Preparing your Files for Blackboard

It is important that you try to optimize the size and content of any file you post to Blackboard. Students using WiFi connections will be frustrated by excessive download times. Adjustments to file content may be required for students with physical challenges.

Reduce file size

The inclusion of images, sound, and video . Reducing file size before you begin constructing an file is the best approach.

For image files, please refer to the following resource:

For Microsoft Office files, please refer to the following resources:

For Adobe files, please refer to the following resources:

For video files, please refer to the following resources:

For audio files, please refer to the following resources:

Reduce file content clutter

Microsoft Office is also known for adding unnecessary attributes and data to text. When pasting text into Blackboard from programs such as Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint, it is easy to encounter formatting problems because of this extraneous data. By using a free service such as , it is possible to quickly and easily clean up any text to be used.

Pay attention to color

For Color Management, please refer to the following resources:

Some images may be challenging to viewers with a color vision deficiency. Depending upon the specific condition, viewers may have trouble discerning the image content. Check your images – clip art as well as photographs —  in advance to look for potential problems

On a computer screen each color is coded with a specific number. For readability, background and foreground colors should have a contrast level of at least 4.5 to 1.

Instinctively, we know that black (#000000) and white (#ffffff) are high contrast choices for background and foreground colors. Their ratio is 21 to 1. Other color pairs can be difficult to measure visually. For example, we might like the combination of orange (#ff3300) letters on a blue (#0066cc) background. However, with a contrast ratio of 1.52 to 1, this is a very difficult combination to read. Check your color combinations using the tool below.