1. Creating Effective Poster Presentations Using PowerPoint Helene Hoffman, PhD Assistant Dean for Educational Computing Adjunct Professor of Medicine UCSD School of Medicine Helene Hoffman, PhD Assistant Dean for Educational Computing Adjunct Professor of Medicine UCSD School of Medicine

2. Goals of An Effective Poster Communicates visually Serves as an illustrated abstract Aesthetically pleasing Attracts & holds attention Makes it easy for readers Initiates discussion Is concise & organized Focuses on a single clear message Successfully presents scientific / technical information Is not a journal article Stands alone if /when you’re not there

3. Know Poster Session Rules Size of poster: 3 x 5 (light weight paper, no mounting) Display environment: Assigned board; tape poster onto boards Length of poster session: 2 hours (6-8 PM on November 15) When is set-up time? 3:30- 5:45 PM (Buffet opens 5:15 PM) Need for author to stay with poster: YES Other AV materials or computer allowed : YES

4. ‘Old Fashioned’ Approach Multiple Pages Mounted on Single Poster Board Pages mounted on poster board Page matted with contrasting color, then mounted on poster board

5. ‘Modern’ Approach Single Panel in PowerPoint

6. Construction Plan Page Set-Up Title, Author & Institutional Affiliation Body Text & Graphic Elements Rough Layout Refinement Color Scheme

7. 3’ x 5’ Plan Before you Begin Draft /edit text portions in word processing program Use plain language Pare down blocks of text  10 sentences Create subheadings Use phrases & bulleted lists Save text ~ font for poster (e.g., Arial 14) Collect images, graphs, etc. Create a storyboard Think in terms of columns Organize elements top  bottom left  right Title Intro Conclusions

8. Set-Up Single PPT Slide PowerPoint limitations Custom page sizes up to 56” x 56” Posters > 56” x 56” must be constructed at 50% of final size To create a poster 5’ x 3’ (60” x 36”) Open File > New Presentation Open File > Page Set Up Slide Sized for: Custom Width 30” and Height 18” Orientation (Slide) Landscape Click OK Format > Slide Layout > Title only Note: You may get message “current page exceeds printable area of paper in printer”. Say OK & ignore warning. You will not be printing full size on your desktop printer

9. Title, Author & Affiliation Title Click in Title Placeholder & type (or cut / paste) Title Title font size ~40-50 pts (80-100 @ full scale) Practice Poster Title = Arial Black size 46 Author / Affiliation Click in Title Placeholder Type (or cut & paste) authors / institutional affiliation Select text & change font smaller than Title Practice Poster Authors = Arial size 28 bold Practice Poster Institution = Arial size 21 bold Note: You can usually expand the width of the Title text box if you are not going to add a logo.

10. Insert > Text Boxes Create text box Insert menu -> select “text box” Use text box icon (I-bar) Add text Either cut/paste text from document Or type text directly into Text Box Position & edit text View one text box only Use  100% magnification in the Zoom Tool View entire poster Use the “fit” option in the Zoom Tool Select text & change font Practice Poster text = Arial size 14

11. Ensure Text is Readable Try a typeface family e.g., Arial Black, Arial, Arial Narrow For emphasis Use bold, italics, or color Take care with underline, it now denotes a link Avoid script fonts & ALL CAPS SuggestionsTitleAuthorsInstitutionText Body Finished height1.5 - 2”1 - 1.5”.5 -.75”.2 -.3” Readable from25’15’10’4 - 8’ Font size (@100%) 80 - 100 pt.70 - 84 pt.36 - 48 pt.20 - 30 pt.

12. Add picture Insert menu -> select “picture” -> select “from file” Browse to find picture and click “insert” Use PowerPoint image manipulation tools Reposition Resize Rotate Crop Use images  300 dpi Be careful with images from internet or captured from screen If needed, add a grey or black border (matting) Insert > Images

13. Be Visual & Maintain Balance Keep text neat & uncluttered Limit text to ~ 1000 words; text boxes ~ 11-15 words wide Left justify to make it easier to read Use line spacing & paragraph spacing to balance text Consider proportions ~ 40 - 50 % text  30 - 40 % graphics  20 % white space Balance margins & white space Sides & top margins ~ 1.5 - 2” Bottom margin slightly bigger > good visual base Avoid crowding content

14. Refine Text & Layout Edit text & pare down large text blocks Justify text Standardize column width Create section headers (& subheaders) Align borders of the elements in one column Group column elements Distribute columns across page Add logo & footer (if necessary) If it doesn’t help tell the story, don’t use it!

15. Add Color Format > Slide Background Select color Keep contrast high between text & background Complement poster content & images Light backgrounds work well with dark photos & graphic Dark backgrounds for light photos & graphics Create section headers Insert > Text Box Format AutoShape > Colors & Lines Try a semi-transparent layer under text Add AutoShape & change color /transparency using Format AutoShape Move shape behind Text using Draw > Order > Send to Back

16. Color Scheme Stick to a theme of 2-3 colors, no more Avoid stark white background Intense colors are only good as borders or emphasis Fluorescent lighting may intensify / alter bright colors If you select an image as background Use subtle image or text won’t be readable Add semi-transparent layer between image & text See method on previous slide

17. Wrap Up Quality control Printing

18. Ensure Quality Control Print a small version for feedback Use the Scale to Fit option in your printing dialog box If you can’t read on 8.5 x 11 page, the text is probably too small Have a colleague proof all aspects of poster Make corrections or additions Redo areas that are unclear Edit ruthlessly Typically too much text on posters Sentences > phrases or lists If it is not relevant to your message, remove it! Save & back-up your work

19. Printing Use professional large format printing service UCSD IMPRINTS (x 4-3020) or KINKOS (858-459- 3043) Expect ~ 48 hr turnaround Ask if print “proof” is possible Specify final dimensions of poster For example, size = 60” x 36” If working 1/2 scale, reiterate the poster to be printed at 2x the page size Price depends on options Paper stock Size Lamination Mounting Note: A Color print (not laminated) $5.75 - $9.75 / ft2

20. Questions Helene Hoffman Office of Educational Computing 265 Medical Teaching Facility 858.534.5506 hhoffman@ucsd.edu