Tips for Anyone New to Developing a Poster Session

NTLP received the following information from Janet Bickel-Burton (SMU Cox School of Business Library & TWU Health Sciences Library – Dallas), who co-presented a Poster Session at NTLP's TechNet 2012 conference last week. With her permission - and our thanks - we're passing the suggestions on for anyone who can use the information.

As a poster-making novice, I learned several things about how to create a custom-sized (“30”x48 or 60”x48”) poster in PowerPoint and best practices for visual presentations. 

Especially helpful were: 

• Creating a Poster in PowerPoint 2010 -- http://www.emich.edu/apc/guides/apcposterpowerpoint2010.pdf &
  Best Practices in Poster Design-- http://www.emich.edu/training/poster/documents/posterdesign.pdf
• Poster Design Tips and Techniques -- http://www.ext.colostate.edu/staffres/poster.pdf (See page 3: Poster Layout & Design.) 
• Originally we had black poster backgrounds. TWU’s instructional/graphic designer persuaded me that a poster full of color ink may smear/run or not dry evenly.

Two additional discoveries: 

• Having posters produced commercially is expensive. (TWU Library paid my printing fees & Lesley hand-trimmed the paper to size needed.) Arranging multiple pages (using photo paper) on the two bulletin boards was an acceptable alternative used by low/no-budget presenters. 
• Handouts are worth the effort as poster viewers and presenters were rushed for time. Tip: Enlarge and print the poster in the PPT notes page view as a quick handout.