Services: Poster Printing for Research and CERCA

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What is Poster Printing for research?

Poster Printing for research is mostly funded by the Blugold Commitment & Printing Services in order to provide free wide-format poster printing for students and faculty-student collaborations who are presenting their research at regional, national, or international professional conferences as well as at CERCA. Through this service, Printing Services does not print promotional materials, non-research posters, or posters that will only be displayed in class. University Printing Services in Schofield can print more or other kinds of posters for a fee or chargeback. Departments can order thru our Print Shop pro EDU order system and students or personal orders can be emailed to us at printingservices@uwec.edu to place an order to pay for.

Printing Services is requiring at least 5-business days notice to accommodate poster printing requests to ensure that adequate wide-format printer supplies (e.g. ink and paper) are available. Rush Fee of $10 will be due upon pickup for poster request with less than 48 hours.
Our funding covers the cost of printing ONE (1) large-format poster per documented research project/presentation/conference. We can print smaller (11x17) drafts for proofing only prior to printing your full-size poster. Proofread your work very carefully, and have several people (like your faculty mentor, advisor, and colleagues) proofread your poster file and 11x17 draft BEFORE you approve it for final printing. In addition, zoom in to 100% on your computer screen to view images and graphs to see how they will look printed. All poster requests must be approved by a university member and are subject to review prior to printing. Please ensure that all poster requests meet the standards and values of the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.

View the template gallery

What are the Requirements?


Dimensions

The amount of space allowed for research poster presentations varies, so carefully read the instructions provided by the meeting organizers.
  • UWEC's Celebration of Excellence in Research and Creative Activity (CERCA) suggested size is 46" x 42", portrait or landscape, but will accept other sizes if the poster was used for another conference that had a different size.
     This will allow for reducing the amount of material used since it is not recyclable paper.
  • UWEC's Diversity Expo is limited to a 42" x 35".
NOTE: Our printer limits posters to 42" (max width) in one direction.

File Format and Name

Your design must be a PDF (recommended) or PowerPoint file. Your filename must begin with your username.
 Please use PDF if the file has PRIZM graphics or graphs.

Information on Poster

  • Header/Title that includes:
    • Full title of research project
    • Student(s) name, faculty mentor's name(s)
    • Department name, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
  • Acknowledgements in the bottom right corner:
    • List extramural funding sources (e.g. NSF) first.
    • UWEC Differential Tuition and Intramural funding sources (e.g. UW-Eau Claire Center of Excellence for Faculty and Undergraduate Student Research Collaboration) should also be listed.
    • University Printing Services for printing the posters.
  • Other recommended elements include:
    • Proper UW-Eau Claire wordmark or approved research graphic
    • Abstract
    • Introduction
    • Methods
    • Results

Notify the Printing Services - PrintingSchofield@uwec.edu  for any special layouts that were approved through ORSP.

What is the Printing Process?

  1. Submit poster for printing
     To submit your poster:
     NOTE: Submit your design at least 5 days in advance or a RUSH fee of $10 will be due upon pick up for poster requests with less than 48 hours. 
    1. Visit https://poster.apps.uwec.edu/.
    2. Log in with your University username and password.
    3. Click New Poster.
    4. Fill in the necessary fields.
    5. Click Upload poster.
    6. Select the poster you wish to upload for printing.
    7. Click Open.
    8. Click the I have read and comply with the UWEC Poster Printing Policy checkbox.
    9. Click Submit Poster Request.
  2. Printing Services will review your submission to ensure it meets all requirements.
  3. A poster administrator will print a small draft of your poster (if adequate time is available) and will inform you via email when it is ready for you to review.
  4. You will be able to fix any mistakes and request additional drafts for proofing only to be printed before printing your final poster.
     Do not submit a second request for the same poster. 
  5. Follow the instructions in the email you received notifying you of the draft and remember the number from the email you get from the Poster Printing Service until you pick up your final poster.
  6. You will receive an email when any drafts or your final poster are printed.

Transporting and Protecting Your Poster

The ink easily smudges if it gets wet, so avoid touching the ink or rubbing the poster against surfaces. Your poster will be rolled up, but it is recommended you make arrangements to protect it in transit. If you are transporting it a large distance (e.g. flying), your faculty mentor may be able to help you find a protective poster tube.  Printing Services also has them for sale for $2.50.

