1.what makes a good poster?
There are many things that can make a good poster: for example real and detailed information and a great background. To improve the poster we can use images, colors and special effects that can help to drive the attention of the public. First of all to make a good poster you have to define your purpose, your ideas must be clear and well-structured as the information that you give. Then, you have to think of how you will present your poster, in which font you are going to write your title (which is the base of your poster) and how are you going to present it to your audience. Everything on the poster should help convey the message, you must think at every single detail and aspect of your poster. Your poster should also reflect your personality.
2. how will I structure my poster?
My poster will be easily structured so that it will be fine for all age ranges. It will have a colorful background which will be in contrast with the title. The title will be in a big font and I will use the “X” of the x-factor logo as part of the poster because I think that this is a great idea to show what is the event about, integrating the main image in the poster. About the ISM logo and other images, I think that I will put the images of the three judges and I will put the ISM logo in the low right corner.
3. what materials will I need?
In my opinion I think that I won’t need a lot of materials, because my poster is written on a piece of paper and I think that the only material that will be useful for my project is a “ rectangle poster” which matches with the background of my x-factor poster.
4. how will I catch the attention of the audience?
Designing an eye-catching poster is not so easy. To design an eye-catching poster I should use a focal point, use all space effectively, use good quality of images and illustrations, keep it simple and use bright colors. About the focal point, a good poster has to have a clear aim and purpose. That aim can be to draw attention, advertise something, demonstrate or create an impression. Is really essential to use all space effectively, you have to plan where are the images and texts going, a common mistake is to start on the corner because you think that you won’t have enough space to write everything you have to. Finally, obviously bright colors help to catch the attention of the audience because they attract the public.
5. will I put any pictures in my poster?
Sure. My poster won’t be full of images because too many images confuse the audience, but the right quantity can help to better understand my aim. I will put three images of the three judges and I’ll personally take them when I meet the three judges around the school. Other two images will be the x-factor and ism logo which will help me to let the audience understand what is this event about.
6. who will I talk with in order to find information regarding the event?
To find detailed and real information about the event I will talk to miss. Daykin and I’ll also ask her to tell me a few names of the people who are joining in this event so that I’ll have more information and different point of view about this event.
7. what information do I need to include?
There are a few information that I must include and they
are: the place, the time, the event name and that there will be aperitivi served. I will also add the names of the three judges because I think that they cover an important role in this event. Usually to make a good poster you should include a statement of the project description, how you conducted the project, results or findings of the project, and a summary tying in your reflection component, but in this case all these steps aren’t so necessary.
8. which sources of information will I consult?
To create the poster I’ll consult a high range of sources, I’ve already planned that I’ll look at some examples of good poster which present talent shows or singing academies. I will look at websites where there are rules on how to structure a good poster, what shall I include and what are the most eye-catching colors to use.
9. in which way I will help the community throughout this project?
I’ll help the community and in particular the school because thanks to my project, I’ll try to bring as much people as I can to the show, and this will be the success of the event.
10. How can my poster be well designed?
A well designed poster must be well planned. To do a well-designed poster you have to think about what is going where, you have to take in consideration the balance between the information and images because there mustn’t be too much text or too many images. You should never leave any blank space or use copyright images. If your poster has a great background, is colorful, eye-catching, it has the right amount of text and images and the right colors, then you’re sure that it’ll be successful.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Source 1: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1876493/
Source 2: http://www.sou.edu/AAASPD/PosterPrep.html
Source 3: http://www.vri.cz/userfiles/file/hide/GRP/09_Presenting_posters.pdf
Source 4: http://www.audidesignfoundation.org/articles/poster-design.html
Source 5: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/pe/
Source 6: http://www.google.it/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CDgQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Flangues.univ-lyon2.fr%2Fsites%2Flangues%2FIMG%2Fdoc%2FHow_to_Design_a_Great_Poster.doc&ei=lZaQUsiGA8bH7AbvroDQAw&usg=AFQjCNF5vfPuJAJRA_MihJEj4zYiruC-lA&sig2=P8O_hchJsSx6Fghkprn40A
Source 7: http://www.waspacegrant.org/for_students/student_internships/wsgc_internships/posterdesign.html
Source 8: http://elbowroomdesign.com/musings/610/how-to-design-a-good-poster/
Miss Daykin
Two students joining in the event
SOURCE 1: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1876493/
Posters are a key component of communicating your science and an important element in a successful scientific career. Posters, while delivering the same high-quality science, offer a different medium from either oral presentations [1] or published papers [2], and should be treated accordingly. Posters should be considered a snapshot of your work intended to engage colleagues in a dialog about the work, or, if you are not present, to be a summary that will encourage the reader to want to learn more. Many a lifelong collaboration [3] has begun in front of a poster board. Here are ten simple rules for maximizing the return on the time-consuming process of preparing and presenting an effective poster.
