Media and Production Services
Poster Printing and Support
In support of the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Center of Excellence for faculty and Undergraduate Student Research Collaboration, Learning and Technology Services (LTS) will provide large format poster printing services for documented student faculty collaborative research projects. Current funding will subsidize printing costs for one copy of each documented research project's poster presentation. Additional copies are available at $5.00 per square foot.
How do I qualify for large format printing services?
All UW-Eau Claire documented student/faculty collaborative research projects qualify for one copy of their research poster at no charge. Additional copies are available at $5.00 per square foot.
Under this program requests for printing services from the LTS must include documentation of the project before any work begins. Documentation may include:
- Copy of project's acceptance notification from ORSP
- Copy of project's acceptance notification from NCUR, or similar conference
- A meeting or conference program mentioning the presenters project and authors
What software should I use when preparing my poster?
At UW-Eau Claire, most research posters are prepared using MS PowerPoint and Adobe Illustrator. Keep in mind the following:
- Adobe Illustrator work should be saved as a PDF file
- When using PDF files do NOT link to any graphics or images.
I don't know how to design a poster, what should I do?
- Consult with your faculty mentor
- Attend one of the ORSP sponsored workshops
- Make an appointment for a 1 : 1 consultation
- Call or e-mail with specific questions
- Visit a web site on the topic of research poster preparation. Such as:
Are there any basic poster design guidelines?
Carefully read the instructions provided by the meeting organizers. This will tell you your size constraints and any other information the poster must include.
Allocate your time wisely. Poster ALWAYS take longer than you think they will.
- Sketch out your design on paper.
- Use sans serif fonts for titles. Arial or Helvetica work well. Use serif fonts for body copy. Times New Roman, Palatino, or Garamond work well.
- Suggested font sizes:
-
- Title: Between 72 and 150 points
- Subheads: ~60 points
- Body text: ~24 points
- Colors: Use color to unify your poster. Keep contrast high between foreground elements and background. Do not overuse color.
- Determine a logical sequence to your material.
- Edit carefully. Make sure every word and design element adds to your communication.
- Proof carefully.
What elements MUST be on my research poster?
Header/Title that includes:
- Full title of research project
- Student(s) name, faculty mentor's name(s) in parentheses
- Department Name, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
- University Seal on left side of header
- Acknowledgements in bottom right comer of poster
Extramural funding sources, such as NSF, should be listed first.
The final entry should read:
UW-Eau Claire Center of Excellence for Faculty and Undergraduate Student Research Collaboration.
Where can I get a copy of the university seal?
Below is a link to the file that contain the Excellence Seal. Do not use the image/file to the right! The resolution is for screen applications ONLY! It is used here for a visual representation of the larger size image contained in the link!
Where can I see a sample research poster?
On-screen examples with critiques.
What if I make a mistake? (Pay strict attention to the last bullet!)
- Proof your work carefully, word by word, line by line.
- Don't rely on spell check. It's worthwhile to have several people proof your poster before submitting it for printing.
- Mistakes submitted for printing become your responsibility and re-printing to correct mistakes is charged at $5.00 per square foot.
What should I name my file?
The file name you choose MUST begin with your UW-Eau Claire username.
username-srdposter._ _ _ , include the three letter file extension (.pdf, .ppt, .pub).
Example: mickelra-srdposter.pdf
How do I get my file to the LTS Plotters?
Please refer to http://plot.uwec.edu for further information on the Plotting Polices, Helpful Hints, Instructions for Plotting, and to Submit a Plot Request.
How long does production take?
It is requested that users allow one week from the time of submission for the printing of their poster.
What is the cutoff date for Student Research Day?
Student Research Day poster printing deadline: One week prior to the first day of the event!
We cannot guarantee that your poster will be printed on time if you submit it after the cutoff date.
Where can I get help?
- General software usage for poster creation LTS BITS/PALS
- Poster design issues and question LTS Graphics 36-6004
- Gene Leisz leiszgj@uwec.edu
- Printing to LTS's large format printer LTS ~ http://plot.uwec.edu
Does the LTS proof my work before they print?
No. Proofing is solely your responsibility. Please proof your work carefully before submitting for printing. Our funding covers the cost of printing ONE poster per documented research project. Additional posters, including redo's are charged at our production cost of $5.00 per square foot.
What are the poster size limitations?
Poster size specifications vary as to the amount of space allocated for research poster presentations, so carefully read the instructions provided the by the specific meeting organizers. UW-Eau Claire's Student Research Day size restrictions are 42 x 46. (The LTS printer is limited to a vertical dimension of no greater than 42 inches.) Some software will effectively limit your poster size. MS Publisher is limited to 34 x 44 inches (not supported) and PowerPoint is limited to a horizontal dimension of 54 inches (again, our printer's limit is 42 inches vertical).
