing professional slides to be used in oral presentations can be cumbersome, time-consuming, and expensive. Creating high-quality 35-mm slides may require the use of expensive medical illustrators and photographic equipment not available to all physicians. More recently, technology has emerged that permits professional in-office generation of quality slides using commercially available computer graphics software and film recorders. Such a system is simple to establish and maintain when compared with commercial slide production facilities. We will review the hardware requirements of such a system, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of several commercially available software packages. Using a personal computer-based slide-making system, any physician communicating with small or large groups of people can now produce professional-looking slides easily, rapidly, and inexpensively.