This document outlines a training course on designing posters in PowerPoint. The course will cover topics like design dilemmas, consistency, formatting, and use of images. It will involve a practical session where participants can work on their own posters with feedback. The document discusses producing the poster, including printing options, transporting it to conferences, and following corporate identity guidelines. Important concerns for printing like file format and resolution are also covered. The course aims to help researchers effectively communicate their work through posters.

1. 1
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 1Graduate School Training Courses
Designing Posters in
Power Point
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 2
Practical session
• You can work with your own materials or use the
resource files referred to in the workbook
• The workbook contains a series of exercises –
pick and choose which ones to do
• I can offer feedback on your design
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 3
Resource files
If you want to use the
resource files, please
copy them from the
USB thumb drive (and
return the drive).
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 4
Topics will include:
• Design dilemmas/correct use of colour
• Consistency
• Headings/subheadings/banners
• Columns/margins
• Logos and graphics
• Type size/weight/size
• Alignment
• Content (too much, too little?)
• Word spacing/paragraph spacing, tabs and indents
• Borders, boxes, shadows and special type effects
• Use of clipart and digital images (with basic scanning advice)
• Tables, charts and graphs
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 5
Researchers may also wish to attend the
Graduate School Using posters to
communicate research training course
Supplement training
course
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 6
The session
• Introduction
• Self paced practical work through the workbook or on your
poster, supported by trainer and demonstrators
• Coffee break (~3pm)
• Self paced practical work through the workbook or on your
poster, supported by trainer and demonstrators
• Completion
– When you have completed the workbook and / or received feedback on
your own poster.
– Please ensure that you have signed the course register.
– Please fill out an evaluation feedback sheet and put it in the envelope
provided. (Last student to leave should seal the envelope)

2. 2
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 7
Software tools
• For this course we are using PowerPoint
– Readily available in Computer Rooms and on
University Office PCs
– Can generate output files that are acceptable to
printers
– Scalable
• Desktop publishing packages give you more control,
e.g. MS Publisher, Corel Draw
– Check with printer that they can deal with the files
produced
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 8
Communication
• Communication is vital for the successful production
of an effective poster
• To get a poster that communicates your research
you need to communicate with
– supervisor(s)
– print bureau or design consultants
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 9
Producing the Poster
• How are you going to produce the poster?
– Do everything yourself, including printing
– Do design and type setting yourself and use a bureau
to print it for you (most frequent pattern)
– Use a design consultancy to help you.
– Hand all the material to the design consultant and let
them do it all for you
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 10
Displaying the Poster
• How are you going to transport and display the
poster?
– One large poster (recommended)
– Several separate sheets that you assemble at the
conference
– Other ideas?
• electronic
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 11
Printers and printing
Who will print your poster?
Option 1: You, if you have a suitable sized printer.
Option 2: Another group in your School or the
University who happen to have a suitable
printer.
Option 3: Print Shop, Portland Building
Option 4: University approved printers, you can find
these on the University Procurement web
site:
www.nottingham.ac.uk/procurement
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 12
Corporate identity
Does your poster need to follow the University's
corporate image guidelines?
Yes, if you are representing the University at a
conference:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/corporatemarketing/servi
ces/corporateidentityguidelines/index.aspx
Think also about your sponsors/research councils –
they need their logo on there too!

3. 3
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 13
Some important concerns
• When you produce something for printing, be
concerned about:
– File formats
– Pictures’ resolution (dpi)
– Fonts
– Colours
– Margins
– Copyrights
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 14
Constraints
• What are the instructions to authors?
• What is your budget?
• When is the conference (time scale)?
Time
Quality Cost
Time
CostQuality
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 15
Colour theory
• 2 main reasons why scholars investigate colour:
– the communication of colours (names etc)
– the application of colour (e.g. warm/cold)
• the colour wheel; complementary and analagous
colours
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 16
KISS
Design advice
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 17
Completion of the course
• Please ensure that you have signed the course
register
• You have finished when you have gone through the
workbook and / or received feedback on your own
poster
• Please fill out an evaluation feedback sheet and put
it in the envelope provided (last student to leave
should seal the envelope)
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Graduate School Training Courses 18
• University of Nottingham Postgraduate Research
Showcase: 7th May 2010
• Win one of eight awards – top prize of £200
• Vitae Midlands regional poster competition: 5th July
2010
– 1st = £500
– 2nd = £250
– 3rd = £150
– Peer Review = £150
– Best poster summary for none specialist audience =
£100
– 4 x runner up prizes of £50
Dates for your diary