Research
Contact us
Through the Administrative Office email Directory
or
Departmental Mailing Address:
Department of Biology,
Biological & Geological Sciences Building,
Western University,
London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
Departmental Phone:
519-850-2542
Departmental Fax:
519-661-3935
FAQ: Formatting a presentation poster for print
What are the main formatting issues I should be aware of when designing a poster?
If you are designing a poster in PowerPoint you may find it helpful to check the size of your poster by clicking on File>Page Setup.
Please keep in mind that sometimes (rarely) Greek letters and other symbols created on one machine (or version of PowerPoint) are transformed into wingdings and other strange things on another machine, so please make a .pdf copy as a backup.
Please do not use Word, Visio, Pages or Publisher to create your poster as most places do not recognize those formats.
What are the typical sizes for posters?
Some of the most common poster sizes are listed below to act as a pricing guide. You may also download a presized PowerPoint template from the table below.
| Length in. (cm) | Display Height in. (cm) | Square Footage | Pre-sized PowerPoint Template |
| 36 (91.44) | 24 (60.96) | 6 | 36x24.pptx |
| 36 (91.44) | 36 (91.44) | 9 | 36x36.pptx |
| 43 (109.22) | 36 (91.44) | 10.74 | 36x43.pptx |
| 48 (121.92) | 36 (91.44) | 12 | 36x48.pptx |
| 56 (142.24) | 36 (91.44) | 14.01 | 36x56.pptx |
| 40 (101.6) | 40 (101.6) | 11.09 | 40x40.pptx |
| 42 (106.68) | 48 (121.92) | 14 | 42x48.pptx |
| 43.5 (110.49) | 43.5 (110.49) | 12.09 | 43_5x43_5.pptx |
| Once the desired template is downloaded and opened in PowerPoint, you can change the orientation of the template from landscape to portrait (or vice-versa) by clicking on the "Design" tab and then clicking on the "Slide size" tab on the right side of the menu bar. Depending on the version of the program, you will either see "Custom Slide Size" or "Page Setup" in the drop down menu. Click on that and you should see choices for slide orientation. | |||
Where can I find Western logos?
You may download a selection of Western logos from this PowerPoint slide ( logo-source.pptx ) any of which you may copy and paste and resize into the poster you are creating.
What file formats do most printers use?
Most poster printing facilities use either PowerPoint or .pdf files as the routine file formats.
For other formats, please check with the printing service you've chosen for compatability.
Where do I submit a file to be printed on campus?
There are two places where your poster may be prointed on campus:
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Poster Printing Services located in Dental Sciences Building, Room 4013 of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
Western Print Services located in Room 1R43 Arts & Humanities Building.
