Your One Stop for Poster Presentations
The information on this page is for creating a poster. Templates for PowerPoint Slides are on the Guidelines, Policies & Templates Page.
Abstract Guides
How to write a first-class abstract!
Downloadable Poster Templates
The poster templates provided below are set at 40w x 32h.
If you create your own poster from PowerPoint, you must change to a custom size in the Design Tab (see the instructions below).
Use PowerPoint – Not Google Slides
If you create your poster in Google Slides, the images may be blurry when it’s printed. Use PowerPoint to keep images pristine.
Include References
Include a reference for citations on your poster. If you don’t want to use space on your poster for references, just a sentence at the bottom that says “References Available Separately” then print a reference sheet for visitors to pick up. Check out Adding References to a Poster from The Oxford University Press.
Poster Design
Please place only one SU Logo on your poster per the SU Graphics and Editorial Style Guide.
- Title: Use 68-72 point font size readable from 10 feet (3 meters)
- Section Headers: Use 40-52 point font size
- Main body text: Use at least 24-34 point font size
- Fonts: Use sans-serif fonts such as Calibri, Gill Sans, Arial
- Less Words: Use bullets, figures, images, graphs, tables to illustrate your work
- White Space: Leave plenty of space between elements so your audience can easily distinguish separate ideas
- Avoid jargon: Design your poster for a general audience
- Organization: Create a sensible flow from one section to the next
- Emphasize: Highlight the core aspects of your work with images or graphs
1. Open PowerPoint
2. Select a Blank Presentation
3. Select Layout and click Blank
4. Click the Designs tab (at the top)
5. Click Slide Size (at the far right)
6. Select Page Setup
7. Set Width and Height to your preferred size (32 x 40 for SUpr Summit)
9. Click OK
You are now ready to design your poster.
When finished, Click File, Save As, select PDF.
Humanities and Social Science Posters
Looking for proven techniques or inspiration? David Forrest’s Web Article “Creating and Presenting Posters in the Humanities” provides guidelines, tips, and examples for designing humanities posters. Examples for social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities can be found on the Washington University in St. Louis web site.
Printing
The SU Copy Center can print your poster on glossy paper at an affordable price. Please allow at least 2 days for printing, drying, and trimming. Email your poster PDF to copycenter@su.edu.
Presentation Tips
Check out the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library for Elements of a Great Poster Presentation, or use the quick list below.
- Describe your project to the judges with an “elevator speech” (5 minutes or less)
- Answer judges questions thoughtfully and thoroughly
- Smile—Be positive and professional
- Be proactive—Approach a viewer who is looking at your poster
- Compliment other exhibitors and graciously accept compliments on your work
Poster Examples
You can get ideas for your poster from the short video below (no audio).
Poster Archive
CTLT has set up an archive for posters to inspire others. Please send a copy of your poster as PDF to ctlt@su.edu.