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Important Instructions for Presenters

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Large Format Printing for Posters

Thanks to a generous donation from Conemaugh Health System, we have funding available to defray the cost of large format printing for posters.  In order to keep track of how many posters are being printed, and to guarantee that all posters will be printed, please follow the protocol below.
  1. Faculty menotrs should notify Jim Alexander (zander@pitt.edu or 2990) in the Social Sciences Division Office (Krebs 104). Faculty mentors with more than one student presentation are encouraged to request pre-approval for all students at one time.
  2. After pre-approval, students will go to User Services (Blackington 228) to sign up for an appointment to have their poster printed.  There will be a sign up sheet at the front desk in Blackington 228.  
  3. You may drop off your completed poster file any time prior to the scheduled appointment time if it is finished. Save the file to a flash driive as LastnameFirst.xxx.
  4. When you drop off your file, you will transfer it to the computer in 228 Blackington. Open the file to verify it is acceptable before leaving. You are responsible for any poster errors. User Services will not correct any documents and you will be charged to have it reprinted.
  5. Your poster will be available as scheduled.
  6. No "drop in" appointments to have files printed. Do not wait until the last minute to schedule your appointment!

Poster Format - Hints & Tips

  • Be sure to follow the Poster Guidelines  
  • Poster dimensions - The printer paper is 41 inches wide. Keeping the aspect ratio close to 2 x 3 gives two possibiliites:
    • 41 inches high by 60 inches wide (landscape)
    • 41 inches high by 28 inches wide (portrait) 
  • Use graphics software to lay out your poster. Set the page layout for the actual size you will be printing before creating your poster!
  • The following programs are available on the machines in the student computing labs:
    • Power Point
    • Microsoft Publisher
    • Adobe Acrobat
    • Note that Corel Draw is no longer available in the student labs. However, if you have access to the software, IT will print your poster.
    • Another option is Inkscape, a freware application much like Corel Draw. More information is available for download.
  • Use the "Rule of Thirds" to aid in graphic design (see http://www.photo96.com/blog/?p=371) 
  • Use your poster area effectively!  
    • Do not leave large areas of empty white space.
    • Do not use large type to fill poster space if you lack content.
    • Relevant illustrations are effective ways to fill space and also convey information quickly.
  • Use only standard fonts. For example a really cool font you may have on your personal computer may not be available on the lab machines (or on the machine from which your poster is printed). Font substitution can dramatically alter the appearance of your poster and you may not be happy with the end result. Note that User Services will not be responsible for problems resulting from non-standard fonts.  
  • Graphics
    • Minimum Resolution 150 ppi should be JPEG type and close to the final size needed on the poster.
    • Do not use jpg or bmp files that you "right-click" from a web page (these do not scale up well and are typically poor quality). You cannot increase resolution, or detail, of files upward. Zoom in to view the graphic on your poster to be sure it doesn't appear jagged because of low resolution.
    • To "scale" or resize a graphic element, select the graphic, hold the Shift or Contol key (depending on the application) while dragging by the corner boxes to enlarge or reduce the size of the graphic.
    • It is especially critical to the appearance of the graphic that you use the Control/Shift modification when re-sizing. This ensures that the graphic will be scaled proportionately instead of looking "stretched" or distored.
  • Store the completed file on a flash drive and name it as LastnameFirstname.xxx (makes it much easier for User Services to keep track of things).

For Poster Presentations

  • The Heritage Hall will be open starting at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, April 16. You may put your poster up any time after 8:30.
  • Posters must be up by 12 noon
  • The poster boards and push pins will be provided!
  • You must take your poster down by 4:15 PM!
  • Poster times are on the schedule.
  • Poster locations are on the map.

For Oral Presentations

  • Arrive in the room ten mniutes before the session begins.
  • Find the convener and introduce yourself. 
  • If using technology, copy your presentation file from the disc (CD, flash drive, memory stick, etc.) to the desk top of the computer in the room. Just before your talk open the file from PowerPoint.
  • Make sure the convener can pronounce your name and the title of your talk. This makes more sense than you might think.  The convener is not necessarily in the same discipline as your presentation.

If you are using PowerPoint for your presentation, please follow these instructions:

  • Bring your presentation on a CD or flash drive (jump drive, memory stick, etc.).
  • Arrive a few minutes before your session begins.
  • Copy the presentation from the CD or jump drive to the desk top of the computer.
  • In PowerPoint, open the presentation that is stored on the desk top.
Last Reviewed: April 3, 2008
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The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown