A poster is a short and concise way to communicate your research findings to a broad audience. The poster should tell the essentials of the story, but the author should be present to convey the specifics.
Simplicity is the key to a good poster.
Check to make certain that you are planning for the exact dimensions of the posters at the meeting. Bring your own pushpins, thumbtacks, or Velcro. Mount the component pieces on heavy paper ("poster board") that is readily available at office supply or college book stores. Each component piece can be mounted individually or several pieces can be grouped together on a single backing board.
Organize thoroughly. Make an initial sketch of your poster presentation, allocating space for Introduction, Methods and Research Design, Results, Summary, and Conclusions.
Focus attention on a few important points.
Use very limited text to convey the essential information. Revise and reduce text.
The title should be legible from three meters away. The remaining text should be easily read from two meters away. The letter size should be 18 points, with 20-24 even better. Smaller point size (12-14) is discouraged.
Headings (e.g., Materials, Methods, Results) should be in large, bold print.
Avoid abbreviations, acronyms, and jargon.
Use consistent type styles and letter sizes throughout the text.
Graphs and diagrams provide a clearer statement of research results than do tables. Charts, drawings and illustrations can be similar to those normally used in making slides but should be simpler and more heavily drawn. Excessively artsy displays are discouraged. Simple use of color can add emphasis.
The arrangement of the poster should lead the eye naturally.
Appropriate format may vary among disciplines (chemists historically include more text than biologists). Check with your professor for suggestions, but remember to be reasonably brief; after all, you will be next to your poster to answer questions.