There are plenty of ways to create your poster, here are a few of our favorites:

PowerPoint: You might already have experience with PowerPoint as a presentation tool, so you shouldn't be surprised to learn that it is among the easiest ways to create a poster for a presentation too! Use this template to get started on a standard sized 48" x 36" tri-fold poster.

Google Slides: Don't have PowerPoint? No worries! Google Slides comes free with your Google account and is another easy platform to use to create a great poster. 

Canva: Canva is a free design website that allows you to create posters, handouts, infographics, and more. Create a free account and start designing! When you're done with the design, easily export to PDF or JPEG files.

* When you're using any of these platforms, start by making sure that your page dimensions are appropriate for when you're ready to print. In Slides, go to File > Page Setup and in PowerPoint, go to Slide Size on the Design tab. Also, make sure that your dimensions are in INCHES NOT PIXELS.

Good Poster Design

Don't let a poorly-designed poster diminish your research! Here are some tips on how to optimize your design:

Grabbing Attention

• Give your poster a title that will draw attention and summarize your project
• Important information should be largest (text hierarchy)
• Often the title is largest, then your name (or group names) and affiliations
• Title should be readable from approximately 10 feet away (letters approx. 1.5 inches tall)
• San serif fonts (like Arial, Helvetica) are easier to read far away (think of the font used on highway signs)
• Serif fonts (like Times New Roman) are easier to read in block or body text
• If you are printing out slides, boxes, figures, or images, add dark borders as they will help provide contrast against a lighter background

Organizing Information

• Common organization for scientific posters: Introduction, Materials / Methods (if applicable), Results, Conclusions, Literature Cited, Acknowledgements, Further Information)
• It can be helpful to sketch out how your information will be organized / will flow throughout the poster

Overall Advice

• Poster should generally be 300-800 words
• Keep your body text as brief as possible and use lists of sentences rather than blocks of text
• Light / neutral colored backgrounds with dark text are easiest to read
• Use bright colors sparingly
• Use images, graphics, charts, figures that support your ideas. (Captions as needed)
• Use no more than 3 fonts total
• Review specific event details of the conference or event you are presenting at for poster requirements and suggestions
• If you are printing PowerPoint slides to stick to your poster, use. rubber cement or spray adhesive.