A research poster is a popular means to communicate research information to a general audience. The best posters combine a general summary of the research with tables, graphs, and photos/images that will enlighten the reader and hopefully generate discussion.

Before you begin to work on a poster, you need to answer these questions:

1. What is the key message from the research that you want to highlight to an audience?

• If you have many points, pick the top three and KEEP IT SIMPLE!

2. Who will be the audience at the Conference/Poster Session?

• Who your audience is should determine how you present the poster. Graduate or undergraduate students? Research faculty or general public? Keep in mind that not everyone will be as familiar with the subject, so your text should reflect this.

3. Along with text, what visual components (graphs, images, etc) do you need to support the poster theme?

• Are these OK to be reproduced in a poster? To search for copyright-cleared images, see Creative Commons Licenses.

4. What size should your poster be?

• Some conferences have strict space limits for poster sessions. They often provide a maximum space size where your poster will be displayed.

5. What software do you want to create the poster with?

• Consider what software you have access to and whether you are willing to learn a new program. Microsoft Powerpoint is a program you may already be familiar with, and which can be learned fairly quickly. However, as Powerpoint does not support vector graphics, it is best to use it only if your images are large and of high quality, to prevent pixilation when printing.
• Adobe inDesign and Illustrator can also be used. Adobe inDesign is a layout program for print that may present a steeper learning curve for some users. Illustrator can also be an effective program for creating posters, however it does not contain a spell check.
• Canva is a freely available option that includes some paid content, and is particularly good for creating infographics and image-based content.

Prezi and video design by Julie Lacalamita. Content by Rob Brown.

It is easy to design a great looking poster using a simple program like PPT. Here are the steps:

1. Open the PPT program and choose blank presentation: 

2.a. MAC: Select the Design tab, then select "Slide Size," then Page Set from the drop down menu. 

You can specify slide size here - typical posters are 36" x 24" (90cm x 60cm): 

Ensure that you retain the existing scale:

Return to the "Home" tab and select "Slide Layout." Choose the Blank option as this gives you the most control for design. You are able to insert text boxes and images easily.

Video by Vasco Elbrecht, Ruhr-Universität Bochum. 

Note: Students can access Microsoft Powerpoint via the computers in the Library.

Note: Adobe Creative Suite is available to students in the Library's Makerspace.

A big thanks to UTM Librarian Andrew Nicholson for letting me re-use content from his Posters Guide.