Use the steps below to begin working on your research poster. Before you start this process, you may want to save some text, images, and other graphics into a simple document from which you can copy and paste into your poster design. Many posters use a three column format.
Following steps from start to finish will allow you to avoid some common problems that can occur when designing and printing a research poster.
While you may present your poster in digital form for the purposes of a course assignment, you will need to print it for presentation at a conference or symposium. Lied Library offers large format printing for research posters. For assistance with the large format printing service, please contact Heng-Wei Cheng or stop by the Computer Help Desk on the first floor.
In this stage, ask yourself:
What design elements can enhance my research?
A poster should include a balance of textual information and graphical elements. Choose a layout, color scheme, and fonts which are attractive and make it easy for the eye to follow the flow of information across the poster.
The above template is for a newer format for research posters which is gaining in popularity. You may want to try working with a similar format for your poster, however, there are also arguments against using this format. The two articles below describe some of the pros and cons of this type of research poster.
To Save The Science Poster, Researchers Want to Kill It And Start Over
Following these points from start to finish will allow you to avoid some common problems that can occur when designing and printing a research poster.
Color vibration occurs when two bright colors appear to blur at the edges when they are placed next to each other. The examples of color vibration in the image below are unpleasant to look at and it is probably best to avoid them in your poster.
"... there are three basic categories of color theory that are logical and useful: The color wheel, color harmony, and the context of how colors are used." - J.L. Morton, https://colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory
Something you may want to consider is the way in which colors can evoke different emotions in your audience. Certain colors might help drive your point home in the mind of those viewing your poster, totally unconsciously on their part.
You can check out the links above to dive into the symbolism of color.
For an academic poster, text should be large enough to be read at a distance of at least a few feet from your poster. Step back and view your poster at 100% of its printing size to judge whether your text is legible. The two types of fonts which are most used are serif and sans-serif fonts. Serif fonts have a small projection or line attached to the letters, while sans-serif (meaning "without serif") text does not.
Serif fonts are easier to read and so used for larger blocks of text like paragraphs. Sans serif fonts are commonly used for headings and draw the eye to a particular piece of text. On the right are two examples of serif and sans-serif fonts.
| Sample Serif Fonts | Sample Sans-Serif Fonts |
| Georgia |
Lucida Sans Unicode |
| Times New Roman | Tahoma |