1. Layout, Information to Include, Software, and Logistics
Making a Poster
Layout, Information to Include, Software, and Logistics
SGE UO 4/18/2019

2. What makes a good poster?
Important info should be readable at 10 feet away
Big, short, concise title, draws interest
Bullets, numbering, and headlines make it easy to read.
Clean layout, consistent use of fonts and color.
Use only high resolution photos.

3. Tools Available – Microsoft and Adobe
Microsoft Powerpoint
Adobe Illustrator
Takes less time
More people are used to it
Less capable / inflexible
Colors on screen are not necessarily what are printed
Don’t Use Photoshop
More difficult to learn
More control over location of objects
Colors remain true when printed
Both can be set to whatever size specs are necessary

4. Layout - one method of many
Use Grids to keep material aligned
Column format
Try to keep ~ 40 % of your poster empty of text and images
Limit use of boxes and lines
Group similar topics together
Font Size:
>36 for sub headings, >24 for main body, > Title (depending on font)
Background:
For professional poster sessions, one color or gradients –
Photo backgrounds become distracting 1 2 3 4

5. Title Boldfaced, not all caps Only essential words, or a catchy title.
Make it accessible to others not in your sub-field.
Font size > 50
Unless going presenting at EXTREMELY niche conference, don’t do this 

6. What to Include? Headings – Bold, grab the readers attention.
Possible to have darker boxes surrounding them, make them distinctive
Introductions
Short background of the topic to set the context and state the main objectives of your work.
Could include background, research questions, scientific objectives, …

7. What to Include?- Continued
Methods (space permiting)
Basic parameters – target sample, setting, duration of study, techniques, equipment used.
Illustrator Figures tend to help the audience understand
Results
Data, figures, centered if possible
Make this the highlight of the poster, the largest section of it.
Use the figures to get the message you want across. Use colors to help
Don’t include raw data
Use figure legends, scale bars, consistent axes

8. What to Include? - Continued
Future Work
Whatever work was not done, or will be done, highlight in the F.E. section.
What questions were not answered that you hoped would be answered?
References
Cite all references that helped with the research, and cite according to the sty

9. Rules about Figures Use meaningful, high quality images
Adjust the color and contrast to make it “pop”
Crop or edit images to highlight what is relevant
Caption all figure
Label directly on figures to clarify, but don’t overdo it.
Use bold lines, to be seen from > 5 ft
Balance images so they are not all on one side

10. Color Scheme www.colorschemer.com/online.html
Use websites like the one above to pick colors that work well together.
Blue on Red = Bad
Yellow on White = Bad
Red on Blue = Bad
Look into colors that are visible for people with color-blindness
Don’t do this

11. Other stuff Always acknowledge funding sources
Always give credit to collaborators
Have photos be at least 150 dpi, but not more than 300 dpi
Save photos as jpg or png
Images and graphs say more than words
Make text left aligned
Print out a letter sized draft to test it.
Serif Font’s are easiest to read
Ask yourself:
Can you read the type, is it too busy, are the colors good?
Include captions on all figures.

12. How To Print?
At the UO: Geology Department has one if your professor is willing to pay.
Printing services offered at Lawrence Hall
Print At Least the day before travel begins. Better to print up to a week out, there tends to be a rush for printing before a conference.
For UROP Undergrad Prez’s, 3-4 days in advance should suffice

13. Examples – Early work, what not to do

14. https://www. liverpool. ac

15. Sources of information and further reading.
Websites on academic poster creation 8A
Websites on Colour Theory
Color Theory for Designers : Smashing Magazine Jan 28th 2010 :
Colormatters :
Tiger color:
Artyfactory :