Rule 1: Define the Purpose
The purpose will vary depending on the status and nature of the work being presented, as well as the intent. Some posters are designed to be used again and again; for example, those making conference attendees aware of a shared resource. Others will likely be used once at a conference and then be relegated to the wall in the laboratory. Before you start preparing the poster, ask yourself the following questions: What do you want the person passing by your poster to do? Engage in a discussion about the content? Learn enough to go off and want to try something for themselves? Want to collaborate? All the above, or none of the above but something else? Style your poster accordingly.
Rule 2: Sell Your Work in Ten Seconds
Some conferences will present hundreds of posters; you will need to fight for attention. The first impressions of your poster, and to a lesser extent what you might say when standing in front of it, are crucial. It is analogous to being in an elevator and having a few seconds to peak someone's interest before they get off. The sad truth is that you have to sell your work. One approach is to pose your work as addressing a decisive question, which you then address as best you can. Once you have posed the question, which may well also be the motivation for the study, the focus of your poster should be on addressing that question in a clear and concise way.
Rule 3: The Title Is Important
The title is a good way to sell your work. It may be the only thing the conference attendee sees before they reach your poster. The title should make them want to come and visit. The title might pose a decisive question, define the scope of the study, or hint at a new finding. Above all, the title should be short and comprehensible to a broad audience. The title is your equivalent of a newspaper headline—short, sharp, and compelling.
Rule 4: Poster Acceptance Means Nothing
Do not take the acceptance of a poster as an endorsement of your work. Conferences need attendees to be financially viable. Many attendees who are there on grants cannot justify attending a conference unless they present. There are a small number of speaking slots compared with attendees. How to solve the dilemma? Enter posters; this way everyone can present. In other words, your poster has not been endorsed, just accepted. To get endorsement from your peers, do good science and present it well on the poster.
Rule 5: Many of the Rules for Writing a Good Paper Apply to Posters, Too
Identify your audience and provide the appropriate scope and depth of content. If the conference includes nonspecialists, cater to them. Just as the abstract of a paper needs to be a succinct summary of the motivation, hypothesis to be tested, major results, and conclusions, so does your poster.
Rule 6: Good Posters Have Unique Features Not Pertinent to Papers
The amount of material presented in a paper far outweighs what is presented on a poster. A poster requires you to distill the work, yet not lose the message or the logical flow. Posters need to be viewed from a distance, but can take advantage of your presence. Posters can be used as a distribution medium for copies of associated papers, supplementary information, and other handouts. Posters allow you to be more speculative. Often only the titles or at most the abstracts of posters can be considered published; that is, widely distributed. Mostly, they may never be seen again. There is the opportunity to say more than you would in the traditional literature, which for all intents and purposes will be part of the immutable record. Take advantage of these unique features.
Rule 7: Layout and Format Are Critical
Pop musician Keith Richards put the matter well in an interview with Der Spiegel [4]: “If you are a painter, then the most important thing is the bare canvas. A good painter will never cover all the space but will always leave some blank. My canvas is silence.” Your canvas as poster presenter is also white space. Guide the passerby's eyes from one succinct frame to another in a logical fashion from beginning to end. Unlike the literature, which is linear by virtue of one page following another, the reader of a poster is free to wander over the pages as if they are tacked to the poster board in a random order. Guide the reader with arrows, numbering, or whatever else makes sense in getting them to move from one logical step to another. Try to do this guiding in an unusual and eye-catching way. Look for appropriate layouts in the posters of others and adopt some of their approaches. Finally, never use less than a size 24 point font, and make sure the main points can be read at eye level.
Rule 8: Content Is Important, but Keep It Concise
Everything on the poster should help convey the message. The text must conform to the norms of sound scientific reporting: clarity, precision of expression, and economy of words. The latter is particularly important for posters because of their inherent space limitations. Use of first-rate pictorial material to illustrate a poster can sometimes transform what would otherwise be a bewildering mass of complex data into a coherent and convincing story. One carefully produced chart or graph often says more than hundreds of words. Use graphics for “clear portrayal of complexity” [5], not to impress (and possibly bewilder) viewers with complex artistry. Allow a figure to be viewed in both a superficial and a detailed way. For example, a large table might have bold swaths of color indicating relative contributions from different categories, and the smaller text in the table would provide gritty details for those who want them. Likewise, a graph could provide a bold trend line (with its interpretation clearly and concisely stated), and also have many detailed points with error bars. Have a clear and obvious set of conclusions—after the abstract, this is where the passerby's eyes will wander. Only then will they go to the results, followed by the methods.
Rule 9: Posters Should Have Your Personality
A poster is a different medium from a paper, which is conventionally dry and impersonal. Think of your poster as an extension of your personality. Use it to draw the passerby to take a closer look or to want to talk to you. Scientific collaboration often starts for reasons other than the shared scientific interest, such as a personal interest. A photo of you on the poster not only helps someone find you at the conference when you are not at the poster, it can also be used to illustrate a hobby or an interest that can open a conversation.
