Q: Are there any fonts that are better than others?

A: Try to keep it simple; in general, you shouldn't use more than two different fonts. The standard design wisdom is that you use a serif font for running text (because serif fonts are easier to read) and a sans serif font for the headings. Serifs are those little "feet" projecting off the letters of fonts like this one, and sans serif means "without the serifs!" A good, readable serif font for running text, in addition to Palatino (which you've been reading), is Times, which you're reading now and which is the standard newspaper font we all know and love. It's smaller than Palatino but very readable. Helvetica bold (or Helvetica Black) is a good choice for the headings.

Q: What about font size? Does that matter much?

A: It matters alot. Type size is very important --- it needs to be BIG, because a poster is not something you can pick up and bring close to your eyes --- you can only stand in front of it. Type size for running text should be at least 18-point. Remember, READABILITY is the focus, and if your text is smaller than 18-point, people may not stop to figure out what it says. (I know, it looks ridiculously huge here --- but it won't on a poster. It will look invitingly readable!) Headings should be at least 144-point type or more (72 pts=1 inch; you can use up to 3 inches if you wish).

Q: How do I get 144-point type or larger? The menu only goes up to 72 points.

A: Look under the Format menu and choose "Character" or "Font." Then you can type in the font size you want.

SUGGESTION: When you've printed out the first draft of your poster's text and headings, prop them up on a bureau or bookcase and see how readable they are from a distance. You should be able to read the headings from across the room and the text from a distance of a couple of feet. If you find them difficult to read, other people will too.

Q: Is there an easy way to line up the text when I'm putting together a headline that's made up of several pieces of paper with partial words on each piece?

A: Most people will use a T-square, a drafting triangle with a right angle, or any similar tool that has a right angle with a long straight edge on one side. You can use any of these tools to draw a very light line on which to align your letters from the bottom.

Here's one more thing you should know about designing headlines: make sure your heading is one long, smooth, continuous, readable banner. DON'T create a heading that has gaps between the words; this looks choppy and is harder to read.

Take a at this example

Q: What's the best way to emphasize something?

A: Use bold or italic formatting --- DO NOT underline word-processed text. Underlining was fine when typewriters were the state of the art, but it makes the underlined words harder to read (see?). Ditto for "outline" or "shadow" formatting --- those look much better on the screen than they do on paper. They're quite difficult to read --- and people won't bother to try.

Q: You mentioned bright colors. I can use colored paper for my poster, right?

A: Yes, but not to print text or graphics on! Use colored paper for background or accents. You should always use white paper to print on --- you might get away with using pale gray or even a pastel, but white is best. Readability is key, remember, and black text on white paper is most easily read. You can put your white paper against a brightly colored background --- color really is a great attention-getter. Use color TASTEFULLY --- you can "mix and match" colors, but please don't use fluorescent orange and hot pink together. You want people to look at your poster, but you don't want them so distracted by the design elements that they fail to read it!

Q: Is there anything else I need to know?

A: Don't forget to put credits on your poster! The credits can be placed right under the title or in one of the lower corners, and they should include, at a minimum, your name, your sponsor's or mentor's name, and the department you've been working in. You may also want to include the institution you attend and the date of the poster presentation.

Q: How about supplies for making a poster? Where do I get those?

A: If you're a WISP intern at Dartmouth, go to the WISP office to get your matboard. Otherwise, an art supply store (Beans, Dukes) will have everything you need --- and in a pinch, a department store (like K-Mart) will have the minimum supplies you can use. The standard size for matboard is 32" x 40" and it comes in all kinds of colors. (You can get lighter-weight paperboard in a department store if you want to do a practice poster.) As for adhesives, there are lots of those to choose from. Spray mount is the most versatile; it stays tacky for a few minutes, which gives you a chance to reposition things. It's also the most expensive, and one can of it will do many, many posters, so think about sharing a can with some of your colleagues. Glue sticks will work, but be careful: if you use too much, the paper will ripple. Double-sided tape works well, but repositioning is not an option --- once you stick something to it, it's permanently placed! Scotch brand "poster tape" also works very well. Last, but not least, there's rubber cement, which is nearly as versatile as spray mount --- it also stays tacky for a few minutes so you have a chance to reposition things. Don't leave the cover off it, though; it dries out quickly.