Standard research posters are typically 48 inches wide by 35 inches tall. Applying the same dimensions to electronic posters will enable your audience to see details in high-resolution photos, or zoom in on data visualizations, without sacrificing image clarity. Here are some tips for developing a poster that you intend to distribute electronically or present via Zoom screen share.
Use the following menu options to set up your poster before starting any design work.
- In PowerPoint: select File --> Page Setup… and enter the dimensions 48 x 35
- In Google Slides: select File --> Page Setup… (then select custom) and enter the dimensions 48 x 35
- In Adobe InDesign: select File --> Document Setup… and enter the dimensions 48 x 35
Generate high resolution figures, and search for high resolution images.
- When exporting figures from a data analysis program, make sure they are a minimum of (roughly) 14 inches by 11 inches, or 1024 pixels by 768 pixels. Larger images are better – you can always scale down in your design. You cannot, however, increase the size of small images without losing sharpness. If you have trouble exporting from a data analysis program, maximize the figure on your monitor and take a screenshot.
- When searching for images on Google, try the advanced search option to specify image size.
When you’re ready to export and share, do the following.
- In PowerPoint: select File --> Export… and select PDF as the file format
- In Google Slides: select File --> Download --> PDF Document…
- In Adobe InDesign: select File --> Export… and select Adobe PDF (Print) as the file format
