The correct and clever use of colour in any presentation is essential if you want to pitch - and win over - your audience. Indeed, it's so important to find a winning hue that well-known professional colour creators Pantone have even nominated a specific combination as the Colour of 2010: PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise. The colour is claimed to combine the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green; turquoise inspires thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a comforting escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.

A mixture of blue and green to the layperson, on further investigation turquoise does indeed conjure up a combination of tranquility, trust and escapism. In many cultures, turquoise is believed to be a protective talisman; it's a colour of deep compassion and healing; it represents faith and truth; and is inspired by water and sky. Through years of colour word-association studies, Pantone also found that, too many people, turquoise represents an escape, taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting - even if it is only a fantasy.

Obviously Pantone are industry experts - they have over 40 years of mixing and matching winning colour combinations. But how can you be sure of selecting a winning combination for your presentations?

There is a vast array of excellent reference materials available on how to use colour, but it helps to know the basic rules if you want to keep the in-depth research for a rainy day.

Colour conveys meanings and influences how people perceive and understand your presentation in a way that words sometimes can't. Colour communicates on a deeper, more emotive level. The colours you choose and the way you use them together can have a strong impact on your audience, ensuring the success of your presentation.

Choosing the right colours for your PowerPoint presentation should begin with the colour wheel. Partly scientific, partly artist, the colour wheel has to be the starting point for anyone who wants to learn how to combine tints and tones to work in any slide presentation.

By looking at a colour wheel, you begin to understand the relationship between colours and how colour can work - and how sometimes it doesn't. The colour wheel contains 12 hues, and illustrates the relationship between colours. The 12 hues are separated into three distinct groups. First, the primary colours: red, blue, and yellow. In theory, all other colours can be derived from these three. Then there are the secondary colours: green, violet, and orange (these are created by combining the primary colours). Finally, there are the tertiary colours: red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-orange, and yellow-green (these are made from combinations of the first six colours).

Now, you might think that anyone who has dappled with a paint pot and potato shapes will know this, but not everybody remembers the relationship colours have based on their location on the colour wheel. Colours opposite one another are called complements. Complementary colours contrast each other to create a dynamic effect. Colours directly next to each other are called analogous. Each colour has two analogous colours (one on each side of it). Analogous colours used together create a harmonious and unified feeling because two of the colours contain the third.

But colour seleciton should also be swayed by your audience. Think about the following before you pick colours for your PowerPoint presention: the challenge is to strike a balance between professionalism and attractiveness.

Obviously to ensure you always get a winning formula, you can make use of the predefined colour schemes in Microsoft PowerPoint, which successfully combines colours to format your presentations.

If you want to ensure that you are using a colour combination that is going to be easy to read, try the following combinations of text colour on background colour: green on purple, white on black, violet on yellow, and blue-green on red.

Remember, when using graphics in your presentation, try to cleverly pick out one or more colours from the graphic you are using and reproduce these as text colours. This is a well known trick magazine designers use to grab your attention on front covers. Have a look at some front covers next time you are passing a newsstand and observe which colour in the cover image the designer has picked to create a complementary headline and cover lines. This kind of clever colour selection will ensure you create colour combinations to tie the elements of your slides together for a uniform look.

When it comes to background colour, it's a good idea to pick a main background colour and use three additional colours of text for maximum impact. But be sure to consider both colour and texture for backgrounds. Sometimes a neutral background with a pleasing texture will work better than a solid colour. If you plan to use multiple background colours, consider using analogous colours; the colours will blend together without detracting from the foreground text. You can further contrast the foreground text by using a complementary text colour.

As well as observing the rules of colour combination, try to keep in mind some simple guidelines about the purpose of colour. It's always an idea to use colours sparingly for more effect, and to avoid overwhelming your audience. Experiment with tones and hues: similar colours may interact differently, and a slight variation can change the tone or feel of the information.

When something is not harmonious, it's either boring or chaotic. If it is bland and unengaging you can be sure that it's under-stimulating; while chaos creates overstimulation can also disengage an audience.

You can use colour to indicate relationships between information in your presentation and to convey a particular message, or to add emphasis. If the message isn't clearly illustrated by a particular colour choice, don't use that colour. Red, for example, is usually seen as a warning colour, while green pacifies and sends confirmation. You can use these colour associations to illustrate your point, but remember that meanings and colour associations can differ depending on influences such as the nationality of your audience.

Remember to test you presentation on the equipment you will be using on the day, as colour combinations may look different when projected.

Finally, always have consideration for anyone in your audience who might have some form of colour blindness (as many as five to ten per cent of men, with red-green being the most common). And don't rely on colour to present all your information in your presentation, as everyone, including blind and visually impaired individuals, should be able to understand the presentation without relying totally on the use of colour to understand your point.