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TML Multimedia Collaboration Room

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, submit your file to the VCU FileDrop (instructions are posted on the main MCR page).
  • Library staff will not design, format, or edit your poster in any way. What you submit to the VCU FileDrop is exactly what will be printed.
  • To save yourself time and money, be sure to proof, edit, and revise your poster carefully before submitting it to be printed. Again, the version you submit to the VCU FileDrop should be exactly what you want printed. If you discover any mistakes in your poster after printing you will still be responsible for the cost and will need to resubmit your poster to the course if you wish to have it reprinted. You will be responsible for the cost of the reprint as well as the original.
  • If you'll be charging the cost of the print to a university account, bring the budget code with you when you come to pick up your poster. Cash, check, charge, and RamBucks are also accepted. The cost is $15 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 $75.
  • After your poster has been printed, you will be notified via e-mail that it is ready to pick up at the Tompkins-McCaw Library Service Desk. You will be asked to pay for your poster at the time of pick-up. You may trim the edges using the tools available in the Multimedia Collaboration Room.
Return to the TML Multimedia Collaboration Room