Designing a Professional Poster

Have you ever walked up to a poster that looked like an encyclopedia entry? Did you want to stand there and read the entire poster? Of course not! The trick with posters is finding a way to get your information out there without being too wordy. Being concise and explaining your project simply yet completely, is key. Typically, a poster should average about 1,000 words or less, but of course, abide by any guidelines set by your particular conference if there is a word limit.

Your content should guide the design of your poster, but don’t forget about visual appeal.

Fonts

Font choice and size is important to the overall look and readability of your poster. Be consistent with font choice and sizing. For example, all body text should be the same font and size throughout. All header text should be the same font and size throughout.

• Use no more than 2 different fonts on a poster
• Do not use all uppercase letters or small caps
• Left justified text is easiest to read
• A dark font on a light background is easiest to read

There is debate about the use of serif vs sans serif fonts. Some points you may want to consider:

• Serif fonts work well for body text. Serif fonts such as Times New Roman or Georgia have small strokes or “feet” on their ends that make them easier to read when grouped together.
• Sans serif fonts work well for titles and headings. Sans serif fonts such as Arial or Tahoma , are without the small strokes at their ends. Sans serif fonts are modern, minimal, and are good for drawing emphasis.

Font Size

Don't underestimate how font size affects the overall look and feel of your poster. It factors greatly into the readability and approachability of your work. You want to avoid that 'encyclopedia entry' look, right?

Keep in mind that the page/slide/screen you are working on will be blown up X times its current size for the final printout. While it may seem strange to use a 48pt font in the body of your poster, it will look normal when printed out full size.

The final size of your poster will ultimately guide your choice of font sizes, but here are some recommended font sizes to try out by section:

• Title – 80-120pt (Should be readable from 15-20ft away)
• Authors – 60-90pt
• Headings – 44-80pt
• Body text – 32-52pt (Should be readable from 5-6 feet away)
• Captions on tables or photos – 28pt
• References or acknowledgements – 24pt

Layout

Content on a poster is typically arranged in three or four columns and read from top left to bottom right.

3 Column Layout
4-Column Layout

• Section headings can help guide the reader from start to finish. Conference guidelines may require specific headings be included based on the type of poster you are are presenting, such as for research project or a quality improvement project. For example, typical headings for a research project may include Background, Purpose, Methods, Results, Conclusion.

White space is your friend! Allowing for white space (i.e. unused space around an object) not only relaxes the viewer's eye, but draws attention to the important content on your poster. Basically, do not overcrowd the poster with unnecessary text and/or graphics.

Additional Style Tips

• Avoid busy backgrounds - viewers can find them distracting.
  • A light, solid color background with dark font is easiest to read.
  • Accent colors can add visual appeal, but remember to keep it professional looking. There are many online resources that can assist with choosing complementary colors and palettes such as Adobe Color or Color-Hex
  • Even the most stylish poster can be ruined by grammatical and spelling errors, so check and double-check your writing, headings, tables. everything. Printing a poster at full size is expensive and you don't want to have to do it twice!
  • All these awesome tips mean nothing if you don't follow the conference rules. Some organizations are more strict than others, so always check your conference guidelines for size, style, and content specifications.