Conference poster presentation

Prepared by Health Sciences Library (Revised 9/10)

Updated 2/16 by the Graduate School

Poster Tips ..................................................................................................................................... 2

Creating a Poster in PowerPoint 2010 ........................................................................................ 6

Poster Printing Information Sheet ............................................................................................... 8

Introduction

Volutpat mos at neque

nulla lobortis

dignissim conventio,

torqueo, acsi roto

modo. Feugait in obruo

quae ingenium

tristique elit vel natu

meus. Molior torqueo

capio velit

loquor aptent ut lorem

erat feugiat pneum

commodo vel obruo

mara genitus. Suscipit,

vicis praesent erat

feugait epulae, validus

indoles duis enim

consequat genitus at.

Sed, conventio, aliquip

accumsan adipiscing

augue blandit minim

abbas oppeto

commoveo.

Methods

Loquor aptent ut lorem

erat feugiat pneum

commodo vel obruo

mara genitus. Suscipit,

vicis praesent erat

feugait epulae, validus

indoles duis enim

consequat genitus at.

Sed, conventio, aliquip

accumsan adipiscing

augue blandit minim

abbas oppeto

commoveo.

Conclusions

Dignissim conventio,

torqueo, acsi roto

modo. Feugait in obruo

quae ingenium

tristique elit vel natu

meus. Molior torqueo

capio velit

loquor aptent ut lorem

erat feugiat pneum

commodo vel obruo

mara genitus. Suscipit,

vicis praesent erat

feugait epulae, validus

indoles duis enim

consequat genitus at.

Sed, conventio, aliquip

accumsan adipiscing

augue blandit minim

abbas oppeto

commoveo.

Results

Dignissim conventio,

torqueo, acsi roto

modo. Feugait in obruo

quae ingenium

tristique elit vel natu

meus. Molior torqueo

capio velit

References

Loquor aptent ut lorem erat

feugiat pneum commodo

vel obruo mara genitus.

Suscipit, vicis praesent erat

feugait epulae, validus

indoles duis enim consequat

genitus at. Sed, conventio,

aliquip accumsan adipiscing

augue blandit minim abbas

oppeto commoveo.

Conference poster

presentation

Karen Travis, MD

Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati

Prepared by Health Sciences Library (Revised 9/10) © University of Cincinnati

Poster Tips

Before Starting

 Ask the conference organizers poster size requirements.

 Here are some guidelines for poster sizes:

o 18" x 24" for easel signs

o 36" x 48" for small posters

o 48" x 60" for typical posters

o 48" x 96" for really big posters

 If you are working with a design service, contact them early to coordinate the job.

 Allow plenty of time to create the poster.

 Do not switch back and forth between a Mac and PC. Formatting problems can

occur.

Page Setup

 Always set your PowerPoint page size before you start designing the poster!

 Consult with your printer about the best way to set up the page size.

 If you change the size after you have already added content it may become distorted.

 The largest page size PowerPoint can accommodate is 56 inches. If your poster

must be larger than that, design it proportionally. For example for a 48" x 72"

poster, set the PowerPoint page size to 24" x 36." You are designing it in half the

actual size. The printer will blow it up 200%, giving you a 48 x 72 inch poster in the

end. This is why you must check with your printer first – see what proportion their

printer can blow up. Some printers use 400%.

Layout

 Divide the poster into columns (3-5 across, depending on poster size).

 Use headings to identify sections.

 Avoid long stretches of text.

 Break up text with pictures, tables, figures, etc. For visual appeal and to save space,

use graphics instead of text to illustrate points.

 Blank space should make up at least 35% of your poster.

Content

 Viewers should be able to scan material quickly. You have about 3 seconds to

attract viewers!

 A poster is not an enlarged journal article—be brief, concise, and don’t overwhelm

viewers with too much information.

 Use short sentences or bulleted text.

Prepared by Health Sciences Library (Revised 9/10) © University of Cincinnati

Standard Components



University branding (For branding standards, go to:

http://www.uc.edu/content/dam/uc/ucomm/docs/UCBrandingStandards.pdf)

 Title with authors’ names, credentials, and affiliations

 Typical headings:

o Introduction

o Methods

o Results

o Conclusions

o References

o Acknowledgement of funding source if applicable

Style

 Use sans serif fonts for titles and headings (for example, Arial, Franklin Gothic,

Helvetica, Tahoma, Trebuc het or Verdana).

