Poster Design Tips
A. Fonts, Font Size, & Text color
1. Sans Serifs fonts are recommended for Posters. (Serif = distinctive finishing strokes both vertical & horizontal; Sans = without)
e.g. Arial is a sans serif font
Times New Roman is a serif font
2. Variable width fonts are easier to read
e.g. Arial is a variable width font
Courier is a fixed width font
3. Font recommendations:
Title: 72-120 points note: 72 points = 1 inch as a general rule
Subtitle: 48-80 points
Section headers: 36-72 points
Text: 24-48 points
4. Title in Sentence case – lower case letters easier/faster to read than uppercase. NOTE: The conference requirements override this. Go with what's required.
5. Images & graphic resolution = 150-300 dpi
Recommended file types: PNG, TIF or JPEG. For descriptions of file types, read: http://www.sitepoint.com/gif-jpg-png-whats-difference/
B. Background recommendations
1. Use high contrast between text & background for easier reading. e.g. black text/white background
2. Be conscious of color schemes that are unreadable by the color blind. e.g. black & red; green & orange
3. Consider what graphics you'll be using and how they will fit with the background. Colored backgrounds will make white graphics stand out.
4. Color for monitors is RGB mode while color for printers is CYMK -Printed, Mixed Ink mode. This means what you see on your computer might not be what you see on your printed poster. A good reason to get a proof before printing your final copy.
C. Wrapping text – PowerPoint doesn’t wrap text around inserted figures, but Word does. Can create in Word then paste to PowerPoint.