Rule 10: The Impact of a Poster Happens Both During and After the Poster Session
When the considerable effort of making a poster is done, do not blow it on presentation day by failing to have the poster achieve maximum impact. This requires the right presenter–audience interaction. Work to get a crowd by being engaging; one engaged viewer will attract others. Don't badger people, let them read. Be ready with Rule 2. Work all the audience at once, do not leave visitors waiting for your attention. Make eye contact with every visitor.
Make it easy for a conference attendee to contact you afterward. Have copies of relevant papers on hand as well as copies of the poster on standard-sized paper. For work that is more mature, have the poster online and make the URL available as a handout. Have your e-mail and other demographics clearly displayed. Follow up with people who come to the poster by having a signup sheet.
The visitor is more likely to remember you than the content of your poster. Make yourself easy to remember. As the host of the work presented on the poster, be attentive, open, and curious, and self-confident but never arrogant and aggressive. Leave the visitors space and time—they can “travel” through your poster at their own discretion and pace. If a visitor asks a question, talk simply and openly about the work. This is likely your opportunity to get feedback on the work before it goes to publication. Better to be tripped up in front of your poster than by a reviewer of the manuscript.
Good posters and their presentations can improve your reputation, both within and outside your working group and institution, and may also contribute to a certain scientific freedom. Poster prizes count when peers look at your resume.
These ten rules will hopefully help you in preparing better posters. For a more humorous view on what not to do in preparing a poster, see , and for further information, including the opportunity to practice your German, see .
The Poster Session: A Guide for Preparation
By Carol Waite Connor, U.S. Geological Survey
Author’s Note: This text, essentially as presented here, was submitted to the editor of the new USGS Suggestions to Authors (Hansen, in press) and will be included, as modified by the editor, in that volume. Because of the unusual number of recent requests for this material, it has been released as USGS Open-File Report 88-667 to make it immediately available.
Introduction
The primary purpose of a poster or oral presentation at a scientific meeting is communication of information and ideas to one’s colleagues. The poster format has become an increasingly popular form of communication. At AAPG and GSA annual meetings between 1977 and 1988, the number of poster sessions has risen from less than 10% to about 40% of total presentations. There are a number of reasons for this popularity. Although most material could be presented either orally or in poster format, some material particularly lends itself to graphic presentation. Many authors prefer informal individual discussions with their illustrative material at hand to the prospect of speaking to a large audience in a formal setting. Authors and viewers alike find the opportunity to exchange ideas freely and at length to be rewarding. Viewers appreciate being able to take a quick walk past a large number of presentations (no captive audiences here!) getting the gist of a lot of science, and then returning to the displays they find of greatest interest.
Abstracts for poster presentations are published along with those for oral presentations, and carry the same prestige. Most scientific meetings now allow abstracts to be submitted for either an oral presentation or a poster presentation. At the larger 3- and 4-day meetings, poster sessions commonly run for a half-day each; authors are present during a specific period, generally at least 2 hours. During each of these half-day sessions there may be 30-80 posters displayed, so competition for attention is keen. At smaller gatherings a single group of posters may be shown during the entire meeting.
Abstracts for poster presentations are published along with those for oral presentations, and carry the same prestige. Most scientific meetings now allow abstracts to be submitted for either an oral presentation or a poster presentation. At the larger 3- and 4-day meetings, poster sessions commonly run for a half-day each; authors are present during a specific period, generally at least 2 hours. During each of these half-day sessions there may be 30-80 posters displayed, so competition for attention is keen. At smaller gatherings a single group of posters may be shown during the entire meeting.
The Poster
As poster sessions are a fairly recent innovation, participants have had few guidelines to help them produce an excellent poster. They have mostly learned, in the typically scientific fashion, by observation: good science, uncluttered and colorful design, legibility and brevity of text, and straightforward organization equal a good poster.
The sponsoring society should inform the author of the specific location of the display area (by map and/or number designation) and the size and orientation of the display boards. Commonly, individual display areas have tack board mounted horizontally at eye level and measuring 4’ x 8’ or slightly less. Three boards of this size, forming a booth, are not uncommon. Occasional vertical placement of the display boards by the organizers makes design of a poster difficult because so much of the area is well above or below eye level, and should be discouraged. It is imperative that an author know the dimensions of the display boards, and whether they are horizontal or vertical, before designing a poster. The author should call the sponsoring society if it does not provide this information along with notification of acceptance of the abstract. It is also helpful to know the color of the display boards to avoid a color clash with the poster material.
As a general rule, allow six weeks of discontinuous work to prepare an attractive poster. This allows time to take photos or order photo enlargements, gather all materials, and actually execute the poster.
