Poster Presentation Guidelines

Important notice: New Poster Dimensions for 2015.

Click to enlarge image.

The poster dimensions are 3'9" high and 3'9" wide. Prepare a 6" high headline strip that runs the full width of the poster. Include the title, authors, and affiliations on the strip in letters not less than 1" high. Post a large-typed copy of your abstract in the upper left-hand corner. Be sure to note these dimensions as you will not be permitted to extend into another presenter's space.

Discounted Poster Printing Services for AAI Attendees

MakeSigns, an online poster printing service, provides tips, tutorials, templates, and a variety of paper or fabric options. To get started, select the ‘Click Here for Discount’ button and the 10% discount will automatically be applied to your order. Be sure to mention the required poster size of 45”x 45” under Special Instructions.

Can’t finish your poster in advance? The FedEx office located at 901 Convention Center Blvd, directly across the street from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center can print your poster for you to pick up in New Orleans when you place your order online. In Special Instructions, mention the day you plan to pick up your poster order. During the meeting, orders placed before 10:00 AM will be ready by 5:00 PM the same day!

Poster Session Policies

Authors must set up their posters between 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM on the day of their presentation, and have them remain up until 4:30 PM. Posters must be removed by 6:00 PM on the day of presentation.

• Presenters must be at their poster boards from 2:30 PM - 3:45 PM on their assigned day.
• Posters must remain on display until 4:30 PM on the assigned presentation day. All posters must be removed by 6:00 PM on the day of presentation. Posters not removed will be discarded.
• Posters are viewable for one day only.
• Recording any presentation or session (oral or poster) by any means, (photography, audio taping, and videotaping) is prohibited except by an AAI authorized agent for official purposes or by first authors who wish to photograph their own poster presentations.

Poster Presentation Guidelines

Posters should be legible at a distance of five feet. The message should be clear and comprehensible without oral explanation. The following guidelines have been prepared to help improve the effectiveness of poster communication.

1. Initial Sketch - Plan your poster early. Focus your attention on a few key points. Try various styles of data presentation to achieve clarity and simplicity. Does the use of color help? What needs to be expressed in words? Suggest headlines and text topics.
2. Rough Layout - Enlarge your best initial sketch, keeping the dimensions in proportion to the final poster (see diagram). Ideally, the rough layout should be full size. A blackboard is a convenient place to work. Print the title and headlines. Indicate text by horizontal lines. Draw rough graphs and tables. This will give you a good idea of proportions and balance. Ask associates for comments. This is still an experimental stage.
3. Text Layout - Avoid abbreviations, acronyms, and jargon. Use a consistent font throughout. It is recommended that authors use a 20 pt. font size; this makes the text legible from five feet away.
4. Final Layout - The artwork is complete and the text and tables are typed, but not necessarily enlarged to full size. Now ask, is the message clear? Do the important points stand out? Is there a balance between words and illustrations? Is there spatial balance? Is the pathway through the poster clear?
5. Balance - Figures and tables should cover slightly more than 50% of the poster area. If you have only a few illustrations, enlarge them. Do not omit text, but keep it brief. The poster should be comprehensible without oral explanation.
6. Eye Movement - The movement (pathway) of the eye over the poster should be natural, down the columns or along the rows. Size attracts attention. Arrows, pointing hands, numbers, and letters can help clarify the sequence.
7. Simplicity - Resist the temptation to overload the poster. More material may mean less communication.
8. Limited Supply of pushpins will be available on a first come first serve basis. Please bring additional supplies with you.