 Use serif fonts for the body (for example: Times New Roman, Palatino).

 Do not use all CAPS, as it is hard to read. Try to use “Sentence case.”

 Text should be legible from three to five feet away. Title font size should be about

100 points or larger and text 24 points or larger. However, font size is about

judgment and what looks best with your poster.

 Graphs and tables should be large (minimum of 8.5 x 11 inches is preferable).

Colors

 Color should be used to unify the poster.

 Choose 2 or 3 colors and keep them consistent.

 Use strong, primary colors.

 Use color to highlight keywords in text. However, most text should be black.

 Backgrounds should be plain (white is a good choice). Avoid backgrounds with

patterns or gradients – sometimes they do not print well.

Graphics

 Graphics can be tricky.

 Just because it looks good on the screen does not mean it will print well!

 Graphics should have a resolution of at least 300dpi.

 Try to avoid using screen shots – they are usually 72 dpi – screenshots are

extremely pixilated (blurry) when printed on a large poster.

 DO NOT make graphics larger by stretching them on the screen. They will not look

good. Size and resolution must be captured at origination (i.e.: scanning at a high

resolution).

 Excel graphs and clip art are okay to manipulate because they are different types of

graphics than digital photos or scanned images.

Prepared by Health Sciences Library (Revised 9/10) © University of Cincinnati

 Consider putting a thin border around each graphic – it makes them look better.

Suggested Handouts

 Summary or small printout of the poster

 Copies of important figure(s)

 Business cards

 Reference list

Other Considerations

 Lamination will protect your poster.

 Prepare a 3 to 5 minute verbal description of your poster.

 Use a poster tube with your business card on the outside.

 Don’t check your poster tube as baggage when traveling to the session by plane, if

possible.

 Bring pushpins and tape.

 Have a notebook and pen to write notes.

 Choose clothing colors that coordinate with your poster.

 Your poster might be freestanding – that is – don’t count on having a table to rest

things on!

Poster Services at UC

 DAAP Computer Graphics Center http://daap.uc.edu/about/facilities/cgc.html/

 Design Services http://www.uc.edu/ucomm/design_copywriting.html

 Art & Design Services http://healthnews.uc.edu/communications/artdesign/

o Poster Session Templates http://healthnews.uc.edu/branding/

 CECH Library http://www.libraries.uc.edu/cech/Services/poster-printing.html

 Check with individual departments/colleges for additional options.

After the Poster is Finished…Before the Presentation

 Spend time before the session thinking about how to present the material.

o Be able to summarize the poster’s key points and conclusion(s) in 2-3

sentences.

o Prepare several versions of your remarks lasting from 30 seconds to 4

minutes.

o Be able to explain the most challenging parts of the poster, especially the

figures and tables.

Prepared by Health Sciences Library (Revised 9/10) © University of Cincinnati

At the Poster Session

 Remember to adjust to the audience’s changing needs—some will want

explanations of the poster and others will just want to look for a short time.

 Ask your viewers what they want to know about before explaining the poster. This

will save time and focus on what they really want to know and discuss.

 Spend extra time going over and explaining figures and tables.

 Listen to feedback.

 Remember to interact and network with people.

 Relax and have a good time!

Useful Websites



Purrington, Colin 2015. Designing conference posters.

http://colinpurrington.com/tips/poster-design

 University of Buffalo. Designing Effective Poster Presentations.

http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/guide/guide.asp?ID=155

 UC Poster Templates. http://healthnews.uc.edu/branding/

Selected Books

Briscoe, M. H. (1996). Preparing scientific illustrations: A guide to better posters,

presentations, and publications (2nd ed.). New York: Springer.

Gosling, P. J. (1999). Scientist's guide to poster presentations. New York: Kluwer

Academic/Plenum Pub.

Nicol, A. A. M., & Pexman, P. M. (2003). Displaying your findings: A practical guide for

creating figures, posters, and presentations (1st ed.). Washington, DC: American

Psychological Association.

Orchard, D. M., & American Association of Petroleum Geologists. (2000). Figuratively

speaking in the computer age: Techniques for preparing and delivering presentations.

Tulsa, Okla.: American Association of Petroleum Geologists : Distributed by AAPG

Bookstore.

