Use the following tips and tricks for creating and printing a large-format poster. This guide also includes links to resources for step-by-step help. This guide is directed toward UVA and UVA Medical Center faculty, staff, and students. For a consultation about your poster, use the Ask Us form at left.

Choosing a Background/Design

You will create your poster on a single slide in PowerPoint.  You may use a blank slide (and insert UVA logos by hand), or a template (typically has UVa logo embedded) UVa-related slide backgrounds can be found in several places. See the following for slide options:

• UVA Health System - uvahealthbrand.com. Both PowerPoint poster templates and logo image files are available; use the Request an Account link in the upper right to obtain and id and password for this site.
• UVA Brand Central - Logo Toolkit and PowerPoint and Keynote templates. Register to get access to all the available "assets".
• UVA School of Nursing - Approved poster template.
• Other templates: Colin Purrington Poster Design | www.posterpresentations.com | www.makesigns.com

IMPORTANT: set the size of your slide (poster) before you begin adding text or images. If you start out with one size poster and later change the dimensions, your images will be distorted and your text may be out of place. While this can be fixed, it is easier to take care of these steps now. For PowerPoint for Windows, click on Design, then Slide Size, then Custom Slide Size. Enter the Width and Height of your desired poster in inches. A few important tips:

• If you need a poster larger than 56 inches: PowerPoint limits your slide size to 56 inches. However, printers can print larger than that. Simply divide your final height and width by two and use those measurements to design your slide.
  • For example, if you want a 60 in wide by 48 in high poster, enter 30 in for width and 24 for height. Make sure to indicate to the printer what your final size should be.
• If you are using our Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC) printers, you must make one side of the poster 36 or 42 inches.

Adding Text

• Follow any requirements from your conference or poster session organizers about what elements must be on your poster, e.g. Introduction, Methods, Results, etc.
• Adding each section as a single Text Box is a good way to make your content portable and easy to rearrange if you need to move items around on your poster
• Include "white space". Posters should contain content, but also perform much like an advertisement. You want readers to be able to look over the poster and quickly understand the overall message. Your poster should help launch conversation between you and the viewer during your poster session. Be concise with your text where you can, e.g. by using bullets, and space paragraphs for easier browsing.

Adding Photos

• Find Health System photos of individuals and buildings at uvahealthbrand.com; use the Request an Account link in the upper right to obtain and id and password for this site. UVA photos are at UVA Brand Central.

Printing

Before printing, have a friend or colleague proofread your poster. There are several printing options for posters, including UVA-based, local, and mail ordered. In addition, many printers can now print on different surfaces, including fabric. This is just a partial list:

UVA printers

• Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC) (located in MR5)

• UVa Printing and Copying Services

Local (Charlottesville) printers

• ALC Copies

• International Imaging/thinkiii

• PrintSource

• T&N Printing

National printers (some with local offices)

• Staples - choose the blueprint option for very inexpensive posters (under $15!!) in b&w or color, up to 36 x 48 in size

• FedEx Office

• Makesigns.com

Guidance and Instructions

There are many sites with step-by-step instructions on creating a poster in PowerPoint. Some favorites:

• Ten Simple Rules for a Good Poster Presentation. Erren TC, Bourne PE, PLoS Comput Biol. Must read.
• Designing Effective Research Posters. Justin L. Matthews, Ph.D., California State University, Monterey Bay. Concise, modern look at research posters
• How to Create a Research Poster. NYU Libraries. Good overview of basic design principles.
• Creating Scholarly Posters in PowerPoint. UC San Diego Library. Nice walk-through including good design tips.

In addition, if you want to take your poster (and presentations) to the next level, there are some excellent resources with expert guidance on design. See:

• Designing Science Presentations: A Visual Guide to Figures, Papers, Slides, Posters, and MoreAcademic Press (2013). Electronic book by Matt Carter.
• Better Posters: a resource for improving poster presentations. Blog by Zen Faulkes, U Texas Pan-American.
• New! Read about the "#betterposter" and "butter poster" movement (condensing typical scientific posters into only the essential elements and emphasizing graphics)

Additional assistance is available to UVA Health System faculty, staff, and students. Just Ask Us - we are happy to provide help via email, phone, or in-person.