Poster Presentations

You will be provided with one easel or table top stanchion, a 32” x 40” foam core board, and mounting pins.
Due to space limitations, each presentation is provided a single easel or table top stanchion and oversized posters are not allowed.

Your poster should be easy to follow and tell the story of your project. Someone looking at your poster should understand what you did and discovered. A poster only with text is unlikely to be read by the audience and a poster only with pictures/figures does not explain the significance of your project. Your poster should provide a mix of text, figures, and/or tables and enough detail to tell your "story."

Use “reader gravity” that pulls the eye from top to bottom and left to right.
Use Headings and Boxes to help readers follow your "story."
Balance the placement of text and graphics to create visual appeal.
Use white space to help define the flow of information.
Use Headings and Boxes to help readers follow your ‘story’.
Balance the placement of text and graphics to create visual appeal.
Use color to help organize your poster. For example, a light color background and dark color letters is easier to read. Don’t overdue the number of colors–2 or 3 at the most. If you use multiple colors, use them in a consistent pattern to avoid distracting and confusing the person reading your poster. Fluorescent colors should be avoided-they attract attention but then wear out readers’ eyes.
Keep text at a minimum; edit carefully to avoid repeating information and too many details.

Graphs should have clearly labeled axes, be simple, and use colors that are easy to see against the background.
Text size should be large enough so it is easy to read. Keep text to a minimum.
Text size should be large enough so it is easy to read. Keep text to a minimum.
Avoid use of clip art unless there is no other image available. Reserve clip art for posters that otherwise lack figures.
Photos are a good way to draw attention to your poster. Be sure each photo has a caption that explains what the photo is showing and only use photos that illustrate your text. Photos should be high resolution (about 1200 x 1800 pixels or larger). Avoid web images unless they are of high resolution and approved for using for educational purposes. Images obtained from the web should include the source (credit).
Please include the GSA logo on your poster presentation to credit the GSA with sponsoring the creation of your poster.

Microsoft PowerPoint is relatively easy to use for creating posters.
Adobe Illustrator and InDesign have more features but are more complex.
Microsoft Excel can generate graphics and export to PowerPoint, but may need ‘cleaning up’.
Adobe Photoshop is great for modifying images, but is complex and expensive.