Design Principles of a Poster

When designing a poster, there are some basic principles to use in order to present your information as clearly as possible.
Consistent Font

Use just one or two different fonts to keep the appearance uniform and easy to read. Font variety can be achieved by using the BOLD, ITALIC and UNDERLINE choices on the font toolbar. Sans serif fonts, such as Arial, are preferred for reading from a distance.
Consistent Colors

A color scheme of one or two colors helps to emphasize the information in the poster; the use of many colors may distract from the information you are presenting.
Consistent Alignment

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Align the text boxes and illustrations in the poster by using guides in order to make the poster easy to navigate when seeing it for the first time. It is a good idea to recheck alignment after completing the poster, as well as running the spell check tool.
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The poster should be arranged in columns instead of rows, so that several people can read it at the same time without zigzagging back and forth.

Self-Contained

A poster should be self-contained, self-explanatory and designed to allow several viewers to view it simultaneously.
Viewed from a distance

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The narrative text should be minimized into short, separated paragraphs using a large typeface. The minimum size we recommend is 24pt; larger typefaces (28pt+) are easier to read from a distance.
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Figures should be designed to be seen from a distance and should have clear visible graphics with large typeface.

Backgrounds

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The best legibility is achieved by using black text on white backgrounds. Backgrounds made of dark images or texture patterns can cause the text to be obscured.
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If you use different colors for text, avoid using yellow or other light colors as these are especially difficult to read.
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Note about gradient fills: While gradient fills in text boxes and titles look smooth on-screen and in small prints, the result in a large poster often has visible ‘banding’, where the gradient’s color steps have distinct edges, which are visible. Banding is especially prevalent when using 2 color gradients.