Venue Templates

Research Poster Guidelines

Comprehensive guidelines for creating effective academic research posters including sizing, layout, typography, and design best practices.

Reviewed: 2026-07-20

Poster dimensions and upload rules are event-specific. Confirm the current presenter instructions before choosing a size, orientation, or file format.

Standard Poster Sizes

International Sizes (ISO 216)

US Sizes

Other Common Sizes

Orientation

• Portrait: Most common (height > width)

  • Better for long visual flows (top to bottom)

  • Examples: A0, 36"×48"

• Landscape: Less common but sometimes preferred

  • Better for wide content, timelines

  • Examples: 48"×36", 40"×30"

Always verify: Check conference specifications before designing!

Typography and Font Sizes

Recommended Font Sizes by Distance

Posters are viewed from 3-6 feet (1-2 meters) away:

Font Families

Sans-Serif (Recommended for Posters):

• Arial

• Helvetica

• Calibri

• Futura

• Gill Sans

• Why: Clean, readable at distance

Serif (Use Sparingly):

• Times New Roman

• Georgia

• Palatino

• When: Body text if preferred, but sans-serif better for headers

Monospace:

• Courier New

• Consolas

• When: Code snippets only

Typography Best Practices

1. Limit fonts: Use 1-2 font families maximum

2. Hierarchy: Establish clear size hierarchy

3. Weight: Use bold for emphasis, not italics

4. Alignment: Left-align body text, center title

5. Spacing: Generous line spacing (1.2-1.5)

6. Consistency: Same fonts for similar elements

Layout and Design Principles

Grid-Based Layouts

Column Structures:

Recommended: 2 or 3 columns for most research posters

Visual Flow

Reading Order (Western conventions):

1. Top to bottom

2. Left to right

3. Z-pattern or F-pattern

Section Ordering (typical):

+----------------------------------+
|            TITLE                 |
|     Authors, Affiliations        |
+----------------------------------+
| Introduction | Results           |
|              |                   |
| Methods      | Discussion        |
|              |                   |
| [Optional]   | Conclusions       |
+----------------------------------+
|         References / QR Code     |
+----------------------------------+

Spacing and Margins

• Outer margins: 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) all sides

• Column spacing: 0.5-1 inch (1.3-2.5 cm)

• Inter-section spacing: 0.5-1 inch

• White space: 30-40% of poster should be white space

Avoid: Dense, text-heavy layouts with minimal white space

Color Schemes

Colorblind-Safe Palettes

Use colorblind-friendly color combinations:

Okabe-Ito Palette (Recommended):

• Orange: #E69F00

• Sky Blue: #56B4E9

• Bluish Green: #009E73

• Yellow: #F0E442

• Blue: #0072B2

• Vermillion: #D55E00

• Reddish Purple: #CC79A7

• Black: #000000

• Gray: #999999

Viridis Palette (sequential):

• Good for heatmaps and gradients

• Colorblind-safe and perceptually uniform

Color Usage Guidelines

Background:

• White or light gray: Most common, professional

• Light colored: Pale blue, beige (use cautiously)

• Avoid dark backgrounds: Harder to read, expensive to print

Text:

• Dark on light: Black or dark gray text on white/light backgrounds

• Contrast ratio: At least 4.5:1 (WCAG AA standard)

Accent Colors:

• Use 2-3 accent colors maximum

• Section headers, key findings

• Consistent throughout poster

Figures:

• Colorblind-safe palettes

• Sufficient contrast

• Test in grayscale

Color Contrast Tools

• WebAIM Contrast Checker: https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/

• Coblis (Color Blindness Simulator): https://www.color-blindness.com/coblis-color-blindness-simulator/

Content Structure

Essential Sections

1. Title Section

• Title: Clear, specific, engaging

• Authors: Names (underline presenting author)

• Affiliations: Institutions, departments

• Logo: Institutional logo (corner)

• Contact: Email, QR code to paper/website

2. Introduction/Background

• Purpose: Context and motivation

• Length: 100-200 words

• Include:

  • Problem statement

  • Research gap

  • Objectives/hypothesis

3. Methods

• Purpose: How you did the study

• Format:

  • Bullet points preferred

  • Flow diagram if complex

  • Key parameters

• Include: Sample size, procedures, analysis

4. Results

• Purpose: What you found

• Format: Primarily visual (figures, tables, charts)

• Include:

  • Key findings (2-4 main results)

  • Statistical significance

  • Visual evidence

5. Discussion/Conclusions

• Purpose: What it means

• Length: 100-200 words

• Include:

  • Interpretation

  • Implications

  • Limitations

  • Future work

6. References

• Format: Small font, abbreviated citations

• Include: Key citations only (5-10)

