Science Literacy (SciL): Creating a Poster

• People will look at your poster from 3 to 10 feet away. Your design should reflect this consideration.

• Use two or fewer fonts throughout the poster.

• Use a clean, simple font (e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman).

• Text should be easy to read at a distance. No text should be smaller than 18 pt. Suggested text sizes:

  • Title: 72+ pt
  • Authors: 48+ pt
  • Text: 24-32 pt
  • References: 18-32 pt

The best posters are logically organized, with a focal point for the reader (often the results and/or discussion). The reader should understand your work without having to ask for an explanation.

• Ensure the reader knows where to start.

• Clear sections can help guide the reader and improve clarity.

• Don't overwhelm your audience with text. Ensure there are ample margins and text is spaced adequately.

• Include a references/bibliography section with citations to whatever sources you reference in your poster, using the APA citation style.
  
  Need help with creating citations? We recommend this site:

Relevant images and graphics can help make your point and add to the readability of your poster.

• Neutral backgrounds are best; readability is easiest with a light background and dark letters. If you use a background image, it should not distract the reader from your message.

• If you include images that you didn’t create yourself, always credit the photographer/creator. If possible, ask for permission to use the image.

• To ensure high quality results, make sure all photos and graphic elements are 300 dpi at 100%. Often, web images have been reduced to 72 dpi and are, therefore, unusable for printed materials.

You should have access to a Powerpoint template through Canvas that can be used for, and will be an appropriate size for, this assignment. Some guidance on using Powerpoint to create your poster:

1. To size your poster: select the Design tab, Slide Size, then Custom Slide Size.

2. A Slide Size window will pop up. Select Custom from the drop-down menu.

3. Fill in the width and height in inches: 30”H x 36”W ” is required for your poster. Pay attention to the slide orientation; your poster should be landscape.

4. Select Ensure Fit.

5. As you begin to build your poster, select the View tab, then Ruler and Gridlines, to assist with placement.

6. Select the Design tab. Choose a background style or Format Background.

7. If you use a picture for the background:

   • View the poster at 100% to check for pixelation

   • Consider adjusting the transparency to minimize reader distraction.

8. Insert graphics (photos, graphs, charts) by selecting the Insert tab, then Picture. 

9. View the graphics at 100% to check these for pixelation. At the View tab, select Zoom.

10. It is best to create charts, graphs, and tables in another program (e.g., Excel), and then insert these as pictures.

11. Once you’ve completed your poster, take a few moments to check the alignment of objects, and to group items. These steps help prevent ‘element creep’ during PDF creation and printing (see File, Save as Adobe PDF).

12. To align and/or group objects: Select the objects. You’ll see a Picture Tools tab; align and group will be available as choices.