Poster Presentation Tips

Electronic Posters
Traditional Posters

Electronic Posters

Electronic poster (E-poster) presentations are similar to traditional poster presentations, but presented on a large computer screen. The ASA uses 42" LCD displays in the Landscape position.

Whether traditional or electronic, a well-constructed poster is self-explanatory, achieving both coverage and clarity. Your E-poster can consist of multiple slides or just one slide. Use the tips below as guidelines for formatting and making the most of this presentation. Save your poster to a USB key (thumb) drive and bring it with you the day of your presentation.

Formatting Tips:

Less is more. Be clear and concise with poster design and content. Overcrowding a poster makes it difficult to read.
Use fonts that are large enough to read at a distance.
Include the title and name(s) of the presenter(s) in larger, bolder font than the rest of the poster.
Provide clear labels or headings for each section of your presentation.
Remember contrast. Put light-colored fonts on dark backgrounds and dark fonts on light-colored backgrounds so that your viewer can see your text clearly.
Imbed high-quality graphics and videos.
Avoid hyperlinks. Internet access will not be available during your presentation.
Sound is not permitted due to the open area in which posters will be presented.

For single-slide E-posters:

Set the page size to 36.5"W and 20.5"H.
Use a minimum font size of 32 points.
Don't overcrowd the slide.
Single-slide presentation template, blank
Single-slide presentation template with sample layout
Single-slide presentation template with sample layout, including formatting tip text

For multiple-slide E-posters:

Set the page setup or slide size to "On-screen show (16:9)" or 36.5"W x 20.5"H.
Use bullet points.
Use a minimum font size of 14 points if page setup is "On-screen show (16:9)". If slide size is set to 36.5"W x 20.5"H, use a minimum font size of 32 points.
Use the slideshow mode to automatically change the display during the day, then switch to the manual mode to move through the slides for your presentation.
Avoid using too many slides. Past presenters have found that 10 slides are a good amount, neither too few nor too many.
Put a footer on each slide such as "Slide 1 of 6" to let the viewer who walks by mid-cycle of your slideshow know where they are in the presentation and how long they'll wait until it begins again.
Multiple-slide presentation template, blank
Multiple-slide presentation template with sample layout
Multiple-slide presentation template with sample layout, including formatting tip text

Content Tips:

Coverage: In addition to title/author and abstract, most successful posters provide brief statements of introduction, method, subjects, procedure, results, and conclusions. Ask yourself:
- Have you provided all the obvious information?
- Will a casual observer walk away understanding your major findings after a quick perusal of your material?
- Will a more careful reader learn enough to ask informed questions?
- What would you need to know if you were viewing this material for the first time?

Clarity: People attending a poster session are free to move about from poster to poster and often must view a poster from a distance, making it difficult to read excessive text and small fonts. With this in mind we recommend you:
- Use large fonts and limit text to essential information. Place your major points in the poster and have the nonessential, but interesting, sidelights for informal discussion.
- Keep content simple and communicate clearly.
- Consider whether the sequence of information is evident. Indicate the ordering of your material with numbers, letters, or arrows when necessary.
- "A picture's worth a thousand words." Imaginative use of captioned illustrations, photographs, graphs, video (without sound) or other types of visually appealing material is an extremely effective mode of communication in a poster presentation.
- Make your final conclusions or summary a concise statement of your most important findings.

Online Resources for Poster Creation and Templates
These sites may provide other useful templates and tips on preparing your e-poster. Be sure to adjust any template using the formatting tips provided above for best display on the ASA's monitors.

Traditional Posters

Ideally, a well-constructed poster is self-explanatory, achieving both coverage and clarity.

Poster Tips

Coverage: Have you provided all the obvious information? Will a casual observer walk away understanding your major findings after a quick perusal of your material? Will a more careful reader learn enough to ask informed questions?

In addition to title/author and abstract, most successful posters provide brief statements of introduction, method, subjects, procedure, results, and conclusions. Ask yourself, "What would I need to know if I was viewing this material for the first time?"

Clarity: Is the sequence of information evident? Indicate the ordering of your material with numbers, letters, or arrows when necessary. Is the content being communicated clearly? Keep it simple. Place your major points in the poster and have the nonessential, but interesting, sidelights for informal discussion. Be selective. Your final conclusions or summary should leave observers focused on a concise statement of your most important findings.

Each poster display should include a lettered sign giving the title and name(s) of the presenter(s). This sign should be 6" in height with letters at least 2" high in a bold font. Extensive, imaginative use of captioned illustrations, photographs, graphs, or other types of visually appealing material is an extremely effective mode of communication in a poster presentation.

People attending a poster session are free to move about from poster to poster, making it difficult to read excessive text. With this in mind, you may wish to limit text and use large fonts. This will allow the poster to be read from several feet away. Do not mount materials on heavy board, because these may be difficult to position on the poster board. Be sure to provide clear labels for each section of your presentation. Posters should be 8 feet x 4 feet.

Helpful Online Resources for Poster Creation

How to Prepare a Poster, SIAM News, www.siam.org/meetings/guidelines/poster.php
Websites offering printing services for scientific posters:
www.makesigns.com/scientific_posters.htm