2021 Virtual Poster Tips

Tips for Designing a Poster Presentation

Creating a compelling poster presentation for a scientific meeting can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. 

Know Your Audience

Even though we are doing a virtual session, it is easiest to design a poster as if it is a printed poster.  The preferred poster presentation size for the IGEN National meeting is 4 feet wide by 3 feet tall (landscape mode will work better in the virtual setting than portrait mode.)

Give Your Poster a Clean Layout

Remember to include:

  • An eye-catching, but simple title! 
  • Names of all authors and their institutions
  • Section headings
  • Interesting graphics with brief labels (50 to 75 words)
  • White space

Virtual posters are more difficult to read, even when zooming in, so minimize the words. The poster reader doesn’t expect to read an article, they expect to interact with the content on the poster and with you. Remember that you will be available to talk to the audience during scheduled times.  You can add a link to more detailed papers on your abstract displayed on the conference website.

For maximum readability:

  • Save your poster as a PNG or JPG file.
  • Keep the file size as small as possible with a resolution of no more than 2000 pixels.
  • The poster will be loaded on the website before the meeting so that you can preview it but check out the test space to see how other posters display.
  • Fonts:
    • Choose a font size that is easily read from a distance of about 1.5 meters. 
      • Typical sizes for body text are 24 point
      • Use a 72-100 point font to make your title stand out.
    • Limit color choices to at most three for the titles and descriptions.  
      • Use dark colors on light backgrounds for a clean look
    • Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, or Georgia are easy to read and widely available.
  • Do not use background images underneath your text, these will conflict visually with the text and make your poster more difficult to read.
  • Use bulleted lists instead of full paragraphs

What to Include on Your Poster:

Typical sections of a poster include the following.  However, work with your research mentor decide if these are the appropriate sections for your poster

  • Introduction - Why is this problem important? Provide clear background to interest the reader.
  • Procedure - What methods, tools, and additional resources did you use for your project? Include images, tables, or charts when possible.
  • Graphics - Use high-resolution images, label all charts and graphs, and include a legend if necessary.
  • Results - In most cases, it is not necessary to include all of your raw data. Show the data analysis that is applicable and briefly describe your results. Remember, not too much jargon! Your results should be the most prominent feature in the layout of your poster.
  • Conclusion - This is your opportunity to remind readers of the importance/relevance of your work. Use 2-4 bullet points to summarize your conclusion.
  • References - Remember to cite your work. Do not include titles.
    • Example: A. B. Smith, Phys. Rev. A 26, 107 (1982)
  • Acknowledgments - Take the time to thank your collaborators (those who are not co-authors) as well as your sources of funding. Don’t forget to mention travel grants!

Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!

Make sure that everything is spelled correctly, and that your language is consistent. All co-authors should review and agree upon the content of the poster. Show your poster to friends both inside and outside of your department to make sure that your writing is crystal clear. This is also a good way to practice answering questions about your work.

Addition Online Poster Tips & Resources

[PressBooks] Scientific Posters: Characteristics of a Scientific Poster