1. Size headings large. As minimums for a small poster, think 1-2-3: roughly one inch (72 points) for the title, half inch for main headings (36–48 pt.), and third of an inch (18–30 pt.) for most body text. Scale upward for larger posters. Anyone should be able to read text 5–10 feet away.
2. Make headings talk. Reject generic headings (“Stem Rust”) for specific ones (“Sensitivity of Stem Rust to Temperature at Canopy Height”) and main points (“Using Canopy Data Improves Rust Simulation Model”). Your headings should tell the story of your poster in a logical sequence.
3. Visually emphasize the big three. Your audience is mostly likely to focus on three spots in your poster: the title, the most prominent visual, and your main point.
4. Chunk main ideas. Tell your story in 5–8 main sections. Use color, line, shape, and space to separate these main ideas. Use contrast so that text is easy to read against its background. Add a sense of depth by mounting display elements onto colored foamboard or by creating the same effect with computer-generated backgrounds (shaded backgrounds, drop shadows, overlapping elements). These techniques isolate and project your main ideas visually.
5. Define directional viewing. Plan vertically. People will often need to read through a group gathered around the poster, so shape chunks for easy reading from top to bottom, not horizontally across the poster. If photographs have any natural direction (front-back, perspective lines, line of sight, motion, strong diagonals), make sure the movement leads into the poster or into a relevant section. If needed, add simple lines or arrows to underscore the sequence of chunks for reading.
6. Telegraph your ideas. A poster is more like a web page than a print page. Your goal is quick access to information. Prefer short lists and phrases to long sentences. Make every word count. A poster usually doesn’t need to include a summary; it IS a summary. Scientific posters tend to use considerable text and data, though such detailed information often works better in a handout.
7. Deepen headings. For multiple-paragraph sections, turn the first few words of each paragraph into headings or add a short run-in heading like “deepen headings” in this paragraph.
8. Invest in one prominent visual. Your primary visual may create an impression and provide information, but it should be located to catch the eye and connect to your main point. Minimize tables and long lists. Simplify the design, not the content. Respect the audience’s need for quick information without being simplistic. Visually, indicate which image is the main one; your audience may never get to the others.
9. Color lightly. Muted colors play a better role in supporting your main point without overwhelming it. Use pale solid-color or lightly textured backgrounds (generally photographs as backgrounds, even semi-transparent ones, decrease readability). Text should contrast well with the background without going to extremes (not black-white, but dark gray–off white or the color equivalent).
10. Prefer simple design. Avoid horizontal rules to separate text; use spacing instead. Keep lines thin and to a minimum. Indicate the priority of your ideas visually. Treating units of information equally can weaken the design and hide key differences in content. Beware of too much text centering, too many uniform boxes, too little type size variation, etc. Use only one or two typefaces (generally sans-serif). Use only 1–3 colors supported by neutrals (whites, grays, browns).