New and exciting ideas based on sound research can draw deserved recognition through a well-written abstract and an eye-catching poster design. Scientists must recognize that participants at a scientific meeting have probably not had the opportunity to read a particular abstract before they walk into the display area. Attention will invariably be drawn to posters with a crisp, clean design and a snappy title. The title must have this strolling audience in mind. It helps to think of a title as a newspaper headline vying for attention. Once the viewer has come to take a closer look at an interesting-looking display, all aspects of the design and the science work together to keep, or lose, the viewer’s attention.
The sponsoring society should inform the author of the specific location of the display area (by map and/or number designation) and the size and orientation of the display boards. Commonly, individual display areas have tack board mounted horizontally at eye level and measuring 4’ x 8’ or slightly less. Three boards of this size, forming a booth, are not uncommon. Occasional vertical placement of the display boards by the organizers makes design of a poster difficult because so much of the area is well above or below eye level, and should be discouraged. It is imperative that an author know the dimensions of the display boards, and whether they are horizontal or vertical, before designing a poster. The author should call the sponsoring society if it does not provide this information along with notification of acceptance of the abstract. It is also helpful to know the color of the display boards to avoid a color clash with the poster material.
As a general rule, allow six weeks of discontinuous work to prepare an attractive poster. This allows time to take photos or order photo enlargements, gather all materials, and actually execute the poster.
New and exciting ideas based on sound research can draw deserved recognition through a well-written abstract and an eye-catching poster design. Scientists must recognize that participants at a scientific meeting have probably not had the opportunity to read a particular abstract before they walk into the display area. Attention will invariably be drawn to posters with a crisp, clean design and a snappy title. The title must have this strolling audience in mind. It helps to think of a title as a newspaper headline vying for attention. Once the viewer has come to take a closer look at an interesting-looking display, all aspects of the design and the science work together to keep, or lose, the viewer’s attention.
Science
Obviously, the story to be told should be interesting and the research should be sound. However, the ideas need not be uncontroversial. Work that encompasses or might interest other disciplines, or has broad application and/or implications, is the type most likely to be accepted for inclusion in a poster session and receive considerable feedback.
A common criticism of poster sessions is that the author attempts to tell the entire research history. Present only enough data to support your conclusions. However, modesty is not a particular virtue; you should make the significance and originality of the work very clear because viewers from other specialties may not be aware of its importance.
A common criticism of poster sessions is that the author attempts to tell the entire research history. Present only enough data to support your conclusions. However, modesty is not a particular virtue; you should make the significance and originality of the work very clear because viewers from other specialties may not be aware of its importance.
Design
The subject of design is complex, and any rule can be broken creatively and pleasingly by one with an artistic flair. There are suggestions, however, that generally will make a poster more accessible, attractive, and interesting.
1. At first glance from 10-15 feet away the viewer should see an easy-to-read title and an uncluttered, neat arrangement of photos and/or illustrations and text. It should be obvious where to start inspecting the poster and where to go from there (generally left to right, top to bottom). As this progression is vital, the component parts should either be numbered to facilitate this or have arrows that graphically lead the viewer through the display. (Figure 1)
2. Leave some open space in the design. The same rule applies as in packing a suitcase: when you’re finished, take out half. Tightly packed space tires the eye and the mind.
3. Use elements of different sizes and proportions. Same-size and same-proportioned components result in a boring design. For areas of particular emphasis try different shapes to attract the viewer’s attention. (Figure 2)
4. A large and/or bright center of interest can draw the eye to the most important aspect of the poster—a simplified, bold cross-section illustrating a structural feature, a colorful paleogeographic map, a blowup of a photo of a new species, or a large outcrop photo illustrating depositional environments. Color poster prints, 12" x 18" or 20" x 30", can be ordered from photographic slides or negatives for a modest price at most photo shops.
1. At first glance from 10-15 feet away the viewer should see an easy-to-read title and an uncluttered, neat arrangement of photos and/or illustrations and text. It should be obvious where to start inspecting the poster and where to go from there (generally left to right, top to bottom). As this progression is vital, the component parts should either be numbered to facilitate this or have arrows that graphically lead the viewer through the display. (Figure 1)
2. Leave some open space in the design. The same rule applies as in packing a suitcase: when you’re finished, take out half. Tightly packed space tires the eye and the mind.
3. Use elements of different sizes and proportions. Same-size and same-proportioned components result in a boring design. For areas of particular emphasis try different shapes to attract the viewer’s attention. (Figure 2)
4. A large and/or bright center of interest can draw the eye to the most important aspect of the poster—a simplified, bold cross-section illustrating a structural feature, a colorful paleogeographic map, a blowup of a photo of a new species, or a large outcrop photo illustrating depositional environments. Color poster prints, 12" x 18" or 20" x 30", can be ordered from photographic slides or negatives for a modest price at most photo shops.
