The following tools can be used to create posters. The common research poster size is 48in (width) by 36in (length) with a landscape orientation. Be sure to follow any sizing guidelines required by your advisor or CURIO.
IMPORTANT: You must change the size of your slide before you start working on your poster. This will ensure that your images and text do not become pixilated when the poster is printed.
Image Credit: https://photos.georgiasouthern.edu/
Adhering to a color scheme can help your poster look professional. Consistent use of color can help your viewer understand how information is organized on your poster.
REMEMBER check that your text is accessible on background colors using WebAIM's free contrast checker.
If printing your poster, it's a good idea to do a small-scale test print of your poster before getting it printed. Colors often appear brighter and more vibrant on a screen than when printed. There still might be some variation in color depending on the color scale the printer uses, but it will be a closer match on paper than what you see on screen.
PowerPoint is offered through the Microsoft Office suite. While the program is commonly used for presentation design, you can create graphics as well. Georgia Southern students can download and use PowerPoint and other Microsoft tools through MyDownloads, which is accessed using the “Download Software” link in the “Technology Resources” tile in your MyGeorgiaSouthern portal.
How to correctly size your poster in PowerPoint:
Adobe InDesign can be used to create dynamic graphics for your poster. If you are not familiar with the Adobe suite, you may be interested in another visualization option. Adobe Creative Cloud can be accessed by faculty and staff at Henderson Library (2nd Floor iMacs, 2nd Floor Main Computers (Near Student Helpdesk, 2204); Lane Library (All); and Learning Commons (All).
How to correctly size your poster in Adobe InDesign:
When a new document is created in Adobe InDesign, a dialogue box prompts you to enter dimensions:
Canva
is an online platform that allows you to create flyers, infographics, and other visual media including graphs and charts. Canva offers a free version, but some needed features may require a Canva subscription.
GoogleSlides is offered through the Google Suite which can be accessed directly via MyGeorgiaSouthern
How to correctly size your poster in PowerPoint:
Adapted from "Social Science & Humanities Research Poster Design" by Tulane University. Used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License; "Research Posters" By Illinois Library. Used under Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.