Poster Design Top Tips

Size

Poster boards measure 100cm wide by 200cm high (portrait orientation). Printed poster size A0 in portrait (not landscape) will fit the boards.

General guidance notes

These notes are intended to be suggestions for guidance only.

A poster should be self-contained and self-explanatory.  Presentations should be kept simple and clear and a mixture of text and graphics is recommended.

Here are some examples:

Nature – Conference presentations: leading the poster parade

Pinterest Examples of Award Winning Scientific Posters

Illustrations

Figures should be designed to be viewed from a distance and should use clear, visible graphics and large type.  Each figure or table should have a heading of one or two lines.  Additional essential information should be provided below in a legend.  Photographs should have good contrast, sharp focus and, if necessary, an indication of scale.

Text

We suggest using: minimum narrative, large type face in short, separated paragraphs.  Numbered or bulleted lists are effective ways to convey a series of points.  It is advisable to avoid setting entire paragraphs in uppercase (all capitals) or boldface type as this can be very difficult to read.

Titles and Fonts

Titles and captions are easier to read when kept short and typeface is in a sans serif font such as Arial.  Use large lettering as this means a number of people can read the poster from a distance without overcrowding.  Remember to caption your poster with the abstract title, authors’ names and affiliations.

Headings should be a minimum of 50 point size

Text of content - ideally 25 point size sans serif typeface(eg Arial)