Libraries & Collections

• James Branch Cabell Library
• Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences
• Media & Archives
• COIN (Consumer Health)
• Other Libraries

 TML Instructional Media Workshop

Large Format Printer Guidelines

Setting Up and Preparing Your Poster

• The poster layout should be on a single Microsoft PowerPoint slide or PDF document.
• Before laying out your poster, make sure the slide is set to the finished size (in inches). This option is under "File" and "Page Setup ..." in PowerPoint. It's important to do this before adding content, as resizing the slide later will stretch and degrade images.
• If your department or school provides a poster template for you to use, double check that its size matches the size of the desired printout.
• PowerPoint posters have a maximum total size of 40 inches by 56 inches.
• Posters created in an application other than PowerPoint must be exported as PDFs, and only one dimension can be larger than 40 inches. So, a landscape layout poster may be no more than 40 inches high, and a portrait layout poster may be no more than 40 inches wide.
• For optimal image quality, all images used in your presentation should be scanned at no less than 300dpi, and be saved in JPEG format. Uncompressed formats, like TIFF, are not supported and will not print.
• Do not switch between different platforms (Windows, Mac) or versions (2003, 2007) while working on your PowerPoint poster. Finish on the same platform and PowerPoint version you started on. Converting between different editions can produce unexpected results.
• Color matching between screen and print is not precise. Prepare for this by using only strongly contrasting colors next to each other.
• Dark background colors are not recommended. Always prefer very light colors, or even better, white, for your backgrounds.

Having Your Poster Printed

• Once your poster is ready, set up an appointment with Tompkins-McCaw Library staff to have it printed. Plan for at least an hour.
• Library staff will not design, format, or edit your poster.
• To save time, proof, edit, and revise your poster before bringing it in to be printed. The version you bring to your appointment should be exactly what you want printed. If you discover any mistakes in your poster after printing, you will still have to pay for the print and may have to make an additional appointment.
• It's best to bring your poster on a USB Flash Drive, but you can also bring it on a CD.
• If you'll be charging the cost of the print to a university account, bring the budget code with you. Otherwise, be prepared to pay for the print at the time of service. The cost is $10 per foot or portion thereof on the longest dimension. For example, a poster 32 inches (2 feet 8 inches) tall by 64 inches (5 feet 3 inches) wide would cost $60.
• After your poster has printed, you may trim the edges using the tools available in the Workshop.