Research Posters

Word Count

The goal of your poster is to promote discussion between you and the viewer. Try to limit the amount of words on your poster. A suggested word count is no more than 1,000 words for the entire poster.

Font Size and Type

Suggested font sizes:

• Title: at least 70pt. font size and readable from about 6' away
• Poster text: at least 24 pt. font size

Suggested fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Verdana

Limit the number of fonts on your poster as multiple fonts can be confusing and disrupt flow.

Formatting

• Create a logical flow of information. Columns are easy to follow. Arrange your content in 3-4 columns.
• Include at least a 1" margin on your poster.
• Utilize white space. This keeps content well-organized and easy to read.

Choose a simple yet dynamic color scheme before you begin to add content. Choose from the color schemes in PowerPoint or utilize online color scheme generators. Here are two websites that specialize in pre-made color palettes:

• Adobe Color
• ColourLovers

Some text and background color combinations are problematic.

• Color Blindness: red and green together are difficult to differentiate for people who are color blind
• Low Contrast: combinations like white and yellow do not have a high enough contrast to see clearly
• Tone-on-tone: two tones of the same color are hard to read

General Tips for Using Images:

• Be selective and use images sparingly.
• Include captions and labels for charts and graphs.
• Cite your images.
• Use PNG, TIF or JPEG files.
• Edit images to make them visually appealing and clear.

Refer to the Using Images page of this guide for more detailed information.

Stay tuned for information about printing your poster.