Basic steps on changing settings for posters
A. Slide set up
1. Open PowerPoint
2. Select blank slide layout – NOTE: Your poster will be on just ONE slide
3. Select the Design tab
4. Select Slide Size (In older MS versions, select Page Setup)
5. Under “Slides sized for” use the pull-down arrow to select “custom”
6. Set the height and width as per the conference regulations
7. Keep the slide orientation as landscape
8. Select OK
9. Select View tab
10. Check Rulers & Gridlines - this will help you line up text boxes.
B. Textbox set up
1. Select Insert tab
2. Click Text Box and then click and drag over area on slide where you want the box. E.g. The title
3. Don’t agonize if it’s not the exact size & in the exact spot. You can move it & resize it later
4. Enter text & select center or left justify
5. Repeat for the other sections: Abstract; Introduction; Materials & Methods; Results; Conclusions; Literature Cited; Acknowledgements; Further Information/Contac
6. See Design Tips tab for font sizes
C. Inserting Images
To insert an online photo:
Places to find images either within the public domain or cleared for general use:
Flickr Commons – photos in the public domain (many photos will be old, but also new ones as well). Under the info about the photo, note: License - No known copyright restrictions http://www.flickr.com/commons/
Flickr Advanced Search
Google Images
iStock Photo
Good source, if you are willing to pay http://www.istockphoto.com/
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.
Poster Evaluation Checklist
Basics
o Title and other required sections are present
o Complete author affiliation & contact information is included
o The poster conforms to the requirements of the conference where it will be presented
o Font is sans-serif
o Font is consistent throughout
o Spelling is correct throughout
o Grammar is correct throughout
o Acronyms are defined on first use
o Content is appropriate & relevant for audience
Design
o All text can be easily read from 4 feet away
o Flow of the poster is easy to follow
o White space used well
o Section titles are used consistently
o Images/graphics are used in place of text whenever possible
o Bullet points/lists are used in place of text whenever possible
o All images are relevant and necessary to the poster
o Charts are correct – i.e. appropriate type for data, data is correct & correctly represented
o Text color and background color are significant in contrast for easy reading
o Background color doesn’t obscure or dim text
o Images are clear, not pixilated or blurry
Content
o The “story” of the poster is clear
o The content is focused on 2-3 key points
o Title is clear & informative of the project
o Problem, or clinical question, is identified and explained
o Current evidence related to project is listed
o Objectives are stated
o Methods are described
o Results are presented
o Conclusions are stated
o Implications to practice and to other professions are presented
o References are listed
o All content is relevant and on the key points
o Content is not duplicated in text and graphics
Oral Presentation
o Presenter greets people
o Presenter is able to give a concise synopsis of poster
o Presenter is able to explain all diagrams and sections
o Presenter speaks fluently – i.e. doesn’t stumble, leave sentences/thoughts hanging
o Presenter has questions to ask viewers
There are many tools available to help create the infographic you want. Most are free to users but if you want more access there is a subscription required.
Check out these links for free photos to use in your infographics!