Preparing Your Poster
Poster Dimensions
Posters are limited to a maximum size of 4 feet high by 4 feet wide. Most posters tend to be around 42” by 42”, but you can choose to have a smaller poster.
Designing Your Poster
The most common program to use in creating a poster is Microsoft PowerPoint; the use of Adobe products is also common. If using PowerPoint, the first step is to check the size requirements, then create one slide in the program with those dimensions.
There are many resources available to help with designing your poster. We encourage you to check out the following sites for poster tips as well as talk with your faculty advisor about poster ideas.
- The on-campus CougsPrints Plus program’s website has helpful advice on making posters with PowerPoint and provides PowerPoint templates for research posters.
- Nature photographer and biologist Colin Purrington has a blog providing popular advice on designing academic conference posters.
Where to Have Your Poster Printed
You can choose to print your poster for a cost wherever you like. The best place to start is to ask your faculty advisor. Public poster printing services are available on the WSU Pullman campus through CougPrints Plus. Some colleges may have printing resources. There are also off-campus commercial printers that are available nearby. Ask your faculty advisor for advice on where to print.
If this is the first time you have printed a research poster, please note that poster printing is a time consuming process. Be sure to plan ahead to allow adequate time (at least several days) for the poster to be submitted, printed, and picked up before the Symposium.
Symposium Schedule
- 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.: Check-in and poster set-up (posters should be hung and ready to go before 9:00 a.m.) in the CUE Atrium.
- 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.: Welcome and keynote speaker in CUE 203.
- The keynote presentation will also be available over Zoom for those not located on the WSU Pullman campus. (Meeting ID: 921 0162 5995, Passcode: 610416)
- 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Students must beat their posters and available to discuss their research and answer questions.
- 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Lunch is provided in the CUE for undergraduate student researchers. Time slots will be offered on a staggered basis, allowing each student about 30 minutes to eat.
- 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.: Put posters away and tear down event.