Poster Guidelines

The poster should be self-explanatory, so that you are free to supplement and discuss particular points raised by viewers.  Remember that your material/illustrations will be viewed from distances of one metre or more.  Lettering should be as large as possible and preferably in bold type.

• INITIAL SKETCH. Plan your poster early. Focus your attention on a few key points. Try various styles of data presentation to achieve clarity and simplicity. Does the use of colour help? What needs to be expressed in words?
• ROUGH LAYOUT. Enlarge your best initial sketch, keeping the dimensions in proportion to the final poster. Ideally, the rough layout should be full size. Draw rough graphs and tables. This will give you an idea of proportions and balance.
• BALANCE. The figures and tables ought to cover slightly more than 50% of the poster area. If you have only a few illustrations, make them large. Do not omit text, but keep it brief. The poster should be understandable without oral explanation.
• TYPOGRAPHY. Avoid abbreviations, acronyms and jargon. Use a consistent type-style throughout. Use large type, for example HELVETICA. A 22mm x 30mm sheet photo statically enlarged 50% makes text readable from 1.5 metres.
• MOVEMENT. The movement (pathway) of the eye over the poster ought to be natural (down columns and along rows). Size attracts attention. Arrows, hands, numbers and symbols can clarify sequence.
• SIMPLICITY. Do not overload the poster. More material may mean less communication. Ask yourself, what do I want the viewer to remember?
• FINAL LAYOUT. The artwork is complete. The text and tables are typed but not necessarily enlarged to full size. Now ask – “Is the message clear? Do the important points stand out? Is there a balance between words and illustrations? Is the pathway through the poster clear?”