You have two choices when designing a poster:
- You can use a poster template. (These can be easily found; just Google "research poster templates.")
- You can create your own poster using the instructions below.
(**Directions are for Office 2010**)
To Begin:
- Design tab > Page Setup
- In the Slides sized for dropdown menu, select: Custom.
- Enter the Width and Height of the poster. IMPORTANT: You must set the poster size before you start working on your poster. This will ensure that you images and text do not pixilate when the poster is printed.
- In the Orientation section of the dialogue box > Slides: Landscape is most often selected, but this is your choice.
- Once selections are completed, close the dialogue box by selecting OK.
Background:
- On the Design tab, you'll find a number of slide themes.
- You might also play with the options found under the Background Styles dropdown located to the right of the slide themes.
Colours:
In the Colours dropdown on the Design tab, choose a colour scheme or create your own.
TIPS:
- Avoid red and green for colour blind viewers.
- Consider using colours that might set the tone for your subject matter.
- Solid colours in soft or pastel hues are sometimes recommended.
Layout:
On the View tab, select the Ruler and Gridlines options to assist you in placing your content and images.
Font:
Some suggestions:
- Don't use more than two fonts on your poster: one for the title and one for the text.
- Use san serif fonts, which are easier to read, rather than serif fonts. For example: Arial (sans serif) vs. Times New Roman (serif).
- All text should be at least 24 font size. Anything smaller is too difficult to read
Other Font size suggestions:
Title: 72 pt. or larger (It should be readable by the viewer from at least 10 feet away.)
Subheadings: 30 - 32 pt.
Body: 24 - 28 pt. (Anything smaller is too difficult to read.)
Images:
Check-out the Images tab of this guide for resources and tips.
Save, save and then save again. Don't forget to save!
