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Research Posters

Attending a poster session? Use the Downstate HSU templates below as a starting point to present your research.
48x36 Reasearch Poster ThumbnailDownload 48w x 36h | 4 Column

To have your poster printed with us you'll need to send along your PowerPoint (.ppt) or Adobe PDF (.pdf) file for your poster and then we'll need to know the following:

What size you would like it printed at
The standard poster size for most conferences is 48"w x 36"h. If you’re attending a conference, you’ll need to check what their display guidelines are and print smaller than that.

The stock you would like it printed on:

Glossy or Cloth. Glossy is the standard choice for research posters. Cloth is usually chosen for those who would like to fold their poster for easy travel without use of a shipping tube

If you'll be needing a shipping tube

Shipping tubes are $5 each and are recommended if you’re traveling. 

How you'll be paying:

If you're paying on your own using a credit card you can pay online via an E-Market link that we'll send you or in-person at our kiosk. If a department is paying on your behalf, you'll need to email Ms. Lila Jones at lila.jones@downstate.edu and CC the individual who will be handling the payment. A PCard payment (preferred), account number, or purchase requisition are all acceptable forms of payment.

Once the poster has been approved, printing can take up to 2-3 business days and once printed, we'll send you another email with location and pickup instructions.

Other Information

Output and Design Costs

  • Photographic paper posters – $25.00 per linear ft. (eg. 4ft poster is $100.00)
  • Water resistant fabric – $35.00 per foot
  • Traveling tubes (up to 44") – $5.00 each
  • Please establish payment (purchase requisition, grant, check) with our front office (Lila Jones 718 270-7550).
  • Turnaround times are generally 2-3 business days for individual submissions, 7-10 days for submissions of 10 or more posters.

Proofing

Due to scheduling constraints, we no longer offer physical proofs. We instead ask that all researchers carefully check their posters for errors / misspellings before submission. All printing is final and re-prints will result in the cost of 100% of the original charge as well as delays to turnaround time.

When you've read the above and are ready to request a poster, please email our Graphic Designer sean.thill@downstate.edu with the specifications.

Planning
First, check with conference organizers on their specifications of size and orientation, before you start your poster. You must make note of the maximum poster size and display area, the orientation, horizontal format (landscape) or vertical format (portrait). Bear in mind that you do not need to fill the whole space allocated by some organizers (i.e. 4 x 8 ft).

Re-write your paper into poster format i.e. simplify everything and avoid data overkill. The title, headlines and subheadings should be short, yet meaningful. The content should be concise, to the point, and well organized, presenting only enough data to support your conclusions.

Do a spell-check and have someone else proofread your poster, before you bring it to Biomedical Communications. Photos, graphs, diagrams and logos can easily be imported into your poster from scans and existing files. When scanning, make sure to use an appropriate resolution (150 dpi at final printed size). Large files can always be minimized without compromising the integrity of the image. However, be aware of "resolution overkill" when scanning, as it may result in unnecessarily enormous file sizes.


Design Advice
  • The design should be visually appealing, utilizing the capabilities of color, graphics and typography to communicate your poster. A clear, simple, uncluttered arrangement is the most attractive and the easiest to read.
  • Color should be used sparingly, to provide contrast. 
  • Illustrations should be simple and eye-catching, with unnecessary detail left out. If possible, avoid long numerical tables. Convert complex tables to graphs or charts. Use photographs or colorful graphs wherever possible.
  • Photos should be enlarged enough to show relevant details.
  • Patient confidentiality must be protected. No names should appear in illustrations.
  • Headings of more than six words should be in upper and lower case, not all capitals.
  • Use bold characters to stress your point.
  • When laying out your poster leave "breathing space" around the text. This increases legibility.
  • Use the Downstate brand fonts of Lora (for headings) and Montserrat (for body copy) when possible. Those fonts are available to download here. 
  • All body text should be the same size and style of font.
  • Keep body text left aligned.
  • Columns should not vary in width.