Tips and Tricks!
In this section of the website we are going to add commonly asked questions about poster printing. This list will be updated frequently as more and more questions are asked.
What program do I use to make a poster?
How do I set the size of my poster?
What is the correct way to insert images?
How can I use the offical UK blue on my poster?
Helpful Links
Q. What program do I use to make a poster?
- We recommend designing your poster in Microsoft PowerPoint.
Q. How do I set the size of my poster?
- In Microsoft PowerPoint 2007/2010, click on the "Design" tab and then click on "Page Setup".
- In Microsoft PowerPoint 2003, go to file- page setup.
- We recommend sizing your poster 36x48 or 36x56. The maximum we can print is 56 inches wide and 36 inches high because the rolls at 36 inches tall.
Q. What is the correct way to insert images?
- To insert a picture into your presentation, choose Insert: Picture: From File... (This is particularly important for Mac users. The standard Mac method of dragging an image from a different application into PowerPoint will frequently result in the image not being displayed correctly on a PC, which is where the poster will be printed from. If you design your poster on a Mac, it is highly recommended that you open your final version on a PC before you submit it to print to make sure that your images and other formatting are correctly converted.)
If you would like to include photos or other images in your presentation, be very wary of using images from the internet. Although they may look fine on the screen, these images are low-resolution and may not look good when printed, particularly if you increase the size of the image in PowerPoint. It is possible to find high resolution images online. The best way to do this is to do an image search at Google.com and change the size setting so that you only search for Large images. You can change the size setting by clicking on the links in the upper right corner of your search results screen:
Photos taken with a digital camera are usually high resolution and should print well. Scanned images should be at least 150 dpi (dots per inch) in resolution and saved as a high quality jpg file.
An alternative to using a photo is to use clipart. To find clipart, choose Insert: Picture: Clipart.... This will open up the PowerPoint Clipart browser which enables you to type a keyword to find matching clipart. Simply click on an image to insert it in the center of your presentation. The advantage of clipart is that it can be resized more flexibly than photos without losing quality. The disadvantage of clipart is that it can appear cartoony and the selection can be limited.
When resizing images of any kind, you should avoid distorting the image perspective. The best way to resize an image is to select it and then drag the corner handle. If you hold down the Shift key while resizing it, the height-width ratio will be maintained so that the image isn't distorted. To check whether an image is distorted or not, right click on it and choose Format Picture.... Change to the Size tab. If the height and width percentages under Scale are not equal, the image is distorted. This dialog is also useful for resizing an image to an exact size so that you can align multiple images.
Q. How can I use the official UK blue on my poster?
- With PowerPoint, you could use the RGB: 0 93 170 line. To apply this color for text orshapes go to the Format option and under color choose "More Colors..." Then in the following box you can type the 0 93 170 as shown:
- Here is a screenshot of University of Kentuck'ys Policy on Logo's and Signatures:
Here is a link to the policy: http://www.uky.edu/Graphics/GraphicStandards.pdf
Helpful Links