• Style: Any consistent style

Optional Sections

• Abstract: Sometimes included, often omitted

• Acknowledgments: Funding, collaborators

• Future Work: Next steps

Visual Elements

Figures and Plots

Principles:

1. Simplify: Remove clutter, emphasize key points

2. Enlarge: Make larger than in paper

3. Label clearly: Large axis labels, legends

4. Standalone: Each figure tells a complete story

5. High resolution: 300 dpi minimum

Figure Types:

• Photographs: High quality, cropped appropriately

• Graphs: Bar charts, line plots, scatter plots

• Heatmaps: Use colorblind-safe colormaps

• Schematics: Diagrams, flowcharts

• Tables: Simple tables (complex tables → figure)

Tables

When to Use:

• Precise numerical values needed

• Comparisons across conditions

• Summary statistics

Best Practices:

• Keep simple: 3-5 columns, 5-10 rows maximum

• Large fonts: Same size as body text

• Clear headers: Bold column/row headers

• Alternating rows: Light shading for readability

• Minimal lines: Horizontal lines only (no vertical)

Icons and Graphics

Use:

• Icons for visual interest (methods, concepts)

• Simple graphics to break text

• Arrows to guide flow

Sources:

• Noun Project: https://thenounproject.com/

• BioRender: https://biorender.com/ (scientific illustrations)

• Font Awesome: https://fontawesome.com/ (icons)

Caution: Don't overuse; maintain professionalism

LaTeX Poster Packages

beamerposter

Description: Extension of Beamer for posters
Best For: Academic conferences, classic layout
Pros:

• Familiar to Beamer users

• Clean, professional appearance

• Many themes available

Cons:

• Less flexible than tikzposter

• Can be verbose

Template: assets/posters/beamerposter_academic.tex

Example Usage:

\documentclass[final]{beamer}
\usepackage[size=a0,scale=1.24]{beamerposter}
\usetheme{Berlin}

tikzposter

Description: Modern poster package using TikZ
Best For: Colorful, modern designs
Pros:

• Highly customizable

• Modern, attractive themes

• Block-based layout

Cons:

• Steeper learning curve

• Can be slow to compile

Bundled template: None. Start from the current tikzposter package documentation or an event-provided template.

Example Usage:

\documentclass[25pt, a0paper, portrait]{tikzposter}
\usetheme{Autumn}
\usecolorstyle{Denmark}

baposter

Description: Box-and-poster system
Best For: Structured, multi-column layouts
Pros:

• Excellent column control

• Header boxes, structured layout

• Good for dense content

Cons:

• Complex syntax

• Less commonly used

Bundled template: None. Start from the current baposter package documentation or an event-provided template.

Example Usage:

\documentclass[a0paper,portrait]{baposter}

Printing and File Preparation

File Format

For Printing:

• PDF: Universal standard

• High resolution: 300 dpi minimum, 600 dpi for photos

• Color space: RGB for most printers (check with printer)

• Embed fonts: Ensure all fonts embedded

• Flatten: No transparency issues

Print Quality Checks

Before printing:

1. Proofread: Check for typos, errors

2. Colors: Check in print preview

3. Resolution: Zoom to 100%, check figure quality

4. Margins: Verify nothing cut off

5. Test print: Print small version (A4) to check layout

Print Providers

Options:

1. University print shop: Often cheapest, convenient

2. FedEx Office: Widely available

3. Online services:

   • Vistaprint

   • Printful

   • Academic Poster Printing (specialized)

Cost: Typically $50-150 for A0 glossy poster

Paper Types

Recommendation: Satin or matte for most academic posters

QR Codes

What to Include

Generate QR codes linking to:

• Paper PDF: Published or preprint

• Supplementary materials: Data, code, videos

• Personal website: Lab or researcher page

• Video abstract: 1-2 minute video summary

• Online version: Interactive poster

Placement

• Common locations:

  • Bottom right corner

  • Next to references

  • Near contact information

• Size: 3-4 inches (7-10 cm) square

• Label: "Scan for paper" or "More info"

QR Code Generators

• QR Code Generator: https://www.qr-code-generator.com/

• QRStuff: https://www.qrstuff.com/

• LaTeX package: qrcode for generating in LaTeX

Design Best Practices

Do's

✓ Use large fonts (28pt+ for body text)
✓ Keep text minimal (30-40% of poster)
✓ Use visuals (60-70% figures, plots, images)
✓ Tell a story (clear narrative flow)
✓ Colorblind-safe colors
✓ Test readability (view from 6 feet away)
✓ Include contact info (email, QR code)
✓ Proofread (multiple times!)

