ABSTRACT
A well-designed poster has a uniform style of graphics, typeface and visually appealing colours. Avoid WordArt, semitransparent fills or textured backgrounds; although these may look fine on computer, they detract from data and may not print as expected. Light-coloured backgrounds are least likely to lead to clashes with the text and illustrations, and they can add visual appeal. There is nothing wrong with a white background, especially if researchers have many other colourful items on poster. Very dark backgrounds can provide too much contrast with light text boxes, which will detract from readability. Very dark backgrounds can also prove difficult to print evenly. Some institutions and companies require using specific background and accent colours to 'brand' the poster. Check whether this is the case for researcher's poster, and if so, find out exactly which colours are specified. Choosing one theme colour for items such as the background and headings can give a unified professional look to poster.
