Printed Poster Guidelines

Your printed poster should be complete and self-supporting so that different viewers may read at their leisure. The author should only need to supplement or discuss particular points raised during inquiry. Remember that several people of varying degrees of interest and experience may be viewing your poster. Therefore, you will want to make your points as complete and brief as possible.

The standard elements that should appear on your printed poster are: Introduction, Methods, Results (with supporting figures), and a Conclusion or Summary. The introduction would typically be placed at the upper left, and the conclusion at the lower right. It is not necessary to include the text of your abstract submission on your printed poster.

Title

Include a banner at the top of your poster indicating the abstract title, authors, and affiliations. Lettering should be about 1.25″ high for the title, 0.75″ high for the author’s names, and 0.5″ high for affiliations.

Text

• Minimize narrative.
• The type face should be easily seen from a distance of 5-8 feet.
• Use large type in short separated paragraphs.
• Do not set entire paragraphs in boldface or capital letters.
• Numbered or bulleted lists are a concise and effective way to convey a series of points.

Illustrations

Figures should also be easily seen from a distance. Use clear graphics and large type to accomplish this. The main points should be straightforward without extended viewing, but details should be included for those who might wish to discuss. Because the amount of text is restricted, the figure legend could contain some of the commentary that would usually be contained in the body of a manuscript.

Poster Boards

The available space to present your printed poster on the poster board is 4 feet tall (121 centimeters tall) by 8 feet wide (242 centimeters wide). Because poster sessions can be crowded, it is best to present your material in columns (vertically), instead of rows (horizontally), so that viewers do not have to cross back and forth in front of each other to read the poster. Posters are easiest to read using high contract colors (for example, black lettering on a white background). Pushpins are provided for mounting your poster to the poster board.

Poster Sessions

There are seven live in-person Poster Sessions, each two hours in length. The presenting author must post materials and be present at least one full hour during the assigned session and at least one other author is expected to be present during the remainder of the session.