PREPARING PROFESSIONAL SCIENTIFIC POSTERS

Prepared by Kristine A. Kirkeby

Poster Minicourse lnstructor

612-647-9532

E-mail: kirkeOO2@maroon.tc.umn.edu

A scientific poster is a communication tool which combines a verbal presentation with a visual aid. They are given to a small group of people, are limited in time and range of view, and are informal and interactive. Posters should look as professional as your professional research. Poster size specifications will differ for each conference; always plan to use the space well. Incorporating good basic graphic design principles, using good quality art materials and papers, and the use of color as an organizing tool will contribute to the professional approach of this scientific communication. The average interaction time for a poster presentation is 10-15 minutes. You must use visual short-cuts and plan your verbal presentation carefully to do posters well.

Note: Bold text denotes important time-saving steps

Poster Pre-planning and Preparation

• The preparation process takes longer than you think, so get started early. Write introduction and methods now!
• Review text and poster approach with advisor and other major collaborators!!

Photos & Visuals

• Get photo processing started as soon as possible; e.g. making ncgs. and prints, prints from slides, labeling on prints.
• Remember to print photos to an appropriate size for the poster (usually 5" x 7").
• Use color photocopies when possible for quick, cheap, while-you-wait, good quality reproductions.
• Look for illustrations or photos to shorten needed text. They may be reproduced from books or slides via color photocopy.

Text

• Remember that preparing a poster is very different from preparing a paper. You will not be enlarging your research paper and wallpapering the display board. Your main objective in preparing text for this presentation is to edit it down to very concise language. Use bullets and numbers to break text visually and aid you in the interactive use of your poster.
• A suggested title format is 90 pt Helvetica or a sans serif font, use bold as this reads better from a distance. Sub titles should be 72 pt.
• Divide your title information into: Title; Name(s); Department; University of Minnesota; City; etc.
• Within the poster presentation space divide information into - Introduction; Methods; Results; Summary; Acknowledgments (optional). Provide references in handout form as they are not necessary for Poster presentations and reduce needed space.
• Other poster text should be 18 pt; space and a half; bold. Never use smaller than 14 point print.
• Spell check and proof text very, very carefully before your final print out.

Layout

• Join split-page text pieces so you can photocopy it as one sheet using 11 x 17 paper (less gluing, easier reading).
• When you have the text, photos, and visuals prepared/planned, do a scaled layout using a planning grid with scaled-to-size post-it-notes. This allows you to plan the flow of information quickly and accurately as well as to assess space. It greatly aids you in your final layout assembly.
• Adjust copy to grid plan, editing if needed; do a final spell and text proof; laser print onto colored paper, or photocopy laser quality white copy onto colored papers. If you are using drop-shadowing remember to allow for those additional border dimensions in your layout. Do not laminate.

Poster Assembly

• Roughly lay out your title, text, photos, tables, visuals, etc. on the mat board, checking fit.
• Trim down all the pieces (1/2 inch borders, marked lightly in pencil, use a paper cutter), trim photos (spray matte finish).
• Trim drop-shadowing pieces with overlaid pieces to save trimming time
• Measure and lightly mark with a soft lead pencil, the position of each piece on the mat board, using the t-square for accuracy.
• Line up the t-squarc on the guide you have marked for the first piece you want to glue down.
• For gluing, use 3M 'Photomount' spray glue. This glue is easy to position yet has a firm tack. A more expensive but handy product is 'StudioTac by Letraset' which is a pressure release adhesive-film. However, its tack will only last for one year.
• Working in a vented hood, lay down hood lining paper. Spray your poster pieces 3-4 inches away from the surface. Spray parallel with surface of the paper. Do not tilt the can toward the back of the hood as you spray or spray too close to the vent - the fan will pull the glue up the vent before it even hits your paper. Do not spray too heavily or too lightly. If you get glue on the printed side it doesn't come off. Changing hood lining sheets often.
• Using the t-square as a guide, lay glued piece on board and press it down into position using a roller. Do other pieces.
• Do not move the poster for about 8 - 10 hours to allow glue to set firmly.

Preplanning

• Remember that posters are labor intensive, get started well before the due date.
• Write your intro/abstract, methods and materials as soon as possible.
• Take your photos well ahead to plan for possible re-dos and enlargements.
• Trimming and neat paste-up will determine the visual quality of your poster - take care.

