If your poster has to be a specific size, make sure to do this as your first step so all content pieces you add are scaled appropriately. If you resize at the outset, that will save you the trouble of having to reformat your content down the road. There are a number of programs in which you can design your poster, but PowerPoint and Google Slides tend to be two of the most popular. If you use any of the templates found in the resources box on this page, you should be able to download the template pre-sized to common conference dimensions.
Open a blank presentation and navigate to the Design tab. In the Slide Size dropdown menu, select Custom Slide Size, enter the appropriate dimensions, and click OK.
Open a blank presentation. From the File menu, select Page Setup and then select Custom in the Page Setup dropdown menu. Enter the appropriate dimensions and click OK.
The layout of your poster should be easy for visitors to follow. A common layout is columns that can be read from the top of the poster to the bottom and from left to right.
For optimum readability, include plenty of white, or empty, space between elements. White space simply refers to areas without content - no text, no images.
Your poster should not be overly text heavy. You will be present to explain what you've learned on your DegreePlus journey, so a lot of the detail will come through your presentation and your conversation with the audience. Don't feel that you have to include everything on your poster!
If you do need to include a lot of text, find ways to break it up visually. Can you break up a big chunk of text into a couple paragraphs? If so, do it! Can you distill a paragraph to a bulleted list of the most essential elements? If so, even better! Is there an image that would highlight an event you attended? If so, add it!
As long as your poster remains readable, adding color is a great way to draw visitors. The effective use of color can help your poster stand out and, if appropriate colors are selected, can strengthen the tone of your message.
PowerPoint has a number of color themes to choose from, or if you want to experiment, resources like COLOURLovers have user-created color palettes that you can use to customize your poster. Focus your use of color in non-content areas (e.g., box outline and fill on graphs or charts). This use of color will make your poster pop without making it difficult to read.
Don't be afraid of a simple background. In fact, a simple background will be your safest bet! It is tempting to use a graphic for the background of your poster, but it can be very difficult to read text over an image. Aim for maximum contrast between your background and your text. If you have a light background, use dark text, and if you have a dark background, use light text.
For maximum impact, choose different fonts for the header and body of your poster. Select a serif font for your title and a sans serif font for the body. Serif fonts, such as Times New Roman and Garamond, have short lines at the ends of the strokes in a letter (as indicated by the arrows in the images below); sans serif fonts, such as Helvetica and Arial, do not.
Some common font pairings and recommended font sizes can be found below.
Using photos or illustrations on your poster can help convey an important point, break up blocks of text, and add visual appeal. Before adding an image, there are a couple things to keep in mind. First, make sure that the image you use relates to your topic. Second, think about image ownership. If the picture you plan to include is one that you have taken and you have considered the privacy of any individuals included in the photo, then you are fine to include it. However, if you want to include an image created by someone else, it is in your best interest to seek permission to reuse the photo. The reason you would want to seek permission for reuse is because all photographs automatically receive copyright protections the moment they are taken. Do not assume that any photo you find on Google or another search engine is safe for you to use. In fact, assume the opposite is true and operate as if any photo you find online is covered by full copyright protections. If you reuse a copyrighted photo without the permission of the copyright holder, you are infringing on the copyright holder's rights.
All the images you find through the links on the resources page are licensed for varying types of reuse and can be included on your poster without permission from the image creator..
176 Central Drive
Cullowhee, NC 28723
Administration: 828-227-7485
Reference: 828-227-7465
Circulation: 828-227-7485
