Creating an Academic Research Poster

What is an Academic Research Poster?

An Academic Research poster is a tool used by researchers to help present their findings and conclusions in a concise easy-to-read format. These types of posters are often used during conferences, academic showcases, and other events where research is being discussed. 

MSOE is currently developing a poster template, as soon as that is released we will update this guide.

If you would like to design a poster from scratch, this guide will walk you through the process. When creating a poster ALWAYS check the submission instructions! 

Steps for formatting your poster in different programs:

Steps for PowerPoint:

• Open PowerPoint and create a new slide deck
• Click the Design Tab
• In the Design tab ribbon, locate the "Slide Size" section and open the dialog box
• Choose "Custom slide size"
  • Find the "Slides Sized for" section 
  • Select "Custom"
  • Enter the Width 
  • Enter the Height 
  • Check to make sure the slide is in the correct orientation layout. 
• Click OK
• Your poster slide is now correctly formatted

Steps for Canva:

• IMPORTANT TO NOTE: If you are using the free version of Canva - you will not be able to size the slide before you begin. You will need to download the slide as a PowerPoint slide and edit the size as noted above. If you have the upgraded subscription to Canva you can proceed as follows: 
• Create a new "Presentation" 
• In the top left hand corner select: Resize 
  • In the drop down menu, under Browse by Category, Select "Custom Size"
  • Change the Units to Inches 
  • Add the appropriate height and width 
  • Click apply - your slide is now correctly sized 

Steps for Adobe InDesign:

• Create a new document
  • a dialog box will prompt you to enter in your dimensions 
  • Adjust the Units of the dimensions to Inches
    • enter in the appropriate height and width 
  • Consider the Margins, Bleed, and Slug tabs
    • Adjust the margins to 0 unless you have a plan for using the margins in your poster. 
    • Bleed shows the printer where to trim white space that occurs when printing. If you are printing your poster, include at least a 0.25 inch bleed on each side; do not place anything within the Bleed as it may be cut off. 
    • Slug is for the creator to add notes to the printer - set this to 0 inches unless you require notes. 
  • Select Create - your poster will now be formatted correctly. 

Steps for Google Slides

• Open your Google Docs  - select New - Slides
• Under the File tab 
  • select Page Setup
    • Choose Custom from the dropdown menu
    • Enter the appropriate height and width 
    • Click apply - you are now properly formatted in Google Slides

If you have suggestions for how to make this page better, please contact Elizabeth Jerow, Library Director (jerow@msoe.edu).