Set-up

• Pick up boards
• Roughly layout everything on boards, using completed planning grid.
• Pick out colors - use color to organize information, this is not interior decorating time.
• Use 1 color for title, intro. and conclusion, 2nd for rest.
• Use 3 colors to further accent results from methods and material.
• Don't use too many colors.
• Drop sheeting/shadowing (outlining with other color) means double gluing.
• Use 11 x l7 sheets for title (cut to 8.5 x 14 for laser printing).

Photos

• Crop/trim with exacto knives, not paper cutter, use sharp blade.
• Matt spray photos (takes 5-10 min. to dry); may need 2 coats, do early before friends start spray gluing in same space.
• If your photos are the only thing not ready, cut dummy sheets to 5 x 7 or whatever your photo size is to lay temporarily in place on your board, come in later and finish that portion.

Layout

• Join text or figures with figure notations pieces together before copying onto colored paper
  • this reduces no. of pieces to glue and makes it easier to get aligned neatly in the gluing process
• Lay down the first piece on the light table or on a window, tape in four corners with small pieces of tape, using another text page (example page) that matches your line spacing for the two pages you want to hook together-lay the example page over the first page, so that you have a line of text on the example page extending past the last line of text of the first page, also place it to the left or right of the first page so you can flip it out of the way after you have laid down the joining page (tape on the left or right side only) use the line of text on the example page to guide your placement of the joining page; holding the first page and joining page in place with one hand, flip the example page out of the way and tape the joining page down.
• Use tape to finally join the pieces together firmly for photocopying.
• Do you need 11 x 17 size for copying?
• Get extra sheets for each color for your copying laser printing onto color paper. Cut on the boards provided with the exacto knives, not on benchwork.
• Change exacto blades often.
• Use Master subtitle copies to make a copy in your color.
• Cut subtitles out using clear rulers, not paper cutter, glue on last using glue stick, ditto for smaller pieces.

Trimming

• Draw a pencil line on each piece to be trimmed using plastic rulers.
• Align clear plastic rule on the last line of text so that you have 1/2" for border.
• Draw 1 line only with soft lead pencil.
• Place on the paper cutter so pencil line lays on the cutting edge" cut
• Use this straight cut as your guide line for other edges; turn and using grid on the cutting boards trim to 1/2 on other 3 borders.
• If you are drop sheeting/shadowing, hold drop sheet and your printed page together as you trim to save double trimming time.
• Titles
  • using the light table or window with strong light, tape three pieces over each other using the lines above and below title as a cutting guide line; align exactly; slowly trim with exacto knife.
• Glue the title on last with the subtitles.

Paste-up Marking

• Mark boards for gluing (do this after you have glued together the dropsheeting/shadowing pieces, see gluing directions below).
• Using the t-square against the straight edge of the mat board, make two short marks one below the sheet and one to the side. Make these marks for each piece on the board. Do not draw around each piece - it wastes time, means more erasing, etc.
• Watch for coincidental line-ups
• Use a soft lead pencil or photo-blue pencil on dark boards.

Gluing

• Gluing drop sheet/shadow pieces
  • use the plastic grids to align the drop sheet, tape in place so you won't have that tape under a glued edge spray glue the front piece (remember, not too much, not too little-see below), using the grid as a guide lay one corner down, pivot the piece into place alone the guide line; use roller to press downsheet firmly but not on "dropped" portion.
• To glue all the pieces on...
  • lay t-square in place before you go to hood to glue piece,
  • spray in hood-not too much, not too little
• Use tweezers to pick piece up off surface in hood, then take in hands, leave tweezers there
• Pivot corner, using the t-square as laying-down-guide.
• Roller down, or put blank, clean paper over and press hard over entire surface, this step is important or after a bit
• They will pop up, usually after you have left but in time for the poster symposum .
• Lay down fresh glue catch-sheets in hood frequently, don't cover up and lose the tweezers in this step!
• Re-lay t-square and go to next piece. You are a half hour from the finish now!
• Remove glue from finger tips with 95% ETOH provided.
• Glue title, smaller pieces and subtitles.

Final Touches

• Try using the "rubber-cement-picker-upper" square to remove really "gluie" spots.
• Use white vinyl eraser to remove pencil marks.
• Brush off board and bring to storage box. Place carefully so you don't damage the ones next to yours
• See first step on this sheet!
• You're outta here!
• Hinge/cut down after the poster symposium for traveling home. Allow 1" all around and trim to half individual pieces or hinge.