Don'ts

✗ Don't use small fonts (<24pt body text)
✗ Don't overcrowd (leave white space)
✗ Don't use complex tables (simplify or visualize)
✗ Don't use full paragraphs (use bullets)
✗ Don't use many fonts (1-2 max)
✗ Don't use low-res images (<300 dpi)
✗ Don't use red-green contrasts (colorblind issue)
✗ Don't make it a paper (posters ≠ papers)

Poster Presentation Tips

During the Poster Session

1. Stand by your poster: Be available, engaged

2. Elevator pitch ready: 1-2 minute summary prepared

3. Different depths: Short version (1 min), medium (3 min), deep dive (10 min)

4. Engage visitors: Ask questions, invite discussion

5. Business cards: Have them ready

6. Notebook: Record feedback, questions

7. Handouts: Optional 1-page summary (with QR code)

Talking Through Your Poster

30-second version:

• What is the problem?

• What did you do?

• What did you find?

2-minute version:

• Background + motivation

• Methods (briefly)

• Key result (show main figure)

• Conclusion + implications

5+ minute version:

• Full walkthrough

• Address specific questions

• Discuss limitations, future work

Accessibility Considerations

Visual Accessibility

1. Color contrast: High contrast (4.5:1 minimum)

2. Colorblind-safe: Use Okabe-Ito or similar palettes

3. Font size: Large enough to read from distance

4. Font choice: Clear, sans-serif fonts

5. Alt text: Consider providing text description

Physical Accessibility

1. Mounting height: Low enough for wheelchair users to read bottom

2. QR codes: Provide alternative (short URL, handout)

Checklist Before Printing

• [ ] Proofread all text (typos, grammar)

• [ ] Check author names and affiliations

• [ ] Verify all figures are high resolution (300+ dpi)

• [ ] Ensure colorblind-safe color schemes

• [ ] Test readability from 6 feet away (print small version)

• [ ] Verify poster dimensions match conference requirements

• [ ] Check that fonts are embedded in PDF

• [ ] Include contact information (email, QR code)

• [ ] Add institutional logo

• [ ] Verify references are accurate

• [ ] Ensure figures have clear labels and captions

• [ ] Check that layout is not too dense (adequate white space)

• [ ] Verify QR codes work (test scan)

• [ ] Confirm file is high-resolution PDF

• [ ] Get feedback from colleagues

Example Poster Layouts

Layout 1: Two-Column (Recommended for Most)

+----------------------------------------+
|              TITLE                     |
|      Authors & Affiliations            |
+----------------------------------------+
|  INTRO    |  RESULTS                   |
|           |                            |
|  METHODS  |  RESULTS (cont.)           |
|           |                            |
|           |  DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS    |
+----------------------------------------+
|        REFERENCES    |    QR CODE      |
+----------------------------------------+

Layout 2: Three-Column

+---------------------------------------+
|              TITLE                    |
|      Authors & Affiliations           |
+---------------------------------------+
| INTRO  | RESULTS | DISCUSSION         |
|        |         |                    |
| METHOD | RESULTS | CONCLUSIONS        |
|        |         |                    |
|        | RESULTS | FUTURE WORK        |
+---------------------------------------+
|    REFERENCES       |   QR CODE       |
+---------------------------------------+

Layout 3: Horizontal Flow

+----------------------------------------+
|              TITLE                     |
|      Authors & Affiliations            |
+----------------------------------------+
|  INTRODUCTION    |    METHODS          |
+----------------------------------------+
|           RESULTS                      |
|    (large figure spanning width)       |
+----------------------------------------+
|  DISCUSSION      |   CONCLUSIONS       |
+----------------------------------------+
|        REFERENCES    |    QR CODE      |
+----------------------------------------+

Resources

LaTeX Templates

• assets/posters/beamerposter_academic.tex

This is the only poster template bundled with the skill. tikzposter and baposter remain possible external authoring packages, but no local templates are provided for them.

Online Resources

• Better Posters Blog: https://betterposters.blogspot.com/

• Colorblind Safe Palettes: https://colorbrewer2.org/

• BioRender (scientific illustrations): https://biorender.com/

• Poster Design Guide (Colin Purrington): https://colinpurrington.com/tips/poster-design/

Tools

• Inkscape: Free vector graphics editor

• PowerPoint: Surprisingly popular for posters

• Illustrator: Professional design tool

• LaTeX: Best for reproducibility, version control

Summary

Key Takeaways:

1. Size: Verify conference requirements (typically A0 or 36"×48")

2. Fonts: Large (28pt+ body, 72pt+ title)

3. Layout: 2-3 columns, generous white space

4. Visuals: 60-70% visual content

5. Colors: Colorblind-safe, high contrast

6. Content: Tell a story, keep text minimal

7. Quality: 300+ dpi, test print

8. Accessibility: Readable from distance, clear hierarchy

Remember: A poster is not a paper - it's a visual summary designed to spark conversations!