1. Ben Hockenberry
Systems Librarian | Lavery Library | St. John Fisher College
Slides available: libguides.sjfc.edu/tutorial/researchposterdesign
Portions of this presentation were adapted from
hsp.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/ScientificPosters.pdf
And www.makesigns.com/tutorials/poster-design-layout.aspx
2. Create your file in PowerPoint, Publisher, or InDesign
(not Word)
On the View Menu, show “Guides”
Choose a template or layout that matches the size, orientation, and
shape that you need printed
(the printer can’t turn a square into a rectangle without distortion)
Your final version should be saved as PDF with embedded fonts
11. A story follows a logical path.
Lead viewers through yours.
Source: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/08/29/beyond-wireframing-real-life-ux-design-process/
12. Organize in clear sections
Use short, meaningful titles for sections
(standard ones, if discipline-appropriate)
Order sections for logical flow
17. Your poster should consist of roughly
20-30% text
30-40% figures
40% space l e a v e
b r e a t h i n g
r o o m
18. White space provides:
Rhythm or Flow
Unity
Readability
Balance
“Padding” keeps text from touching
borders, backgrounds, and other images
Image source: http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_boxmodel.asp
19. More text =
More time standing,
making sense of the work
Less time engaging
with you and others
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GD09_Poster_Session.jpg
20. Posters are about sharing
and engaging.
If a reader is interested,
she can talk to you or
follow up.
Include contact
information!
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GD09_Poster_Session.jpg
22. Sans-serif fonts are generally
more legible from a distance.
Examples:
Calibri
Century Gothic
Lucida Sans
Tahoma
Verdana
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sans-serif
Serif fonts can work if their size is
big enough. Headings!
Examples:
Centaur
Garamond
Georgia
Rockwell
Times New Roman
23. Choose 2 fonts
(maybe 3)
Use consistent
typeface and size
for all text of the
same type
Change fonts
with purpose Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/iampeas/2796154727/
24. Title: 85pt
Authors: 56pt
Sub-headings: 36pt
Body text: 24pt
Captions: 18pt
These are only suggestions; every poster is different. From:
http://www.makesigns.com/tutorials/poster-design-layout.aspx
25. Use charts
instead of text
when possible
Consider adding
a brief caption to
make a point 0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
January February March April May June July August September
Headcounts by Month and Time of Day
9:00am 11:00am 1:00pm 3:00pm 5:00pm 7:00pm
1:00 is our peak traffic timeslot, but close to Finals Week,
people stay in the library later.
26. Use 150-300 dpi (dots per inch)
images…
or they’ll
print like this.
(72 dpi is standard
on the Web)
Source: http://www.faithgraphix.com/basic-instructions.html
28. Make sure text and
images pop
“The Squint Test:”
is text readable when
you squint?
Avoid distracting
backgrounds and
transparency Source: http://www.makesigns.com/tutorials/poster-design-layout.aspx
29. Keep colors consistent for
content of the same type
Use a color picker tool or
“theme” colors
Soft colors for most
information, and brighter
colors for highlights
Keep backgrounds light
30. Contrast aids readability
Colors differentiate
(Don’t forget colorblindness)
If data represents a scale,
use colors in visible order
Small data points (line
charts, scatter plots) need
brighter colors to be seen
The hardest text to read in this chart is the most important.
http://www.perceptualedge.com/articles/visual_business_intelligence/rules_for_using_color.pdf
34. Tutorials
MakeSigns
Videos and text walkthroughs
http://www.makesigns.com/tutorials/
Color
Adobe Color CC (was Kuler)
https://color.adobe.com/create/color-wheel/
Templates
Genigraphics
http://www.genigraphics.com/templates/
MakeSigns
http://www.makesigns.com/
SciPosters_Templates.aspx
Editor's Notes
Just because you CAN lay out your text like a ransom note composed from letters in magazine clippings does not mean you SHOULD.
Save the viewer’s time.
Include a brief caption
If you’re going to use an image for the background, make it simple and non-distracting; complement your layout’s flow. Also, make sure that boxes containing text have a light, opaque or near-opaque “fill” color.