Research Guides@Tufts
-
Tufts Libraries:
- Clark SMFA
- Ginn
- Hirsh Health Sciences
- Lilly Music
- TARC
- Tisch
- Webster Veterinary
Research Guides@Tufts
Layout is where things go on your poster
Once you have decided what sections and graphics you want to include on your poster, then you need to decide how to organize and arrange this information.
Sketch a layout for your poster on paper
Before you start working in a design program, do a rough sketch of the layout on paper. You can take a picture of this sketch and upload it to your design program to use as a template.
Organize content in a logical manner so viewers can easily read your poster
Arrange content in the order that people naturally read. In English, we read left to right, top to bottom.
Put a banner with your title, authors and affiliations at the top of your poster. Use titles and headings to guide your viewer.
Arrange content in 2-4 columns
Align columns, headings and graphics using the alignment features of your design program.
Distribute text and graphics evenly throughout the poster
Leave white space around the entire poster (margins) and between content, keeping spaces even.
Image Credit: Compiled from Hess, G.R., K. Tosney, and L. Liegel. 2014. Creating Effective Poster Presentations.
Create a color scheme with 2-3 colors
Create your own color scheme, or choose from amongst the hundreds of themes that others have created, in the free Adobe Color site: https://color.adobe.com. These themes are accessible from within Adobe InDesign. InDesign can also generate a custom color scheme based on the colors in an image that you have uploaded.
Use dark text on a light-colored background
Light text on a dark background is difficult to read. Also consider color values (lightness vs. darkness) and contrast (perceived difference in color and brightness between two colors that are close to one another). If font color is too similar to the background color, then it will be hard to read.
Do not use excessively bright colors
Bright colors may attract viewers to your poster, but they are often distracting and difficult to read.
Do not use patterns or gradients
Patterns and gradients look unprofessional and dated.
Consider people who have trouble differentiating colors
Many people have difficulty distinguishing colors from one another. Do not use red and green next to one another because an inability to distinguish red from green is one of the most common forms of color vision deficiency.
Types of Color Vision Deficiency
Image Credit: Joeybatt on Pixabay, modified for "You'll Be Amazed How People with Color Blindness See the World"
Source: boredpanda
What fonts should I use?
Use 1-2 fonts consistently.
Use sans serif fonts (e.g. Arial) for titles and headings.
Use serif fonts (e.g. Times New Roman) for text.
Do not use unusual fonts, such as Comic Sans. Do not use word art.
Image Credit: Sara-Ruth Wolkiewicz in "How to Use Typography in Your Marketing Design"
Source: GetResponse
Image Credit: Vinicio Chanto in "Best Times New Roman Alternatives"
Source: Slidebean
What size should the text be?
Font size depends on the size of your poster. Here are some guidelines:
Graphics, such as charts, tables, graphs, figures and photographs, are an excellent way to impart information to your viewers. The type of graphics that you use will depend on your audience and the message of your poster.
Create graphics that are easy-to-read and self-explanatory
Your graphics should be large enough that they can be read by a person standing a few feet away. Do not make 3-dimensional charts or graphs because they can be difficult to read.
Give each graphic a title. Clearly label charts, tables, graphs and photographs.
Think beyond the basic chart or graph, and consider how other data visualizations or infographics might help convey your message.
Create or edit graphics in a separate program or file, then import into your poster design program
For a list of design software available at Tufts for installation on personal or work computers, see Tufts Technology Services software page: https://it.tufts.edu/soft.
For a list of design software available on the Hirsh Health Science Library's computers, see our software page: https://hirshlibrary.tufts.edu/it-support/software.
I found an image online, can I use it on my poster?
Try not to use clip art or generic graphics. Consult our image reuse tool to determine if you can use a graphic that you did not create: http://hirshlibrary.tufts.edu/research/image-reuse.
If you do use a graphic that you did not create, then you must cite it.
What resolution and format should my images be?
Use images with a resolution of 200-300 pixels per inch (ppi).
Use vector images for logos and illustrations. Vector images do not lose their definition when you increase their size. Raster images are used for photographs. Raster images are composed of pixels, and therefore become blurry when you increase their size.
Image Credit: Carey Christie in "What is the Difference Between Vector and Raster Graphics"
Source: Dever Designs