Quick answer: design the poster at A0 portrait, 841×1189 mm (33.1×46.8 inches), which is the standard for international conferences, or 48×36 inches landscape for US conferences. Use three or four columns, a title at 72–100 pt, section headings at 36–48 pt, and body text at 24–32 pt.

Check the call first

The conference's call for posters is the authority on size and orientation, and it overrides every default. A0 portrait is the common international format; the 48×36 landscape is the US convention. A poster built at the wrong size cannot be cropped without rebuilding the layout, so confirm before you design.

The size and type table

Element Size at A0 Readable from
Poster 841×1189 mm (33.1×46.8 in) —
Title 72–100 pt 3–5 meters
Section headings 36–48 pt ~2 meters
Body text 24–32 pt ~1 meter
Figure captions 18–24 pt Close
References 14–18 pt Close
Columns 3–4 —

The body text floor is the rule that gets violated most. Anything below 24 pt at A0 is unreadable at the distance a visitor stands, and no amount of information is worth an unreadable poster.

The layout

A standard order runs top to bottom: title and authors, a short introduction or background, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, and references. The results are the reason the poster exists, and they should occupy the largest visual area, usually as two or three figures with short captions.

Keep the narrative linear within the columns — top to bottom, left to right — and number the sections so a visitor can follow without you standing there.

Figures

Figures must read at arm's length, which means large labels, high contrast, and no screenshots of dense tables. A figure that needs a paragraph of explanation is not carrying its weight. Pull the numbers that matter into a simple chart and leave the rest in the paper.

Color and white space

A light background with dark text is the safest academic convention; reserve color for the data and the headings. Generous white space between sections does more for readability than borders and boxes.

The finished workflow

A finished poster is a correctly sized canvas, a three-to-four-column layout, and type that reads at one meter. Neatico builds the poster layout from a structured outline, so the title, sections, and figures land in the right order before you refine the details.

Frequently asked questions

What size is a research poster? A0 portrait, 841×1189 mm (33.1×46.8 in), for international conferences; 48×36 in landscape is the US standard. Check the call first.

What font size should a poster use? Title 72–100 pt, headings 36–48 pt, body 24–32 pt, captions 18–24 pt. Do not set body text below 24 pt at A0.

How many columns should a poster have? Three or four, read top to bottom and left to right, with numbered sections.

What makes a good conference poster? Large, legible figures, a linear narrative, and the results as the dominant area. The board deck guide covers a different format.