How to Make a Poster

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How to Make a Poster

• ??? (Ding-I Yang, Ph.D.)
• ??????
• ???????851?
• ????7386
• E-mail diyang_at_ym.edu.tw

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What makes an ideal poster?

• The ideal poster is designed to (1) attract
  attention (2) provide a brief overview of your
  work and (3) initiate discussion.
• Given these rules, Your poster should cover the
  KEY POINTS of your work. It should NOT attempt to
  include all the details (why not??) you can
  describe them to those who are interested.
• READ THE INSTRUCTIONS supplied by the meeting
  organizers! What would happen if you make a
  poster that does NOT fit the illustrating boards
  at the conference? What if you miss the deadline
  for abstract submission?

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General rules for poster

• Two basic rules to keep in mind
• 1) Artistry does not substitute for content.
• 2) The fancier the poster, the greater the time
  (or money) investment.

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Before attending the conference.

• Carefully prepare your poster well in advance of
  the conference. There will be no time or
  materials available for last-minute preparations
  at the conference. In some occasions, even
  getting your poster printed out can be a problem
  at the last minute.
• Try tacking the poster up before you leave for
  the conference to see what it looks like,
  especially to a large audience.
• If you think you may need certain materials to
  repair the posters after traveling, bring them
  and a disc (or any common data storage device
  like a USB flash drive) with you.

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Before attending the conference.

• Prepare a one-minute pre-poster overview and a
  short presentation (several minutes) that you can
  periodically give to those assembled around your
  poster.
• Rehearse your presentation with peer colleagues
  or your advisor.
• Think about possible questions (and answers) your
  audience may raise.
• If possible, find someone who knows the contents
  of your poster well enough to attend the meeting.

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A word of advice..

• Preparing a poster will take as much time as you
  let it. Allocate your time wisely.
• There are always things that go wrong, so do not
  wait until the last minute to do even a simple
  task.
• This is a public presentation by planning
  carefully, striving to be clear in what you say
  and how you say it, and assuming a professional
  attitude you will avoid making it a public
  spectacle.
• If you have little experience making posters, it
  will take longer (estimate 1 week at the very
  minimum). Too much lead time, however, encourages
  endless fussing about. Do the poster to the best
  of your ability, then go do something else.

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Decide the format of your poster

• You may print out your poster in one large intact
  sheet of paper, which can then be rolled into a
  cylinder for transport. Others use smaller pieces
  of board to frame only the elements of the
  poster, leaving spaces between the elements
  empty.
• Either approach works the former gives a unified
  appearance and is easier to hang straight, while
  the latter is easier to carry to and from the
  meeting. It is also possible, often expensive but
  fancier, to have a commercial house reproduce
  your poster.

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Before making your poster

• Determine the one essential concept you would
  like to get across to the audience.
• Determine the size of the poster (if you had read
  the instructions, you would already know this!).
• Determine if you have all the elements you will
  need for the poster Bits pieces? Poster board,
  glue, razor blades, Band-Aids . . . Data? Do you
  have the data you will need? How much time will
  you need to prepare the data for presentation
  (tables, photographs, etc.)? Outside agencies?
  Does material need to be sent out returned
  (photographic services, collaborators)?
• Re-read your abstract once again-are those
  statements still accurate and updated?

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The contents of your poster

• Title, authors and corresponding affiliations,
  poster number, introduction, materials and
  methods, results in figures and tables,
  discussion, acknowledgements, and so on.
• Design the poster to address one central question
  (or concept, objective) and make a clear
  statement in the poster.
• Provide an explicit take-home message.
• Have an acknowledgements section, in smaller size
  type (14-18 point), where you acknowledge
  contributors and funding organizations.

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Some details for poster preparations

• Since a poster is essentially a visual
  presentation, try to find ways to show, rather
  than describe, what was done. Use schematic
  diagrams, arrows, and other strategies to direct
  the visual attention of the viewer, rather than
  explaining it all using text alone.
• Summarize implications and conclusions briefly,
  and in user-friendly language. You can use
  discussion time to expand upon issues surrounding
  your central theme.
• Do not use school logos on the poster they add a
  useless visual distraction to the poster, and
  indicate a degree of jingoism incompatible with
  scientific endeavors (??).

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Making a poster

• The flow of your poster should be downward in
  columns, starting at the TOP LEFT and ending at
  the BOTTOM RIGHT. Use arrows to lead your viewer
  through the poster.
• Make your poster as self-explanatory as possible.
  This will save your efforts for discussions.
• Use color for highlighting and to make your
  poster more attractive. Think about what attracts
  you to posters and other visual displays. BE
  CREATIVE! Use pictures, diagrams, cartoons,
  figures, etc., rather than text wherever possible.

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Making a poster

• Use text sparingly. Try to state your main result
  in 6 lines or less, in lettering about 15 mm
  high. This size is needed to ensure people can
  read your poster from a distance.
• People do not read a lot of text (especially when
  they are standing after a long-distance walk!),
  and certainly won't read typewriter text. The
  smallest text on your poster should be at least 9
  mm high, and the important points should be in a
  larger size.

