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Biomechanics

Creating Posters

Review the University of Mary poster examples below:

Basic steps on changing settings for posters

A.  Slide set up

  1. Open PowerPoint.
  2. Select blank slide layout – NOTE:  Your poster will be on just ONE slide.
  3. Select the Design tab.
  4. Select "Custom Slide Size." (In older PowerPoint versions, select "Page Setup.")
  5. Under “Slides sized for” use the pull-down arrow to select “custom.”
  6. Set the height and width according to the conference regulations.
    NOTE: PowerPoint only goes to a width of 56 inches.  You can have the printer enlarge your poster as long as the sizing is proportional. (e.g.   48 x 24 will scale to 72 x 36)
  7. Keep the slide orientation as landscape.
  8. Select OK.
    NOTE: It may ask you if you want to scale your content to fit the new slide size. If you haven't added any content to the slide yet, it won't matter which option you choose. If you already have content on the slide, select "Ensure Fit" to make sure that you don't lose anything off the edge of the new slide.
  9. Select View tab.
  10. Check Rulers & Gridlines - this will help you line up text boxes.

B.  Textbox set up

  1. Select Insert tab.
  2. Click Text Box and then click and drag over area on slide where you want the box.  (E.g. The title)
  3. Don’t agonize if it’s not the exact size & in the exact spot.  You can move it & resize it later.
  4. Enter your text and then go back to the Home tab and select center or left align.
  5. Repeat for the other sections of your presentation: Abstract; Introduction; Materials & Methods; Results; Conclusions; Literature Cited; Acknowledgements; Further Information/Contact.
  6. See Design Tips tab in this libguide for font sizes.

C. Inserting Images

To insert an online photo:
  1. Select Insert tab.
  2. Click on the "Pictures" drop down button.
  3. Select "Online Pictures."
  4. In the pop-up box for Bing Image Search, type in a term. (E.g. nurses)
  5. Select as many images as you want, and then click the "Insert" button on the bottom of the page.
    NOTE: Images will likely be far larger than you need when you first insert them. They can be resized and repositioned as needed.

 

Other options for finding safe-use images that are either within the public domain or cleared for general use:

Flickr

  • Will require making a free account.
  • Enter any search terms into the search bar at the top of the site window.
  • In the search results, click on the dropdown that says "Any license" and change it to "No known copyright restrictions".
  • Photos can be sorted based on when they were taken, allowing you to find recent or historical options easily.

Google Images

  1. First do a Google Image search. (Or any Google search and click on "Images" under the search bar on the results page.)
  2. On resulting page, click the Tools option (to the right of the search options), and dropdown options will appear under the suggested searches.
  3. Click on "Usage rights" and make sure “Not filtered by license” is selected.

iStock Photo

An excellent source, if you are willing to pay. Allows for filtering by things as specific as the number, ethnicity, and ages of the people in the photo, among others.

Poster Design Tips

Fonts, Font Size, & Graphic resolutions

  1. Sans Serifs fonts are recommended for posters.

(Serif = distinctive finishing strokes both vertical & horizontal; Sans = without) 

Sans Serif Fonts Arial; Tahoma; Verdana
Serif Fonts Times New Roman; Georgia; Courier New; 
  1. Proportional fonts are easier to read than Monospace fonts.

Proportional fonts use a different horizontal space based on the shape of the letters. For example, "W" vs. "I".

Monospace fonts use the same width for every character, regardless of the shape.

Proportional Fonts

Arial; Times New Roman; Georgia

Monospace Fonts

Courier New
  1. Font size recommendations
    NOTE:  72 points = 1 inch as a general rule
    • Title:  72-120 points
    • Subtitle: 48-80 points
    • Section headers: 36-72 points
    • Text:  24-48 points
  2. Title in Sentence case – lower case are letters easier/faster to read than uppercase.
    NOTE: The conference requirements override this. Go with what's required.
  3. Images & Graphic resolution
    When printing an image, make sure the original file is of high enough quality for the size you intend to print it.
    For example: a 4 x 6 inch image should be a minimum of 720 x 1080 pixels (or 180 ppi - pixels per inch).
    Recommended file types:  PNG, TIF or JPEG.

Background recommendations

  1. Use high contrast between text & background for easier reading. (e.g. black text/white background)
    This free Contrast Checker can be very useful for determining readability.
  2. Be conscious of color schemes that are unreadable by the color blind. (e.g. black & red; green & orange)
  3. Consider what graphics you'll be using and how they will fit with the background. Dark backgrounds will make light graphics stand out, and vice versa.
  4. Digital screens typically use RGB or HEX color codes while printers typically use CYMK color codes. This means what you see on your computer might not translate to exactly what you see on your printed poster. It is a good idea to print a test before printing your final copy.

Poster Evaluation Checklist

 Basics

  • Title and other required sections are present.
  • Complete author affiliation & contact information is included.
  • Conforms to the requirements of the conference where it will be presented.
  • Font is sans-serif.
  • Font is consistent throughout.
  • Spelling and Grammar are correct throughout.
  • Acronyms are defined on first use.
  • Content is appropriate & relevant for audience.

Design

  • All text can be easily read from 4 feet away.
  • Flow of the poster is easy to follow.
  • White space is used well.
  • Section titles are used consistently.
  • Images/graphics are used in place of text whenever possible.
  • Bullet points/lists are used in place of text whenever possible.
  • All images are relevant and necessary to the poster.
  • Charts are correct – i.e. appropriate type for data, data is correct & correctly represented.
  • Text color and background color are significant in contrast for easy reading.
  • Images are clear, not pixilated or blurry.

 Content

  • The “story” of the poster is clear.
  • The content is focused on 2-3 key points.
  • Title is clear & informative of the project.
  • Problem, or clinical question, is identified and explained.
  • Current evidence related to project is listed.
  • Objectives are stated.
  • Methods are described.
  • Results are presented.
  • Conclusions are stated.
  • Implications to practice and to other professions are presented.
  • References are listed.
  • All content is relevant and on the key points.
  • Content is not duplicated in text and graphics.

 Oral Presentation

  • Presenter greets people.
  • Presenter is able to give a concise synopsis of poster.
  • Presenter is able to explain all diagrams and sections.
  • Presenter speaks fluently – i.e. doesn’t stumble, leave sentences/thoughts hanging.
  • Presenter has questions to ask viewers.

There are many tools available to help create the infographic you want. Most are free to users but if you want more access there is a subscription required.