Research Guides: Poster Production: Editing, Mounting and Presenting

Editing, Mounting, and Presenting your Poster

Photo of posters displayed

Photo credit:NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

Once you have added all of your content, there are still a few steps left both before and after submitting it for printing. First, you will want to proof your work for any errors or omissions before submitting the file for printing. After printing, you may also need to mount it. You will, of course, also need to present your work once it is completed. Below is an overview of these last few steps.

Editing Guidelines

Tips for effectively evaluating your poster:

Edit! Proof! Edit! Proof! Edit! To reduce text.
If it's not relevant to your message, remove it!
Have colleagues comment on drafts. Print a small proof version and circulate for comments, or hang a full-size draft with pens and invite them to critique.
Be sure your objective and main message are obvious.
Be sure your readers will be able to contact you.

Poster Mounting

In order to display your poster, either in class or at a conference, you may need to mount it. As noted earlier, foam core boards and glue sticks are available at the Boston bookstore for just that purpose. Below are two videos detailing how to mount posters on both a flat foam core board and a tri-fold board.

Flat Foam Core

See how to attach your printed poster to a flat piece of foam board. Sign in with your MCPHS Office 365 account to watch this video tutorial.

Tri-Fold Board

See how to attach your printed poster to a three-panel poster board. Sign in with your Microsoft Office 365 account to watch this video tutorial.

Presenting Your Poster

Here are some tips for having a successful presentation:

Arrive early at the display site.
Unless you're confident the organizers will have proper supplies, bring a poster hanging kit with you.
Hang your poster square and neat.
Bring copies of a handout for your readers. It should include a miniature version of your poster and more detailed information about your work, in an illustrated narrative form. Consider doing this on an 11x17-inch sheet of paper, folded in half. This allows three pages of information, in addition to the miniature of your poster. You want people to remember you and your work!
Put handouts, business cards, reprints nearby - on a table or in an envelope hung with the poster.
Restock supplies periodically, if poster is up for long.
Consider leaving a pen and pad inviting comments from viewers.
Make sure you're at your poster during your assigned presentation slot.
Have a 3-5 minute presentation prepared for people who ask you to walk them through the poster.
When making such a presentation, don't read the poster. Instead, give the big picture, explain why the problem is important, and use the graphics to illustrate and support your key points.