Tips


Think prompt, not product.
Posters are summaries, meant to encourage discussion. Consider using a handout if you have large amounts of text material.

What's the story?
What is the purpose of your poster? What do you want it to be about? What message do you want viewers to take away from it.

Make a map.
Start with the topic, then add sub-topics and key points, followed by supporting topics for each sub-topic. Make sure you take a step back to decide which topics are necessary and which are not.

Show what you've done.
Use visuals with supplementary text whenever possible to present your ideas. Here are some possible graphic ideas:
  • Illustrations
  • Tables
  • Graphs
  • Charts
  • Diagrams
  • Pictures/photos

Sketch a design.
Make it simple in terms of placement and the size of your elements. Consider using arrows, diagrams, and other strategies to direct the attention of your viewers.

Use titles and visuals to "hook" people.
If they're interested, they'll likely read the whole poster. Make your titles brief and easy to read and understand.

Balance the elements.
Avoid centering everything; keep in mind the overall picture and the way you want your viewer's eyes to move across the poster.

Keep your text, lettering, and graphics large enough to read.
Every element's size should relate to its importance. Use clean fonts that are readable from six feet away.

Capital and lowercase lettering is the most readable.
Choose one font, and use it throughout your poster. Add emphasis using bolding, italics, and color.

Use color selectively and consistently.
Let color communicate meaning, and don't use disrupting or really dark backgrounds.

FAQs

How do I get started designing a poster?
  • It's always a good idea to consult your faculty mentor.
  • Attend an ORSP sponsored workshop.
  • Make an appointment for a one-on-one consultation with LTS Training.
     
What software should I use when preparing my research poster?
Microsoft PowerPoint is the best software to use when creating a poster. Adobe Illustrator may also be used.
 
Are there available templates for different poster sizes? 
  • On Campus: On the W: Drive, posters are located in /lts/Poster/Templates.
  • Off Campus: Go to https://files.uwec.edu in your web browser. You will be asked to log in with your UW-Eau Claire username and password. Click W: Drive on the sidebar, then navigate through lts/Poster/Templates.
     
Are there any basic poster design guidelines?
  • Carefully read the instructions provided by the meeting organizers for poster size constraints and information that the poster must include.
  • Sketch out your poster design on paper first.
  • Use sans serif fonts (e.g. Arial or Helvetica) for titles and headings. Use serif (e.g. Times New Roman, Palatino, Garamond) for body text.
  • Suggested font sizes: 
    • Title: Between 72 and 150pts
    • Subtitles: ~60pt
    • Body Text: ~24pts
  • When setting font colors, keep contrast high between foreground and background elements. Don't overuse color, and don't choose a dark-colored background for the majority of the poster!
      
What if I made a mistake?
Proofread your work very carefully, and have several people (like your faculty mentor, advisor, and colleagues) proofread your poster BEFORE you submit it for printing.

PROOFING IS SOLELY YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. Our funding covers the cost of printing ONE large-format poster per documented research project/presentation. We can print a smaller (11x17) drafts for proofing only prior to printing your full-size poster. Any additional 11x17 or full-size posters, including reprints, will need to be sent to Printing Services (for a fee).

What if I want to have handouts of the 11x17?
The smaller (11x17) drafts for proofing only prior to printing your full-size poster.  We do not provide additional drafts to be used as handouts. If this is abused in the future, we will then have to limit the amount of drafts that we provide. Any additional 11x17's  will need to be sent to Printing Services (for a fee).

How do I submit my file to be printed?
Please see the Instructions for Printing page for information and instructions on how to submit your poster file to us electronically.
 
Where else can I go to have my poster printed on campus?
Printing Services
Schofield 18
printingservices@uwec.edu
715-836-5621
*Cost will vary according to poster size and paper.

Contact Information and Help

For general software assistance, contact the LTS Help Desk or LTS Training.
To learn about printing to the large format printer, contact the following:
  • The poster printing for research administrator is at the Printing Services.
     Schofield 18, printingservices@uwec.edu, 715-836-5621