Standard poster dimensions are 48 inches by 36 inches, either landscape or portrait layout. This is the maximum size that will be printed on the ITS large format printer.
Posters should be easy to read and not crowded. They should contain the following
Title (at least 1.5" high)
Name of author(s), institution, and faculty sponsor(s) (at least 1" high)
examples:
John Doe '99 - Clark University (faculty sponsor: Professor Jane Smith)
Jeanne Doe '99 - Clark University (in collaboration with Steve Smith, graduate student;
sponsor Professor Tom Hall)
Generally, for studies in the physical, biological and social sciences, the main body of the poster consists of abstract, introduction, method (subjects, procedure), results, discussion, illustrations (tabular and/or graphic) which are used to support major points of the text. Lettering should be at least 3/8" high.
As a courtesy to participants at the meeting, it is suggested that an abstract or reprint of the poster presentation be available for distribution on request.
TITLE OF POSTER |
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Abstract |
Method |
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Results |
Table 2 |
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Conclusion |
Posters are different from books or articles in the way they convey information. People view a poster from both far away, and close up. Your design, title and subheadings, which will be noticed from a distance, need to be eye-catching. Your detailed text needs to keep the audience reading when they move close. Poster space is very limited. Make sure that every element counts—nothing should be extraneous. Your text should be as concise as possible.
Know your audience. Will they be other scholars in your field, or people with no expertise in that area? Posters are often viewed by lay people. Write to your audience. Think carefully about the language you use and the assumptions you make about the viewers’ knowledge. Don’t use technical jargon unless you’re sure it will be familiar to your audience. An indication of how familiar you are with your subject is evidenced by how well you can convey it. Don’t use three words when one will do; don’t use a three-syllable word when a one-syllable word will work as well. Keep in mind also that your poster will be competing with others for attention.
There are two elements in a poster: text and graphics. Text includes titles, subheadings, captions, labels and "body text"—the narrative. Graphics can include maps, charts, diagrams, illustrations or photographs.
STEP 1:
Think about what size you’d like your poster to be, and actually look at a piece of paper at that size. You may need to modify the size after you work out your content. Also think about whether you want it in landscape or portrait format.
STEP 2:
Outline your content. An effective presentation includes
Think through the types of text: title, subheadings, captions, etc.
Generally, you will not have room to devote more than one or two paragraphs to each of the above. You will also want to include acknowledgements and perhaps information on sources.
A slightly different way to organize your information would be to follow the problem statement with the conclusion.
A nice touch is to provide copies of your poster in 8 ½ by 11 format that people can take away with them. Include a way to contact you in case they want more information.
STEP 3:
Write a rough draft of between 500 and 1500 words, depending on the poster size you plan to use.
STEP 4:
Decide on appropriate accompanying graphics. Since your subject is geography, a map probably should be included. Convert text and tables to graphics when possible.
STEP 5:
If you have time, ask a friend to review your draft and ideas for graphics. He or she will be able to point out places where things aren’t clear.
STEP 6:
Design your poster.This can be done in one of two ways. You can design the whole poster on the computer and print it out on a single sheet using a program like MS PowerPoint. See ITS Poster Printing Guidelines. Alternatively, you could print out the different components at 8 ½ x 11 size and paste them neatly on a piece of poster board.
Either way, think of your presentation in unified modules—groups of text and related graphics—that are presented in an ordered form.
Do not hand-letter your text. If you do not have access to, or know how to use a graphics program, you may create your graphics by hand, using a ruler, pen, colored pencils, etc. If you have access to a light table, you can slide a piece of graph paper under the white paper to help in lining things up.
STEP 7:
Make a draft copy. Proof. Print the final copy.
Design Guidelines
Think hierarchically and reflect that hierarchy in your design. The most obvious way to
do this is by varying size. Categorize your text: title, secondary headings, tertiary
headings, captions, body text, graph labels, source, acknowledgements, Assign each
category a level of importance and assign each category a style consisting of text size,
color, style, etc. Stay consistent. For example, the headings "problem
statement" and "methodology" would probably both be secondary headings.
Make them look the same.
Make the differences in importance obvious.
When you read a page in a book (in English), you begin at the upper left, and move your eyes from left to right and from up to down. A poster may work somewhat differently. It presents a lot of information to view at once. Use devices—arrows, numbers, letters-- to help the reader know where to start your story and what order to read it in. For an English-reading audience, it’s good to stay fairly close to the left/right, up/down reading pattern.
Background shading can be used to group things (for example, a block of text and a graphic) that go together.
Proximity indicates that items are related or should be viewed together.
Where possible, express points as bullets rather than paragraphed text.
Design Don'ts