Research Guides: Poster Design: Software

Which software should I use?

Many people use Microsoft PowerPoint to create posters, but there are other options available. Some options have steeper learning curves, but provide more options for your poster. Use whatever you feel comfortable with!

Where to find this software

Technology in Auraria Library
Information about hardware, software, printers, scanners, copiers, and wifi in the library. Note: Not all of the computers have all of the software on them.

Software Options

PowerPoint
One of the post popular software for creating posters and presentations. The Auraria Campus schools provide free downloads of PowerPoint. Contact your school’s IT department for assistance.
Adobe Illustrator
Create posters and presentation using vector graphics, which allows your logos and fonts to be stretched without losing pixels.
Adobe Indesign
Create posters using this Adobe product.
Keynote
Create posters and presentations on Apple products
Google Slides
A slide presentation format that is most similar to PowerPoint. Allows multiple people to collaborate on the same presentation, making this option good for group projects.
Microsoft Publisher
There is more functionality than PowerPoint for posters, but there is a learning curve if you have never used it before.

Tips for PowerPoint

It is important to change the slide size to the correct poster size before you start designing it.

On the Design tab, click Slide Size. Set your single slide to the size of your poster.
48" by 36" is a common size; however, check your conference requirements.

If using PowerPoint Online:

You must edit the slide size in regular PowerPoint. Click Edit in PowerPoint in the upper right hand corner.

Tutorials

How to Make An Academic Poster in Power Point
Note: This tutorial is very good, but with a couple of caveats. It uses centimeters instead of inches. Typically academic posters do NOT have photos of the presenter on it.
Laying Out Materials in InDesign
This tutorial from MIT shows how to create a research poster using Adobe InDesign.