A word-processing program may seem the logical tool for creating reports. However, presentation or publishing software programs, such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Publisher, may be better choices.
- They can be easily formatted as a report.
- Combining text with tables, charts or graphs is more controllable (i.e., things stay where they are placed).
- Pages are discrete rather than continuous. This forces the writer to organize results and put related materials together. It also encourages conciseness and breaking materials into cognitively-manageable amounts.
- It is easy to convert the report for a presentation.
Choose a simple template Black-and-white is fine and results in a smaller file size. Avoid adding bells-and-whistles, literally or figuratively. These become distractions to your message.