Scientific Poster Tutorials

User Resources
11. Your Questions Answered - Customer Q&A

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Jump to Section: Recent Questions | Top 10 Questions People Call In

Recent Questions Asked

• I have a hard time aligning my text when I’m using bullet points, how can I fix this?

  Watch our video answer response:

• I want to put a border around my poster but I don’t know how?

  While we don’t recommend adding a border, you can add one by going to the Insert tab and selecting Shape. From there you will want to select Rectangle and then draw your rectangle so that it comes close to the edge your poster. Then to finish you will need to zoom all the way in on each edge and adjust the border so that it goes right up to the edge of your poster as shown in the images below.

  

• Why does my school logo come out so blurry? It looks good on my screen when I send it in.

  To get a good idea of how your logo, or any other section on your poster will print, be sure to zoom in on the area in question and take a close-up look to make sure that it is indeed clear. Most logos that you get from the web are poor quality and will not print well. If you are uncertain, just ask us to check on it for you before we print your poster. In many cases we may actually have your school’s or organization’s logo on hand here that we can replace it with.

  Many times people will use the school’s presidential seal on their poster which is usually only intended for official use.

• How do I make some of the different symbols I have seen on other people’s posters?

  Some of the most used are:

  

  For a great list of available Alt Symbols you can check out: http://www.tedmontgomery.com/tutorial/altchrc.html

• No matter how hard I try I can never get the lines I draw to be exactly straight!

  We do see a number of posters with crooked divider lines! They make someone viewing you poster dizzy! To correct this simply hold down Shift, choose the Line Tool then draw the line while the shift button is held down. This will constrain the line from unwanted angling.

  We prefer you send us the PowerPoint file so if there are minor issues with your poster we can correct them for you.

• Every time I open my file on a different computer my poster looks different. Can I just send you a PDF to make sure everything is the same?

  Not a problem! If you are going to send us a PDF of your poster just make sure to look it over very closely before sending it in to us. While we do try to catch mistakes, when you send us a PDF we assume that one of the reasons you have sent us a PDF is to ensure the file is printed “as is”. Make sure nothing is missing, that fonts look correct and images are clear and sharp.

• So I got my template from another website but I’m printing with you and there is this big, ugly web address plastered on the template. How do I get it off of my poster?

  We recognize that your poster is for your research and not intended to be a billboard for some company. To get rid of that ostentatious logo, just follow the steps below.

  1. Click on the View tab and then select the Slide Master view. (You won’t see your content - don’t worry it’s still there).
  2. Zoom all the way out until you see the entire page.
  3. Use the Page Up button on your keyboard to get to the first master page and then select and delete the logo.
  4. Now use the Page Down button to go thru any other pages and select and delete any and all logos you may find.
  5. When finished, click on the Close Master View button.
  If you use the security options to save your poster as read only or print only, we will not be able to fix any graphical, technical, color or text errors on your poster. (You’ll also be missing out on any enhancements we routinely do to give you a higher quality poster)

• How can I get the blue color and underline off of the web addresses and e-mails I put on my poster?

  Once you have typed or copied the e-mail/web address into your document, simply right click on the address and select Remove Hyperlink from the pop up menu.

Top 10 Questions (Complete with direct links to the correct tutorial section)

1. I need my poster on *Insert Date*, when do I need to upload my poster?

   See Our Shipping and Turnaround Times

2. How do I resize my file?

   How to Size/Resize Your Poster

3. What is the best font size for my poster?

   Design and Layout – Fonts

4. How can I tell if my images/graphs will be blurry when they are printed?

   Figuring out how your poster will look when it’s printed.

5. What’s the best way to insert an Excel/PowerPoint document into my poster?

   Go here for inserting an Excel Chart or Graph or Go here for inserting a PowerPoint Slides

6. How do I print this on my home printer?

   When you go to the File > Print section in PowerPoint you will want to click the second box under the Settings heading and make sure that Scale To Fit Paper is selected. Once you have checked this box your poster should be scaled down to fit whatever size paper you have loaded in your printer.

   

7. How do I make the text box bigger?

   Simply click on the text box that you want to resize and then move your cursor over any of the four corners that has a little circle on it or on the small squares located on the sides of the box. Once you have done this your pointer should look like a double sided arrow. Now just hold down the left mouse button and drag until the box is the desired size.

8. What orientation will my poster be printed at?

   We will rotate your poster so that it prints the proper orientation (Portrait or Landscape) on the paper, according to how your file was created. If you order 36" by 60" and your PowerPoint file is "wide", we will make your poster "wide" (landscape). If your PowerPoint page is "tall", we'll print your poster "tall" (portrait).

9. How do I delete a text box/object?

   To delete a text box/object from your poster you will need to bring your pointer to the outer edge of the item you want to delete so that your pointer shows a cross with four arrows and then left click on that item and press the delete button on your keyboard.

10. If I have gridlines on my PowerPoint will they be printed?

    If you have gridlines turned on in PowerPoint they will not be printed. They are only seen on your computer for editing purposes.

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