Figure 1. Two methods of leading viewer through a poster: numbers, arrows.
Figure 2. Attention-getting curved shape and lines.
5. Enlarge all photos enough for pertinent details to be clearly evident.
6. Make all illustrations simple and bold. Leave out any unnecessary detail in the story being presented.
7. Convert tabular material to a graphic display, if possible. Try scatter plots, bar graphs, or triangular diagrams.
8. The inclusion of actual rocks or fossils is a nice touch. They can be fastened to poster board with silicone glue. Alternatively, if a table is included in the display area, specimens can be put there.
9. Make a scale drawing of your layout. Have a few colleagues comment on the overall design before final drafting. If you have access to professional drafting personnel, ask for their suggestions.
10. The main tenet of good poster design: simplicity.
6. Make all illustrations simple and bold. Leave out any unnecessary detail in the story being presented.
7. Convert tabular material to a graphic display, if possible. Try scatter plots, bar graphs, or triangular diagrams.
8. The inclusion of actual rocks or fossils is a nice touch. They can be fastened to poster board with silicone glue. Alternatively, if a table is included in the display area, specimens can be put there.
9. Make a scale drawing of your layout. Have a few colleagues comment on the overall design before final drafting. If you have access to professional drafting personnel, ask for their suggestions.
10. The main tenet of good poster design: simplicity.
Figure 3. Examples of type size.
Lettering, Line Weights, and Color; Computer Printouts
All lettering should be legible from five feet away. The over-40 crowd should not have to put on reading glasses. The minimum type size should be no less than 18-point, and the style should be bold or semi-bold in simple, clean looking type (Figure 3). The title lettering should be the largest, about 2"-3", with subheadings �" – 1" high. Office and art supply stores have a wide variety of stick-on and rub-on individual letters in various colors and sizes which are ideal for titles and subheadings. The sponsoring organization may indicate it will prepare the title, but take along your own in case theirs is too small, as usually is the case. For material other than titles and subheadings, capitals and lower-case letters in combination are much easier to read than all capitals (Figure 4). Text material can be typed at about 12-point, then enlarged on a copying machine to as large as 24-point without significant loss of clarity if a carbon ribbon and a clean type element have been used. This is an inexpensive method of producing very neat-looking text material (Figure 5). The typed material may also be enlarged photographically.
Figure 4. Legibility of upper-case letters alone compared with combined upper- and lower-case letters.
A professional appearance can be obtained by use of a lettering machine that produces strips of stick-on text. These lines of text, in the final size, are applied to plain white paper and then photographed so that the tape does not show.
Both typed lettering and stick-on lettering can be combined with black and white line drawings before the final copy (copy machine enlargement or photograph) is made. Line drawings—maps, diagrams, fossils, cross-sections, etc.—should use a line weight that will be no thinner than 0.70 mm (#2 pen) in the final product. Bolder lines are preferable. Keep the drawing simple and leave out all extraneous details.
Color is as complex a subject as design, and it is not possible to give any set rules. Some authors prefer soft muted colors; others like deep or very bright ones. Any type can be used attractively, within some constraints. The temptation is to use color everywhere—don’t. The viewer’s eye will jump erratically around the poster instead of tracking through it to the crucial points. The less important parts of the poster—the necessary background information, the supporting data—will seem to recede into the background if done in cool or cool-neutral colors (blues, greens, and some grays). The featured parts can be highlighted by using warm colors (reds and yellows), or black if the background colors are soft, or white if the background colors are bright or deep. In choosing colors be aware that lighting in the display area may not be optimal.
Both typed lettering and stick-on lettering can be combined with black and white line drawings before the final copy (copy machine enlargement or photograph) is made. Line drawings—maps, diagrams, fossils, cross-sections, etc.—should use a line weight that will be no thinner than 0.70 mm (#2 pen) in the final product. Bolder lines are preferable. Keep the drawing simple and leave out all extraneous details.
Color is as complex a subject as design, and it is not possible to give any set rules. Some authors prefer soft muted colors; others like deep or very bright ones. Any type can be used attractively, within some constraints. The temptation is to use color everywhere—don’t. The viewer’s eye will jump erratically around the poster instead of tracking through it to the crucial points. The less important parts of the poster—the necessary background information, the supporting data—will seem to recede into the background if done in cool or cool-neutral colors (blues, greens, and some grays). The featured parts can be highlighted by using warm colors (reds and yellows), or black if the background colors are soft, or white if the background colors are bright or deep. In choosing colors be aware that lighting in the display area may not be optimal.
Figure 5. Typed text enlarged on copying machine to approximately 24-point size.