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Sketch it out! Make a sketch of the poster
Arrange the contents in a series of 3, 4, or 5
columns. This will facilitate the flow of traffic
past the poster Place the elements of the
poster in position The title will appear
across the top. A
brief introduction (3-5 sentences) will appear at
upper left. Conclusions will appear at lower
right. Methods and Results will fill the
remaining space.
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The Title Banner

• The title of your poster should appear at the
  TOP in CAPITAL letters about 25 mm high. This
  part of the poster includes the title of the
  work, the authors names, the institutional
  affiliations, and the poster number.
• The title banner should be readable from 5-7 m
  away.
• If space permits, include first names for authors
  to facilitate interactions. Middle initials and
  titles are seldom necessary, however.
• Use abbreviations where possible (Univ. and
  University).
• City names, or even states, often may be dropped
  from the institutional affiliations.
• There are seldom rules regarding line
  justification of the title. Determine if you will
  left or center justify the text of the title
  banner once it has been formatted, based upon
  personal preferences and space constraints.
• Refer to your meeting guidelines for more details
  specific to the meeting you plan to attend.

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Illustrations

• The success of a poster directly relates to the
  clarity of the illustrations and tables.
  Self-explanatory graphics should dominate the
  poster.
• A minimal amount of text materials should
  supplement the graphic materials.
• Use regions of empty space between poster
  elements to differentiate and accentuate these
  elements.
• Graphic materials should be visible easily from a
  minimum distance of 2 m. Restrained use of 2-3
  colors for emphasis is valuable overuse is not.

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Poster text

• Double-space all text, using left-justification
  text with even left sides and jagged right sides
  is easiest to read.
• The text should be large enough to be read easily
  from at least 2 m away.
• Section headings (Introduction, Methods, etc.)
  use Boldface, 36 point. Supporting text (Intro
  text, figure captions, etc.) use 24 point
  (boldface, if appropriate).
• If you must include narrative details, keep them
  brief. They should be no smaller than 18 point in
  size, and printed in plain text. Remember that
  posters are not publications of record, and you
  can always come to the session armed with
  handouts.

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Poster Text

• You may consider using a larger size (36 pt) for
  the Conclusion text, and a smaller size (18 pt)
  for Methods text.
• Attempt to fit blocks of text onto a single page.
  This simplifies cutting and pasting when you
  assemble the poster.
• For the same reason, consider using 11 x 14 inch
  paper in the landscape mode when printing text
  blocks on laser printers.
• Other options for fonts include Helvetica, Arial,
  Geneva, Times New Roman, Palatino, Century
  Schoolbook, Courier, and Prestige. Note that
  these fonts represent a range of letter spacing
  and letter heights. Keep in mind that characters
  without curlicues or other embellishments are
  easiest to read.
• Finally, be consistent. Choose one font and then
  use it throughout the poster. Add emphasis by
  using boldface, underlining, or color italics
  are difficult to read.

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The Poster's Background

• Pay attention to contrast between background
  color and text or figures. The choice of a
  background (and complement) color is up to you.
  The general consensus, however, is that softer
  colors (pastels, grays) work best as a background
  - they are easiest to view for hours at a time,
  and offer the best contrast for text, graphic,
  and photographic elements.
• Some people use pieces of mat board to make a
  solid background for the entire poster. They may
  then choose to use a complementary color as a
  border for important elements of the poster.

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At the conference meeting

• Boards and push tacks will be provided for all
  poster sessions to tack your poster to the board.
  Make sure the size and style (in landscape or in
  portrait) of your poster is correct beforehand.
• If you are giving an oral presentation, make sure
  your slides are ready and give to the organizer
  of the meeting upon your arrival. Bring your own
  pointer. Although a movie can be quite
  attractive, it often causes a lot of trouble
  especially when you are not using your own
  notebook. Try to avoid it.
• If your equipment needs change (for example, your
  file is in Mac while the conference provides PC
  notebook) prior to the conference, please notify
  your Session Chair and a member of the conference
  committee.

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At the conference meeting

• The short presentation you prepared can be
  periodically given to those assembled around your
  poster. Be ready to give it several times as
  people move through the area. Plan to spend the
  entire session at your poster.
• If possible, more than one author should attend
  the session to aid in the presentations and
  discussion, and to provide the main presenter
  with a chance to rest, and to answer questions.
• You may bring additional small battery-operated
  audio or visual aids to enhance your
  presentation. Please indicate your needs on the
  enclosed Audiovisual Request Form.

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Some additional comments

• Vary the size and spacing of the poster sections
  to add visual interest, but do so in moderation.
• Do not wander too far away from your poster
  during the session be available for discussion!
• Don't leave your poster unattended anywhere -
  including your hotel room! Anything could happen
  so dont take any risks.
• Many posters from drier climates warped
  wrinkled in the humidity. Protect your poster in
  a container.
• Pay attention to the printing quality for your
  poster.
• In case your poster has been published prior to
  the meeting, you may bring the reprints for those
  who are interested in your work.
• You can certainly take a picture of yourself with
  your own poster. However, it is very impolite to
  take photographs on others posters.