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Creating a PowerPoint Poster
Many people use PowerPoint to create slide
presentations. While this is a popular way of
using PowerPoint, there are other ways to use
PowerPoint. One of these alternatives is using
the program to create posters. Scientists and
researchers often create posters to present their
work at professional conferences. PowerPoint
provides an easy to use but powerful tool for
creating these research posters.
This guide should help you to learn some of the
tools in PowerPoint. For those who have used
PowerPoint in the past, much of this should be a
review, but there are some things that are unique
to a poster project. You should be able to use
the tools mentioned in this guide to help you
create a quality poster.
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Step 1
Getting Started
To open Microsoft PowerPoint Click the Start
Button, All Programs, Microsoft
Office, Microsoft Office PowerPoint
The program will open with a blank slide. Your
first step will be to change the page size.
Imagine a normal PowerPoint slide as a plain
piece of paper you have to make the piece of
paper much bigger.
Click on the File Menu and select Page Setup.
Change the Width and Height settings to create a
2 ft by 3 ft poster. (36 inches x 24 inches)
Make sure the Slide Orientation is set to
Landscape.
Creating a PowerPoint Poster
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Step 2
Learning PowerPoint Tools
There are a few PowerPoint tools that will be
very important as you prepare your poster. Use
the guide below to help you understand each of
the tools.
Rectangle
Oval
Text Box
Word Art
Diagram
Clip Art
Picture
Fill Color
Line Color
Text Color
Text Color
Text Color
Text Color
Line
Arrow
Drawing Toolbar
Insert Item Selections
Item Style Selections
Use these tools to insert any of these items into
your project.
Use these tools change the style (color,
thickness, etc) of the selected item.
Use the AutoShapes options for a large selection
of shapes.
Formatting Toolbar
Bold
Italics
Underline
Shadow
Left
Center
Right
Text Alignment
Font/Size Settings
Text Style
Set Transparent Color
Format Object
Picture Toolbar
Insert Picture
Color
Contrast
Brightness
Crop
Rotate
Line Style
Compress
Recolor
Style Tools
Format Tools
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Step 3
Choosing Appropriate Text Sizes
Many of you may have used PowerPoint in the past.
The tools you use do not change when the page
size is increased, but you have to remember what
the settings are when you create your
poster. One of the most important things to
remember is that the font size you use needs to
be appropriate for a 2 foot by 3 foot page and
you may not always be able to read the text on
the screen. Below is a text size guide and
suggestions for use on your own poster
80 pt 54 pt 44 pt 40 pt 36 pt 28 pt 24 pt 20
pt 18 pt 16 pt 14 pt 12 pt
Title SubTitle SubTitle SubTitle Section
Title Section Title Body Text Body Text Body
Text Captions Captions Captions
Creating a PowerPoint Poster
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Step 4
Using Colors
PowerPoint has many options for setting colors.
You can change font color, line color, fill color
within a shape, or the background color. To
change a color, select any of the color style
tools. Use the color palette or select More
Colors to use the full range of color options.
COLOR WARNING
Not all colors or color combinations are
appropriate for a poster. For example, using a
white background with yellow text is difficult to
read. It is important to select colors that not
only suit your taste but also make your
presentation look good.
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Step 5
Putting it All Together

• Now that you know a little bit more about the
  tools available in PowerPoint, you should feel
  comfortable about putting your poster together.
• Some helpful tips that you might consider while
  creating your poster
• Remember, since you are creating this on the
  computer, experiment with different things. You
  can always Undo or change what you have done
  unlike a traditional posterboard project.
• Use the extra space around the poster to store
  pictures, objects, or text that you have not used
  yet or have not found a place for. Imagine your
  PowerPoint screen as being a large table with
  your poster in the middle. You can move things
  on and off of your poster without deleting them
  altogether.
• Make sure you save, save, save. Remember where
  you have saved your project (you should know
  where that is and have it written down
  somewhere). While you are working in class,
  click the Save button.
• It might seem repetitive to keep
  clicking save, but you will be
• thankful if something happens while you
  are working.
• - Have fun working on your poster. Your project
  should have some of your own special touches.
  Make it your own by being creative and trying
  things you have not tried before.

Creating a PowerPoint Poster
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