Colors should be applied to black and white drawings after they are photocopied unless the cost of color printing is no object. Transparent or opaque sheets of stick-on color (use non-glare, matte-finish type) provide the most even shading. Colored stick-on tape comes in widths up to 2". The flexible kind can be used for line work. The standard kind is perfect for bar graphs and histograms, for borders, and as leaders from one element of the poster to another. Colored stick-on dots, squares, and triangles are available in various sizes. Large arrows can be cut from stick-on tape or from stick-on color sheets.
"Reverse-color" photo prints make a striking poster. These prints have colors the reverse of what were used on the original drawing. White background becomes black, black lines become white, red becomes blue, etc. A chart showing original colors to use to obtain the desired reverse may be acquired from some photographic studios, or advice may be sought from drafting shops or colleagues experienced in drafting for reverse-color prints or slides.
A computer is an excellent tool for preparing text material for posters. However, standard computer printouts are poor material for posters. The standard type size is too small and the line weight is too thin. If printouts must be used, enlargement can improve legibility of tabular material, and addition of color and enhancement of lines with stick-on tape can enliven graphics. Although standard computer printouts are not recommended for use on posters, illustrations using some computer graphics programs can be very effective, providing the guidelines on type size, line weights, and color are followed. Once the design is complete, it may be printed out in color or the screen itself may be photographed. Consult your local expert on computer graphics for details of the available system.
"Reverse-color" photo prints make a striking poster. These prints have colors the reverse of what were used on the original drawing. White background becomes black, black lines become white, red becomes blue, etc. A chart showing original colors to use to obtain the desired reverse may be acquired from some photographic studios, or advice may be sought from drafting shops or colleagues experienced in drafting for reverse-color prints or slides.
A computer is an excellent tool for preparing text material for posters. However, standard computer printouts are poor material for posters. The standard type size is too small and the line weight is too thin. If printouts must be used, enlargement can improve legibility of tabular material, and addition of color and enhancement of lines with stick-on tape can enliven graphics. Although standard computer printouts are not recommended for use on posters, illustrations using some computer graphics programs can be very effective, providing the guidelines on type size, line weights, and color are followed. Once the design is complete, it may be printed out in color or the screen itself may be photographed. Consult your local expert on computer graphics for details of the available system.
Text
The text material included on a poster should be extremely brief or most of the audience will walk away. Some authors like to include the full abstract as part of the poster, but they should not rely on its being read. More successful is placement of a succinct statement of major conclusions at the beginning of the poster—perhaps as an expanded subtitle. The supporting text is then presented in brief segments along with appropriate illustrations, and the significance of the findings is made forcefully and concisely clear at the end. Aim for the "Wow!" from the viewer. Handouts of the abstract may be made available for interested viewers.
Mounting, Packaging, Displaying
All poster elements should be mounted with an adhesive on poster board or on 1/8" foam-core board so that they will lie flat. A cleaner look is achieved if the caption is mounted on the same board as the illustration. A half-inch or so of the colored poster board extending beyond the edge of an illustration attractively frames it. Select the mounting color carefully so that it does not overpower the picture. Illustrations mounted on the white foam-core board can be edged with colored stick-on tape.
Posters often have to be taken to distant meetings. If you know you may be flying, make the poster elements small enough to package with the carry-on dimensions (generally 17" x 22; call the airline to be sure) to avoid the panic of lost luggage.
You may have only a short time to set up your display, so prepare for this in advance. Have these items in a poster emergency kit: tape measure, 9’ length of string, box of clear push-pins (get longer than standard ones if mounted illustrations are thicker than 1/8") or box of dressmakers’ round-headed pins, ordinary thumb tacks, roll of double-stick tape, scissors, glue, package of tissue paper. Have a sketch of the poster layout, with positions of a few key components measured off so you know where to place them. Set up a level line, if needed, by tying the string between two push-pins set a measured distance above the bottom of the display board. The poster elements can be fastened to the board without visible attachments as shown in Figure 6, or can be attached with the pins, or with lots of double-stick tape. When you remove the display, if you’ve used the double-stick tape, put a sheet of tissue paper between the components when stacking them to keep them from sticking together.
Posters often have to be taken to distant meetings. If you know you may be flying, make the poster elements small enough to package with the carry-on dimensions (generally 17" x 22; call the airline to be sure) to avoid the panic of lost luggage.
You may have only a short time to set up your display, so prepare for this in advance. Have these items in a poster emergency kit: tape measure, 9’ length of string, box of clear push-pins (get longer than standard ones if mounted illustrations are thicker than 1/8") or box of dressmakers’ round-headed pins, ordinary thumb tacks, roll of double-stick tape, scissors, glue, package of tissue paper. Have a sketch of the poster layout, with positions of a few key components measured off so you know where to place them. Set up a level line, if needed, by tying the string between two push-pins set a measured distance above the bottom of the display board. The poster elements can be fastened to the board without visible attachments as shown in Figure 6, or can be attached with the pins, or with lots of double-stick tape. When you remove the display, if you’ve used the double-stick tape, put a sheet of tissue paper between the components when stacking them to keep them from sticking together.
