How to Create a Poster
First, allow yourself adequate time to create your poster. Creating a rough draft of your poster at least four weeks before you are scheduled to present, and having several people take a look at it early on, plays a crucial role in producing a high quality, presentable poster. It takes time to cut/add text, resize figures, add graphs, change colors/font etc.

There are three poster sizes to choose from at the top of this page, with three templates available for each. Before you choose a template, check to see if the conference you are presenting at requires a certain size poster. The master templates include general instructions on creating a poster. The case and clinical templates include specific instructions and layout for each type of presentation.

For help with organization and design of you poster, contact: research@synergymedical.org at least three weeks before you’re scheduled to present.

Organization
Design your poster to highlight the major points of your research and stimulate feedback. The following format is suggested: research objective(s); study design; principal findings; conclusions, relevance to policy, delivery or clinical practice. Present enough information but avoid overcrowding.

Graphics
Consider various options for presenting the salient points of your research.

• Use graphs to clarify and emphasize the key relationships between figures. Be sure graphs are precise, clearly labeled, and placed near the companion text.
• Select the type of chart that best illustrates your point. For example, pie charts compare relative parts that make up a whole, and line charts are ideal for depicting trends over time.
• If using tables, make sure columns are not too narrow, too numerous or too long - so they can be easily read. Use tables only when simpler visuals like graphs or charts won't suffice.

Arrangement
Design the flow of information from left to right. Use lines, frames,
contrasting colors, or arrows to call attention to important points.

Lettering
Select a clean and simple font and use it consistently throughout the
poster. Use both upper and lower case letters, especially in the body of
your presentation. Make font large enough to read from at least three
feet.

Color
Use color to attract interest and to dramatize similarities and differences. Emphasis may be lost if more than four colors are used. Choose background and foreground color combinations that have high contrast and complement each other, it is better to keep the background light as people are used to it (for example newspapers and books).

Check Your Spelling
Make sure to run the spell check on your poster before final printing.

For more ideas on how to create and organize your poster, visit:
http://www.posterpresentations.com/html/poster_presentation_advice.html

Poster Review/Feedback
If you would like the Synergy Medical Research Department to review and provide feedback before final printing, email your completed poster template to research@synergymedical.org at least three weeks before you are scheduled to present to allow ample time for changes and printing/shipping.

Printing your poster
The Synergy Medical Research Department has posters printed at Prints Plus Inc. Please allow 5 days for printing In order to guarantee that you receive your poster in time.
We would like to encourage our students, residents and faculty members to go through our office for their poster printing needs. For final review and production of your poster, email your completed poster template, no later then one week before you are scheduled to present to research@synergymedical.org .

Presenting Your Poster
Thedifference between poster and oral presentations is that you should let your poster do most of the 'talking'; that is, the material presented should convey the essence of your message. Your task as the presenter is to answer questions and provide further details; to bask in praises or suffer difficult questions; and to convince others that what you have done is excellent and worthwhile. With that being said, make sure you rehearse your presentation and memorize points you want to emphasize during the poster session. Know where various points of emphasis are located on your poster so you can refer to them as you talk with viewers without turning your back or blocking their view. 

Poster Timeline

Four weeks before you’re scheduled to present start creating a first draft of your poster using the poster templates found on the research website.

Three weeks before you’re scheduled to present email the first draft of your poster to the Synergy Medical Research Department for review.

One - Two weeks before you’re scheduled to present email the final draft of your poster to the Synergy Medical Research Department for printing.