Prepared by Health Sciences Library (Revised 9/10) © University of Cincinnati

Creating a Poster in PowerPoint 2010

1. A. If using a template (http://healthnews.uc.edu/branding/):

a. Go to View Tab | Slide Master

b. Click on any unwanted features on the Slide Master and press “delete”

c. Select the logo or border with logo and “cut” it out (Ctrl-X)

d. Go to Slide Master Tab | Page Setup Group | Page Setup and then choose

Custom from the “Slides sized for” box. You might select a height of 12 inches

and a width of 18 inches. (Blown up for printing, this creates a 4x6 poster for

the printer at UC’s Art & Design Services).

e. Paste (Ctrl-V) the logo or border back in (cutting and pasting the logo retains

its proper proportions).

f. If you want to shrink the logo, hold the shift key down while dragging the

logo smaller to retain its proportions.

g. Go to View Tab | Presentation Views Group and choose normal.

1. B. If using a new, blank slide: Go to Design Tab | Page Setup, then choose Custom

from the Slides Sized For box. Important: Find out the size values required to print the

desired final finished size on the poster printer. You might select a height of 12 inches

and a width of 18 inches. (Blown up for printing, this creates a 4x6 poster for the

printer at UC’s Art & Design Services). The width can be as long as 56 inches, the

longest length PowerPoint can get…otherwise you have to design proportionally. See

the “Tips” section for details. Be sure the slide is oriented Landscape. Then, OK.

2. Under Home Tab | Slides Group | Layout and click on blank.

3. Close task pane to left for maximum workspace. Set zoom level to approximately

50% or whatever allows you to view an appropriate amount of the slide on which

you are working.

4. You can make your ruler available so you can see where you are adding text boxes.

View Tab | Show/Hide Group | check box for Ruler.

5. TITLE: Insert Tab | Text Group | click on Text Box. Insert the Title of your

presentation across the top of the slide. Stretch box to opposite sides, then center

text with Home Tab | Paragraph Group | choose Center icon. Add the author's

names and affiliations. Your title should be quite large. As a starting point, make the

font no less than 30 points if working in a 12X18 format (25% proportion of 48 x

72). The general guideline is to concentrate less on exact font sizes and more on

fitting the text on the page without making it too crowded.

6. TEXT BOX FORMATTING: This step will let you create placeholders for text. This

way you can make a layout of your poster without having every word of text

prepared. Then you can go back when you are ready and add the text. Create a text

box under the title box using Shapes (Insert Tab | Illustrations Group | Shapes and

click on the rectangle shape). Use your first text box to set up formatting choices.

Do this

only if

you need

to change

the page

size

You can choose text box size (Drawing Tools/Format Tab | Size Group) and add a

border (Drawing Tools/Format Tab | Shape Styles | Shape Outline) or shading

(Drawing Tools/Format Tab | Shape Styles | Shape Fill). To change the text’s

vertical alignment, go to Drawing Tools/Format Tab | Shape Styles Group and click

on the dialog box launcher (the arrow at the bottom right of this group). In the

launcher, choose Text Box and vertical alignment option. Text should be aligned on

the top. Also, choose the desired text font, size, and color. Once formatting has been

set-up, select this text box and copy & paste to create additional ones.

7. LAYOUT: Layout the text boxes where you want them. For layout, you can use the

ruler and gridlines (go to View Tab | Show/Hide Group | and check Ruler and/or

Gridlines). For a more precise way, use the alignment tool to let the computer

automatically arrange the boxes. To line up and arrange text boxes, you can select

the text boxes (Select | Ctrl Click). Then on the Drawing Tools/Format Tab |

Arrange Group | Align | choose Align Top and/or Distribute Horizontally.

8. Once you have your text box placeholders laid out you can start adding the real

information to the text boxes. When you are all finished, you can delete the line

around the text boxes, add color to the headings and/or change the font size and

type.

9. IMAGES: To add an image, go to the Insert Tab | Illustrations Group |Choose Picture

and find the file, then, Insert. Or, you can use Copy and Paste to import Excel

graphs. Select the graph in the original Excel file, then Edit | Copy, click on the

PowerPoint slide, then Edit | Paste. Drag the image to appropriate place. Note: Do

NOT copy and paste images from the web. They do not have a high enough

resolution. Do NOT enlarge any image, it will get blurry (other than Excel graphs

and Microsoft clipart). Remember that all images must have a resolution of at least

300dpi (with the exception of Excel graphs and Microsoft clipart. Those two types

of graphics should not give you problems).

10. Lines, boxes and arrows can be inserted using the Insert Tab | Illustrations Group |

Shapes.