Figure 6. A method of invisibly attaching poster components to display board.
The Alternative Poster
The professional-looking poster discussed above has an attractive counterpart. The artistically-inclined scientist can make a poster by sketching it entirely by hand. This has to follow the same science and design guidelines as previously described, but is produced with colored felt-tip pens on poster board of pleasing complementary or neutral color. Text material (a minimum of 18-point type) is easy to do by hand with felt markers if there are lightly penciled lines to follow. This less formal kind of poster is fast and inexpensive to do and, if neatly and imaginatively done, can have a very special charm.
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Designing An Eye Catching PosterHow do you go about creating an eye catching poster? Designing a poster to promote your business, an event or yourself can be more difficult than it seems, especially if you want it to be effective. There are multiple rules you can follow but we have made a list of the most important hints and tips for eye catching poster:1.) Use a focal pointA good poster will have a clear aim and purpose. That aim can be to draw attention, advertise something, demonstrate or create an impression. Whatever the purpose of your poster, it is important to know what the intended effect of the poster will be. Make sure you are drawing the viewers’ attention and focus to the right part of the poster to help you achieve your aim.2.) Use Bait to draw your readers inA good way to capture attention is by adding bait messaging to your poster. Statements such as “stop!” and “wow!” or questions such as “did you know?” are particularly good at drawing attention. Once you have the viewer’s attention the rest of the message can be read and understood.3.) Use all space effectivelyPlan how you intend to fill all of the space by looking at the size and shape of your poster before you start designing. A common mistake is to start at one corner, only to find you have finished all of your material and only used up half of the available space. In order to fill up all of the space effectively and create an eye catching poster you need to plan what information and images are going where. If you would rather not use colors to fill blank spaces and want to leave unused space white and empty, make sure you distribute your information and images so that the poster still looks complete and intentional rather than blank and half completed.4.) Use good quality images or illustrationsWords are wonderful, but they say a picture can say a thousand of them and its true. Good pictures are often an essential part of creating an eye catching poster so don’t be afraid to use them. Posters are very large, and so the best way to make sure you catch as many eyes as possible is to make your message as large and visible as possible. This is more often easily achieved through a well thought out image, rather than a block of text.5.) Keep it simplePosters are usually used to show one simple thought, idea or message and so filling up all of your space with multiple ideas will often cause confusion. If you use your poster to covey one or two essential messages you will have more success than if you seek to change the world with your poster.By following these simple steps you will be able to create an eye catching poster like the pros! - See more at: http://www.audidesignfoundation.org/articles/poster-design.html#sthash.6PLnokKX.dpuf
How to Design a Great Poster…The BASICS
A Great Poster Is...
Readable
Legible
Well Organized
Succinct
Getting started….
Clear design starts with clear thinking. Before you begin shuffling
charts, text and photos, ask yourself this question:
If the viewer only carries away one idea, what do I want it to be?
Now write down your answer. This is the theme of your poster, the focal point. Everything you include on your poster should support that theme.
Posters tell stories. Your poster tells viewers what you did, why you did it and what you found out from doing it. The poster should include a statement of the project description, how you conducted the project, results or findings of the project, and a summary tying in your reflection component.
If it helps, try writing an outline as if you were writing a term paper. More visual than literary? Try clustering your ideas in balloons, then link them in order. The goal is to create a road map that will take the viewer from start to finish.
If the viewer only carries away one idea, what do I want it to be?
Now write down your answer. This is the theme of your poster, the focal point. Everything you include on your poster should support that theme.
Posters tell stories. Your poster tells viewers what you did, why you did it and what you found out from doing it. The poster should include a statement of the project description, how you conducted the project, results or findings of the project, and a summary tying in your reflection component.
If it helps, try writing an outline as if you were writing a term paper. More visual than literary? Try clustering your ideas in balloons, then link them in order. The goal is to create a road map that will take the viewer from start to finish.
Mastering the basics ...
Keep
your poster simple and visually uncluttered. Someone standing three feet away should quickly understand what each
component is and why it is there. On a poster, columns are easier for the eye
to follow than information laid out left to right.
Let's start with the basic basics:
Let's start with the basic basics:
Each poster should have a title. Any text used on the
poster should be created on a computer to guarantee the type is clear, clean
and easily read.
Background materials and graphics should have straight
edges and even margins. Use a ruler and razor knife to cut out charts,
graphics, photos and text.
Connect the text to the graphic elements. If a paragraph
refers to a diagram off to the side somewhere, say so. For example, "Wind
blows over ocean, generates waves (Fig. 1)."
Viewers can't read small type from a distance. Use
24-point type or larger. (Captions for charts, photos and other graphics can be
set in 18-point fonts.)
