What Should A Good Poster Look Like Part Two

Read Me! 

Only as much text as necessary should be written on a poster, i.e., only the "need to know," but not the "nice to know." The capturing of scrolling text usually takes more time than that of enumerations, which is why the former should only be used moderately. 

A large font enhances the legibility. In the case of an A0 poster, the letters should not be smaller than 7mm (references can be smaller). As a test, you should be able to read a poster reduced to A4 at a distance of one meter. 

Italic or bold type should be used instead of underlining for emphasis. If justified (instead of left-justified) is selected, hyphenation should be activated to avoid gaps between words. 

Ask Me! 

Ideally, a poster stimulates thought and discussion. This can be done through surprises or unusual comparisons but should stick with the facts. Question marks in the actual or figurative sense can also stimulate discussion. 

It is essential that the printed poster is audience-related and uses vocabulary appropriate to the situation. Abbreviations should be avoided unless they are familiar and known in the field in which one moves. 

Sometimes handouts can also be provided so that poster viewers can take the information with them and, if necessary, contact the authors later.