Scientific posters

Guidelines for scientific posters

The template is developed in Powerpoint where fonts, text sizes and line spacing are adapted to the poster format. Please read our guidelines with tips and suggestions. Template and tips are both available as downloadable files on this page.

1. General information

• The template was developed in PowerPoint, with typeface, text size and spacing appropriate for the poster format.
• When working on the poster, think of it as ‘advertisement’ rather than a ‘report’! Short texts combined with pictures are easier to read.
• For inspiration, click any of the examples to see what others have done.
• Ask your colleagues to read your text before printing the poster. Ask them to help you edit the text (one of the most common mistakes is including too much text).
• Proofread once, twice and three times. Mistakes in headings are often overlooked.
• It is mandatory that the financiersʹ logos are published on posters and printed materials. The financierʹs logotype is placed at the bottom of the poster. See the template!
• Logotypes for partner companies and cooperation partners are nice to have. These logos shall be placed in the bottom of the poster.

2 Format

• Our default format for scientific posters is 70x100 cm. The printing office in Östersund will print your poster.
• Send the complete poster as a high‐resolution PDF to the printing office. Check the settings to make sure that the PDF is saved in actual size when saving the file.
• Conference organizers often have their own rules when it comes to poster measurements, they may be different from our default format. If you need any help with the poster format, please contact the printing office or the Division of Communications.
• If the poster is also to be published on miun.se, it must be accessible. You can read about how to make documents accessible on the Office Templates page (in Swedish).

3. Layout

The template includes layout pre‐settings, such as typeface, format, columns etc. Please use these setting as far as possible, as this will give your posters a uniform appearance.

• At Mid Sweden University, we use the font Arial for scientific posters. All texts in the template are left‐aligned. We do not use uppercase for headings or texts.
• In the template, the title is blue and written in lowercase letters, with initial capital letter, in Arial, bold, 80 points.
• In the template, intermediate headings are written in Arial, bold, 42 points.
• In the template, body text is written in Arial, regular, 36 points. Remember to divide the body text into paragraphs to facilitate reading in the busy environment where posters are usually found. A line of approximately 45‐55 characters provides good readability.
• Captions are written in Arial, italics, 18 points.
• Use sharp lines, clear colours and patterns for tables/graphs.
• Make sure that the poster does not feel busy. If there is too much text, your poster will appear grey, and will not draw in readers. Leave a distance of at least 1.5 cm around all pictures and graphs.

4. Outline

We suggest that you use the outline below but do feel free to adapt it to suit your purposes and subject.

Author: Main author first, followed by the co‐authors arranged alphabetically according to last name. Place of work (e.g. HEI, research centre/department) should directly follow the name.

Title: Being brief is difficult, so make an effort to find an appealing and striking title capturing your subject. It should be clear, easy to read and cover no more than three lines.

Introduction: A short introduction which can include aim or goals. Method: A very short description. Readers who would like to know more can find information elsewhere.

Results: A short presentation of the results; using too many words will obscure the results. Use tables and graphs, but make sure that they only show relevant information, so that anyone can understand them. If you choose to use photos, or other types of pictures, remember to use a caption below the picture.

References: When needed, only the most important references are to be mentioned.

Logotypes: Co‐financer or partner logotypes, or contact information for authors, are placed at the bottom of the scientific poster. Follow the content boxes of the template.

Photos: In the Mid Sweden University image vault (in Swedish) you will find our own photos; you are welcome to use these. The photos can be downloaded from the image vault (please note that you have to be logged in). Always credit the photographer adjacent to the photo. If you want to use pictures other than those found in the Mid Sweden University image vault, make sure to check the copyright first.

The scientific poster could also include conclusions, discussion, and further research if there are important results to communicate.

5. Remember!

You can’t fit it all on a poster. Feel free to prepare an information folder for more information about your project. In the folder, you can include additional information. Make sure to include your contact information. Sometimes these information folders are placed near your poster. 

Template

Powerpoint template for scientific poster