Variety is important. Think about your information. Can
you explain something better in a chart? Would bullets make your point more
effectively than a solid paragraph? What about photographs? Edit your copy
ruthlessly.
As you jot down
the elements you want to include on your poster, group together key or related
information. Think about ways to convey ideas as a unit.
Creating design unity...
You know what you want to say and you understand the basics of how to
arrange your information. Now it's time to start building your poster. Graphic designers create unity through the
use of white space, type and color. Let's start with the first element. Despite
its name, white space is not necessarily white. Instead, white space is the
area of your poster not covered with text or graphics.
White space provides a frame for your material and makes
the other components stand out. Too much white space and your viewer's eye will
wander. Too little and the result is confusion.
When it comes to design, less is more. Limit yourself to three text fonts. You might want to use one font for the title, another for the text and a third for any captions.
All capital letters can be used for titles, but otherwise stick to mixed cases just as you would in a normal sentence.
Color should be used for emphasis, but be aware of the connotations that certain colors and color combinations carry. In most cases, the background of your poster should be a solid color rather than a pattern.
One effective technique for grouping information is by framing it with different background colors.
More and more students are choosing to create their posters on computer. The best known design programs are Microsoft PowerPoint, Macromedia Freehand and the Adobe graphic programs such as Illustrator, InDesign/PageMaker and PhotoShop.
Wherever you have your poster produced, make sure to get a preview printed before you print out a full-sized copy. It's worth any small extra charge to have one last chance to make corrections.
Remember, poor design can keep your good work from being overlooked.
When it comes to design, less is more. Limit yourself to three text fonts. You might want to use one font for the title, another for the text and a third for any captions.
All capital letters can be used for titles, but otherwise stick to mixed cases just as you would in a normal sentence.
Color should be used for emphasis, but be aware of the connotations that certain colors and color combinations carry. In most cases, the background of your poster should be a solid color rather than a pattern.
One effective technique for grouping information is by framing it with different background colors.
More and more students are choosing to create their posters on computer. The best known design programs are Microsoft PowerPoint, Macromedia Freehand and the Adobe graphic programs such as Illustrator, InDesign/PageMaker and PhotoShop.
Wherever you have your poster produced, make sure to get a preview printed before you print out a full-sized copy. It's worth any small extra charge to have one last chance to make corrections.
Remember, poor design can keep your good work from being overlooked.
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The Basics of Poster Design
Poster design workshop handout, 2013Most university and college students who participate in research will eventually need to create an academic poster. Done well, posters are an effective way to communicate research work concisely and powerfully.
+ enlargeThis poster combines carefully selected graphics and plain fonts. The researcher's effective use of columns and precise, clear headings makes her poster presentation easy to follow, even without reading the large sections of text.
Getting started
Organizing your research
Choosing your tools
Mastering the basics
Creating design unity
Serif fonts (top) are easy to read quickly. Sans serif fonts (bottom) are easy to read at a distance.
Notice how the words in the bottom boxes disappears into the background.Some final tips
More design resources & software tutorials
SOURCE 8:
How to Design a Good Poster
When it comes to graphic design, perhaps the most exciting type of project to undertake is the poster. Unlike other larger, more complex mediums, the poster is generally a simple attempt to attract attention and communicate basic information about an event or a product. Sometimes staring at a pure, blank art board is an exhilarating feeling. Other times, it can be a frustrating task deciding how to start. Whether you are a designer looking for inspiration or a novice needing a few tips, this post brings you the tips you need to make your next poster your best poster.
Montana Meth Project
1. How to Get Attention
Your first task is to decide on captivating photography or an interesting main element that will make people stop and take notice. Some posters use shocking imagery to get a point across like this one, designed for the Montana Meth Project. As you can see, the subject matter certainly makes an immediate impact. Other posters will use plenty of white space and an interesting question, or some creative word art to make you stop and think. This first step is the cornerstone of your project and it’s very important to choose carefully.2. Simple is Nice
Your poster should say what it means through pictures and colours rather than through words and written details. Keep text to a minimum and make full use of your website, if you have one, to inform people of further details. If you bog down your poster with text, your poster will not look as interesting to people passing by.3. Fonts are Fantastic
If your fonts are a little unusual or unique, this will add to the depth of your design. Try to avoid common fonts that might be used on a standard document or for an everyday purpose. On the other hand, don’t use fonts that are crazy to the point of being hard to read. Many times it’s a good idea to use a sans-serif font in a headline. It’s important to limit the number of fonts you use on your poster. The more fonts, the more potential for confusion. If you have the ability, it’s also a nice touch to use your text in a non-standard way like this poster for a James Chance concert.4. Move the Eye and the Information will Follow
It’s important to design a poster with information consumption in mind. Always try to start with the most important information in the largest font and work your way down in the order of importance. Display this information in such a way that the eye follows this information down the page as if you were writing a short story. Use cues in your main design element to point at important information or provide direction.
