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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.
   1. Maximum width or height will be 40 inches.  This is due to the size of the poster paper.
   2. Maximum length of a poster depends on how much paper is left in the printer. 
   3. In PowerPoint, change the "Slides sized for" to "Custom".
   4. Please note: PowerPoint will not allow you to create a poster larger than 56" on one side. 
      1. We recommend using Microsoft Publisher for creating posters that will be larger than 56 inches on any one side.
      2. 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.
      3. Publisher is not available on the Mac OS.
2. Making posters smaller or larger after they've been designed causes formatting problems and pixellated or unclear images.
3. Please As much as possible, 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 should be white. The ITC reserves the right to refuse printing of any poster with more than 55% color (including images and text boxes with background color).

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1. This is to save ink and to avoid "rippling" effect on the poster itself that may be caused by using too much color. 
   1. 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.)
   2. Feel free to consult with an ITC student or staff person if you have any questions!
      
      

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Images

1. Pictures and images from scientific equipment should be sized according to the final dimensions of the poster when it prints out.
2. 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.
3. Pay attention to the resolution 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. 

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