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When creating a poster to be printed on a large format printer (available in Student Activities or the Faculty LabITC), please keep the following guidelines in mind:

Key Points

1. You can print PowerPoint, Publisher, Word, and PDF files. You cannot print picture files like JPEGs.
2. Before coming in, ensure that your file is set to the dimensions you want your poster to print at.

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1. Printing is first come, first served. During the busiest times of the year (for instance, the end of the semester), we will try to schedule appointments. These appointments can be reserved at tinyurl.com/drew-itc-posters.

Document Size

1. When you create your document in PowerPoint (instructions), Publisher, or another program, use the Page Layout function to make the dimensions of the electronic document conform to the size of the final poster you want before you begin to put in any text or other elements.
   Maximum width or height will
   1. Making posters smaller or larger after they've been designed causes formatting problems and pixellated or unclear images.
   2. In PowerPoint, change the "Slides sized for" to "Custom".
2. One dimension must be 40 inches or less.   This is due to the size of the poster paper. Maximum length of a poster depends on The other dimension can be smaller or larger, depending on your needs and how much paper is left in the printer. 
   In PowerPoint, change the "Slides sized for" to "Custom".
   1. Please note: PowerPoint will not allow you to create a poster larger than 56" on one side. 
   2. We recommend using Microsoft Publisher for creating posters that will be larger than 56 inches on any one side.
   3. Publisher will suggest that you use a template. You can start with one of the "Blank sizes" in the "Signs" category (look for one that is 36" on one side), or you can choose "More Blank Page Sizes" and choose "Create new page size" under the Custom heading.
   4. Publisher is not available on the Mac OS, but can be accessed via CloudPC (more information). The program is available in the computer labs in the BC basement.
3. Making posters smaller or larger after they've been designed causes formatting problems and images are often pixellated or unclear.

The most common poster size we see is 20" wide by 30" tall. A poster of this size, rotated correctly at printing, costs $8.33.

Google Slides

If you are creating your file in Google Slides:

1. Size your slide before inserting any content.
   1. Go to File > Page Setup.
   2. Choose Custom.
   3. Enter the width and height.  
   4. Click OK.
2. To print, you will need to save the file to PowerPoint.
   1. Go to File > Download as...> Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx)
   2. You can do this step after arriving at the ITC.

Document Color

1. As much as possible, please Please use a white background for your posters.  
   1. Color backgrounds are beautiful, but they will drain the ink supply AND create an undesirable ripple effect in the paper as too much ink is laid down on the paper.
   2. Rule of Thumb: At least 55% of your poster background should be white. The FacLab reserves the right to refuse printing of any poster with more than 55% color (including images and text boxes with background color).

1. This is to save ink and to avoid a "rippling" effect on the poster itself that may be caused by using too much color. 
   
   1. We encourage you to use white for 50% of the background.
   2. If you prefer to use a color background on a poster, it should be as light as possible. You can also consider using color as a background for certain parts of the poster (such as in textboxes, etc.)
      
      

Images

1. Pictures and Charts should be imported as an image or they may not print properly.

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2. Pictures and images from scientific equipment should be sized according to the final dimensions of the poster when it prints out.
   1. If you are exporting an image from scientific software, export at 200 dpi in .jpg, .png, .gif, or .tiff format. 
3. Pay attention to the resolution of images. Attempting to make an image larger may cause it to You cannot make images larger - they will become pixellated and look unprofessional.  Think of how pictures on balloons look when you blow them up.  The same thing happens when you try to make a too-small image bigger in PowerPoint or Publisher.Pay attention to the resolution (dots per inch or dpi) of images. 
   1. Most images from the web and screenshots from a computer are 72 dpi   You can get nice printouts for images at 72 dpi, but they tend to be too small to fit on posters any larger than 8.5x11
   2. Printed images should ideally be no more than 200 dpi
   3. If you are exporting an image from scientific software, make sure to export at 200 dpi in .jpg, .png, .gif, or .tiff format. Also keep balance in mind: Most posters do not require resolution any higher than 200 dpi.

Charts

Importing Excel Charts to PowerPoint or Publisher

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Preparing to Print

1. Save the file as a PDF to a Drew network drive, Google Drive, or a USB drive or email it to yourself in order to access the files from FacLab ITC computers.
   1. We will not print a JPEG file. If you have a JPEG, please insert the file into Publisher or PowerPoint - after sizing - and edit before coming in to print. See "Images" above for more information.
2. The poster printer is in the Faculty Lab, Brothers CollegeInstructional Technology Center, Library, Room 11110.
   1. Poster printing hours: M-F, 9:00pm - 4:30pm. No posters will be accepted for printing after 4:30pm.
   2. Printing is first come, first served. Please be prepared to wait during busy During the busiest times of the year .
   A Banner account number (FOAP) is required for printing. Posters will not be printed without an account number at the time of service
   1. (for instance, the end of the semester), we will try to schedule appointments. These appointments can be reserved at tinyurl.com/drew-itc-posters.

For multiple posters (for example, for a class or group such as DSSI or Gov School), department Administrative Assistants and Faculty may contact the University Technology Service Center at x4357 to provide account information and a list of students authorized to print under the account number.

FacLab ITC employees will be happy to help you print to the printers and can help you make sure your poster meets these guidelines so that it will print properly to the large format printer.

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Large Format Printer (Poster) Black & White or Color- $5.00/foot 

Help Creating a Poster

1. If you need help learning to use Publisher or another program to create your poster, make an appointment by calling the UT Service Center at 973-408-4357.
2. Appointments should will be at most 1 hour in length.
3. Appointments can be made M-F 10:00AM-5:00PM
4. MS Publisher is available on lab the computers in BC 1, 5, and 11, in the BC basement.

Trouble Printing?

If you are having trouble printing, check to make sure the following print options are set correctly:

1. Select the Advanced tab, then Paper/Output > Paper Size. 
2. Select PostScript Custom Page Size from the paper size list, then specify the paper dimensions (poster size), then click OK to save the new dimensions of the PostScript Custom Page Size, which appears in the list of custom sizes available in the Paper/Quality tab. 
   1. Your new page size is saved until you exit your current application, after which the PostScript Custom Page Size remains in the list but reverts to its default dimensions.
3. Select the Paper/Quality tab, then select Any in the Paper Type drop-down listthe Vivian A. Bull Academic Commons, in the Library, and via CloudPC (more information).