Presenting Research: Research Posters

You may have used PowerPoint or Google Slides to create presentations, but you can also use them to create printable poster designs.

In either app, create your new blank presentation and then go to File > Page setup. Choose Custom from the dropdown menu, and enter the dimensions your poster needs to be. Or use the templates below.

You can use the templates in PowerPoint or copy them to your Google Drive and open them with Google Slides.

• Use easy-to-read fonts and limit the number of fonts you use. Fancy fonts can be hard to read. Words in all capital letters are hard for many viewers to read, too.
• Use larger text to indicate more important information, but make sure all text is large enough for the audience to read.
• Avoid using multiple text colors and low-contrast combinations. Aim for very light-colored text on a very dark background or the reverse. Color should never be used as the only indication of meaning, importance, etc.
• Avoid purely decorative elements such as transitions between slides and distracting special effects.

For graphs, charts, or other visual representations of your research project,

• Select only the figures that best illustrate your findings.
• For graphs, identify the axes and explain what the distribution of data indicates.
• Make sure the figures are readable. Consider creating simplified versions of any graphs, charts, or tables that are too complex for the audience to read.

Proofread

Check for typos and other errors. Try using Air Play to view your project on a large screen, since that can help you notice problems that don't stand out on your laptop screen.