11. To print the final version on a single piece of 8.5 x 11" paper to check it over before

doing the final large size, go to the Office Button | Print | Print what: Slides, and click

the check box to Scale to fit paper and Frame Slides for a border around the poster

(good for a cut line around final poster) . OK.

12. Even though your computer screen may not be 4 x 6 feet, use your PowerPoint zoom

tool to zoom in and see how your poster will print. This is especially helpful if you

really want to see how the spacing between columns looks, how big fonts will be,

etc. If you created a poster in 50% proportion, zoom in 200%, or if you created your

poster in 25% proportion, zoom in 400%. You of course won’t be able to see the

whole poster at once, but it is helpful in getting a general idea for size if you are

concerned about it.

Information and costs as of 2/16

Art & Design Services

Poster Printing Information Sheet

http://healthnews.uc.edu/communications/artdesign/?/posters/

Costs

Printing: The base cost for wide format printing is $4.11 per square foot, plus a minimum

production charge (for time spent) of $27.50. This means a poster measuring 4x8 feet (32 square

feet) would cost $159.02 ($27.50 + [32 x $4.11]) to print. Similarly, a 4x6 foot poster (24 square

feet) would cost $126.14 ($27.50 + [24 x $4.11]).

Polyester Fabric Media: The advantage of polyester fabric media that your poster can be folded

and stored in your briefcase or other carry-on instead of being rolled up and placed in a tube that

will need to be either checked or fit into overhead storage. The cost of this media is $4.97 per

square foot. Contact Art & Design staff for more information.

Laminating: If you choose to have your poster laminated (which is recommended for the

protection of the poster), there will be a charge of $1.85 per square foot. This means your 4x6

poster will cost $44.40 (24 x $1.85) to laminate, or your 4x8 poster will cost $59.20 (32 x $1.85).

Other Charges

Proof Copies: It is usually good to see a "proof” copy of your poster before it is printed. A proof is a

small print out of what your poster will look like when completed. When you receive a proof, you

will be able to check for typos and layout errors. Proof copies are generally full color 11x17 inch

prints. Some jobs require wide format print, which costs $4.11 per square foot.

Production Charge: For any poster printed, there will be a minimum production charge of $27.50.

This represents a half-hour of our production fee, and covers the time it takes to trim out your

poster after it has been printed/laminated. If you want us to do the poster layout, there will also be

a production charge for this service. Most posters can be set up in one to 1.5 hours. On average,

production fees for most poster layouts are between $55 and $82.50.

Tubes: Art & Design Services stocks one type of container, which will easily hold a rolled-up poster

up to 4 feet high. The charge for a cylindrical tube is $5.17.

What They Need From You

Poster Needs to be Designed: If you want them to design your poster, simply e-mail your content

and images to art.de[email protected], or drop off your data on a CD, DVD or flash drive to our office,

Health Professions Building room G-44. Text can be in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint – and in

either PC or Macintosh formats. Images should be submitted in high resolution (at least 300 dpi).

Poster Already Designed: If your poster has already been designed, just e-mail your file

to art.design@uc.edu. Please note, the UC e-mail attachment limit is approximately 25MB. Larger

files can be dropped off to their office, Health Professions building room G-44. They use Adobe

Information and costs as of 2/16

InDesign to create posters due to its adaptability with their printing system. You may use other

programs if you prefer.

Please note: It’s important that all the files that you used to design your poster are saved on the

same disk as the master file. This includes photos and graphics. This will help save time and money.

Also, they often encounter problems with files set up in Microsoft Publisher. If you don’t feel

comfortable using any other program, please contact them before your begin your poster design, so

they can help you avoid time-consuming (and costly) problems.

Turnaround

Ready to Print Poster: Posters that are ready to be printed (no layout or design changes), can

usually be turned around in three business days. During this time, you will be able to proof your

poster for any corrections.

Posters Needing Design Work: If they are designing your poster, the turnaround is usually

between five and seven days. During this time, you will be able to proof your poster for any

corrections.

Rush Charges

If work needs to be turned around in less than the time allotted per the project (three business days

for ready files; five to seven business days for posters needing designed), there will be a priority

charge applied. For a two-day turnaround, the priority charge will be 30 percent of the total amount

your usual charges. For next day turnaround, the priority charge will be 50 percent. Same-day

priority charges for jobs that are ready to print are 100 percent. Same-day priority jobs do not get

proofs and must be submitted by 9 a.m. for 5 p.m. completion.