Congratulations! You have wordsmithed, aligned headers, formatted tables, charts,and photos – and of course, asked at least one friend to review your poster for any errors – and you are ready to get your poster printed!
Printing a Poster for a Class
Check with your course instructor to find out how your class is printing their posters. He or she may have a special arrangement for printing that you should adhere to.
General Steps for Printing Your Poster
- Save your poster as a PDF, and include your name and any other important identifying information in the file name. It is important for other people to be able to find your electronic file if needed.
- When you email your PDF file, include instructions for the printer, such as final size of the poster, delivery location or pickup, and any other special requests.
- Turnaround time: Make sure you know in advance how much time the printer needs to produce your poster, and whether they are referring to business days. If they require 72 hours, but you submit on a Friday, your poster may not be ready until late Wednesday afternoon of the following week.
Caring for Your Poster
Once you have your poster in hand, take care of it and do not allow it to get dirty, wrinkled, or torn. Viewers do notice imperfections and all you want them to notice is your amazing work!
- Use a poster carrying case if available and clearly mark your contact information on the case. It’s easy to forget your poster somewhere if you are traveling, because you are not used to carrying it.
- If you don’t have a poster tube or carrying case, use a rubber band in two places on the rolled poster to prevent strain on the paper. To prevent additional strain, wrap a plain piece of paper around the roll, and then put the rubber band on the outside of this piece of paper. Again, clearly mark your contact information on one of the “wrapping” papers, and not directly on the poster paper.