Creating PostersMERCY COLLEGE LIBRARIES

WHY DO WE CREATE POSTERS?

A poster is simply a visual aid that helps you to explain and illustrate your research.

If your poster is for a conference, you stand next to it and use it to discuss your research with other attendees.

If your poster is for a class assignment, it is the vehicle by which you present your work to the instructor and the class.

WHAT SKILLS DO POSTERS DEVELOP?

Visual Literacy Visual literacy is a set of abilities that enables an individual to effectively find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual media.*

Research Analysis & Synthesis of Information Citation Presentation & Public Speaking

*ACRL Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/visualliteracy

Posters can follow many

different formats…

Poster Samples from University of Texas at Austin: https://www.utexas.edu/ugs/our/poster/samples

STEM disciplines traditionally follow the IMRaD format Introduction Materials &

Methods Results and Discussion

The Scientific Poster: Guidelines for Effective Visual Communication by Diane L. Matthews http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/crd/crd0301/pdfs/poster.pdf

But there are other formats…

• Thematic: Group sections of your poster according tosub-themes

• Narrative: Tell a story about your topic; particularlyuseful for a specific event (i.e. World War II)

• Question and Answer: Summarize your main researchquestions and how you answered them

Maryland Center for Undergraduate Research. Designing a Research Poster for the Humanities/Social Sciences http://www.ugresearch.umd.edu/documents/designinghumanitiesposter.pdf

We have created several Mercy-branded poster templates to help get you started. Check with your instructor if you’re not sure which size and layout is suitable for an assignment or event.

Keep in mind, these templates represent just a few layout options – there are many different poster templates available online.

Whichever format you choose, your poster should be clear, easy-to-read, and visually appealing.

Templates…

Layout… Most people read posters from left to right, top to bottom – keep this in

mind when you position elements. Organize your content with columns, sections, headings, and blocks of text. Incorporate charts, graphs, and photographs that support the theme of your

poster. Left-align your text blocks; justified text leaves awkward gaps. Avoid too much text – Bullet points and “chunks” of text are easiest to read. Align your text boxes and images. Don’t forget to leave space for references/works cited! White space is your friend!!!

Maryland Center for Undergraduate Research. Designing a Research Poster for the Humanities/Social Sciences http://www.ugresearch.umd.edu/documents/designinghumanitiesposter.pdf

Font and Color…

Keep style elements consistent. Don’t use too many fonts and colors! No more than 2-3 font styles total. Use large text (at least 18-24 pt.). Use fonts that are easy to read. Choose a title that illustrates what your poster is about. Your title should

be at least twice the size of your regular text. Choose colors carefully and pay attention to contrast. When in doubt,

dark print on a light background is best.

Maryland Center for Undergraduate Research. Designing a Research Poster for the Humanities/Social Sciences http://www.ugresearch.umd.edu/documents/designinghumanitiesposter.pdf

Images...Including images in your poster is an easy way to increase its visual appeal.

ImageQuest – contains millions of high resolution, rights-cleared images and photographs, as well as citation information.Google Images – search for images on the web. NOTE: You can refine your search by usage rights (i.e. find only those images you are allowed to use or modify).

Make sure that images do not become “pixelated” (i.e. blocky or blurry) when enlarged. Look at your poster at 100% resolution to make sure there is no pixelation; in PPT, go to View>Zoom>100%

Printing…Before you submit your poster file to be printed:

Ask a Librarian to check your references/works cited. Ask a friend or classmate to look at your poster – is anything confusing or

unclear to them? Spellcheck! Slowly and carefully read through your poster to catch typos and mistakes. Check that all your boxes and images line up.

This Poster Checklist is a handy way to make sure your poster is in good shape before you have it printed.

Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium (2005). A Quick Poster Checklist. Retrieved from http://www.washington.edu/undergradresearch/files/2014/06/pstrchecklist.pdf

And above all else… ASK QUESTIONS!

WE QUESTIONS!

ReferencesScientific Posters (2016). Retrieved from http://writingcommons.org/open-text/genres/stem-

technical-writing/creating-scientific-postersTobey, E. (2015). Designing a Research Poster for the Humanities/Social Sciences Maryland

Center for Undergraduate Research. Retrieved from http://www.ugresearch.umd.edu/documents/designinghumanitiesposter.pdf

Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium (2005). A Quick Poster Checklist. Retrieved from http://www.washington.edu/undergradresearch/files/2014/06/pstrchecklist.pdf