Your poster must include a 6" (15 cm) x 1" (2.5 cm) headline strip that runs the full width of the poster. Include the title, authors, and affiliations on the strip in letters not less than 1" high.

Post a large-typed copy of your abstract in the upper left-hand corner.

You might want to bring small 1-sheet copies of your poster, 8 1/2 x 11" (22 cm x 28 cm), to hand out to interested consortium members.

Initial Sketch - Plan your poster early. Focus your attention on a few key points. Try various styles of data presentation to achieve clarity and simplicity. Does the use of color help? What needs to be expressed in words? Suggest headlines and text topics.

Rough Layout - Enlarge your best initial sketch, keeping the dimensions in proportion to the final poster (30”x40”). Ideally, the rough layout should be full size. Print the title and headlines. Indicate text by horizontal lines. Draw rough graphs and tables. This will give you a good idea of proportions and balance. If you are working with an artist, show him or her the poster layout. Ask associates for comments. This is still an experimental stage.

Final Layout - You have all the elements for your poster presentation - text, tables, and figures. You should include all the essential sections for a poster: Introduction, Hypothesis or Problem Statement, Methods, Results, Discussion, and References. Now ask, is the message clear? Do the important points stand out? Is there a balance between words and illustrations? Is there spatial balance? Is the pathway through the poster clear?

Balance -The figures and tables should cover slightly more than 50% of the poster area. If you have only a few illustrations, make them large. Do not omit the text, but keep it brief. The poster should be understandable without oral explanation.

Eye Movement - The movement (pathway) of the eye over the poster should be natural, down the columns or along the rows. Size attracts attention. Highlighting, numbering and subsections can help clarify the sequence.