how to make powerpoint poster presentation

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How to make a poster using microsoft powerpoint.

Microsoft PowerPoint isn't just for presentations--you can make posters with it, as well. Here's how.

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Define the poster dimensions, design your poster.

Microsoft PowerPoint isn't just for presentations---it also provides all of the creative tools you need to design a beautiful poster. Just set the dimensions, design the poster, and print it out. Here's how to make a poster using PowerPoint.

Posters come in all sizes, but the first thing you need to know is PowerPoint's slide limit is 56-inches x 56-inches, so you'll need to plan accordingly. It's also important to note that you want to set your poster dimensions before you start designing your poster. Otherwise, you might end up having to rework parts of your design due to the size change.

Related: How to Reduce the File Size of a PowerPoint Presentation

Here are some of the standard poster sizes to get you started:

• Small poster: 11" x 17"
• Medium poster: 18" x 24"
• Large posters: 24" x 36" or 27" x 39"

Once you've decided on your poster size, set the dimensions in PowerPoint. To do this, open PowerPoint and navigate to the "Design" tab.

In the "Customize" group, select "Slide Size."

Select "Custom Slide Size" from the dropdown menu.

The "Slide Size" window will appear. Input the width and height specifications to match your required size. Keep in mind that if your height is larger in size than your width, the orientation of the slide will automatically change to "Portrait."

When you're finished, select "OK."

Once selected, a new window will appear giving you two scaling options: Maximize or Ensure Fit. If your slide already has content on it, you'll want to select "Ensure Fit."

Your slide will now be resized.

Your poster design is going to depend completely on you. You'll want to pay attention to the background of the poster, text and image arrangement, font size and style, etc. Essentially, you should treat this part exactly as if you were just creating another slide for a presentation.

Because the design and process of this step is going to differ for everyone, we'd like to offer some of our previous guides to get you started in the design process:

• Insert a picture or other object.
• Use an image as a background.
• Insert an image inside text.
• Get a picture behind text.
• Make a border or frame.

Once your design is ready, all that's left to do is print it out and hang it up!

Related: How to Troubleshoot Printing Issues in Microsoft Word

Home Blog Design How to Design a Winning Poster Presentation: Quick Guide with Examples & Templates

How to Design a Winning Poster Presentation: Quick Guide with Examples & Templates

How are research posters like High School science fair projects? Quite similar, in fact.

Both are visual representations of a research project shared with peers, colleagues and academic faculty. But there’s a big difference: it’s all in professionalism and attention to detail. You can be sure that the students that thrived in science fairs are now creating fantastic research posters, but what is that extra element most people miss when designing a poster presentation?

This guide will teach tips and tricks for creating poster presentations for conferences, symposia, and more. Learn in-depth poster structure and design techniques to help create academic posters that have a lasting impact.

Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

• What is a Research Poster?

Why are Poster Presentations important?

Overall dimensions and orientation, separation into columns and sections, scientific, academic, or something else, a handout with supplemental and contact information, cohesiveness, design and readability, storytelling.

• Font Characteristics
• Color Pairing
• Data Visualization Dimensions
• Alignment, Margins, and White Space

Scientific/Academic Conference Poster Presentation

Digital research poster presentations, slidemodel poster presentation templates, how to make a research poster presentation step-by-step, considerations for printing poster presentations, how to present a research poster presentation, final words, what is a research poster .

Research posters are visual overviews of the most relevant information extracted from a research paper or analysis.   They are essential communication formats for sharing findings with peers and interested people in the field. Research posters can also effectively present material for other areas besides the sciences and STEM—for example, business and law.

You’ll be creating research posters regularly as an academic researcher, scientist, or grad student. You’ll have to present them at numerous functions and events. For example:

• Conference presentations
• Informational events
• Community centers

The research poster presentation is a comprehensive way to share data, information, and research results. Before the pandemic, the majority of research events were in person. During lockdown and beyond, virtual conferences and summits became the norm. Many researchers now create poster presentations that work in printed and digital formats.

Let’s look at why it’s crucial to spend time creating poster presentations for your research projects, research, analysis, and study papers.

Research posters represent you and your sponsor’s research 

Research papers and accompanying poster presentations are potent tools for representation and communication in your field of study. Well-performing poster presentations help scientists, researchers, and analysts grow their careers through grants and sponsorships.

When presenting a poster presentation for a sponsored research project, you’re representing the company that sponsored you. Your professionalism, demeanor, and capacity for creating impactful poster presentations call attention to other interested sponsors, spreading your impact in the field.

Research posters demonstrate expertise and growth

Presenting research posters at conferences, summits, and graduate grading events shows your expertise and knowledge in your field of study. The way your poster presentation looks and delivers, plus your performance while presenting the work, is judged by your viewers regardless of whether it’s an officially judged panel.

Recurring visitors to research conferences and symposia will see you and your poster presentations evolve. Improve your impact by creating a great poster presentation every time by paying attention to detail in the poster design and in your oral presentation. Practice your public speaking skills alongside the design techniques for even more impact.

Poster presentations create and maintain collaborations

Every time you participate in a research poster conference, you create meaningful connections with people in your field, industry or community. Not only do research posters showcase information about current data in different areas, but they also bring people together with similar interests. Countless collaboration projects between different research teams started after discussing poster details during coffee breaks.

An effective research poster template deepens your peer’s understanding of a topic by highlighting research, data, and conclusions. This information can help other researchers and analysts with their work. As a research poster presenter, you’re given the opportunity for both teaching and learning while sharing ideas with peers and colleagues.

Anatomy of a Winning Poster Presentation

Do you want your research poster to perform well?  Following the standard layout and adding a few personal touches will help attendees know how to read your poster and get the most out of your information. 

The overall size of your research poster ultimately depends on the dimensions of the provided space at the conference or research poster gallery. The poster orientation can be horizontal or vertical, with horizontal being the most common.  In general, research posters measure 48 x 36 inches or are an A0 paper size.

A virtual poster can be the same proportions as the printed research poster, but you have more leeway regarding the dimensions. Virtual research posters should fit on a screen with no need to scroll, with 1080p resolution as a standard these days. A horizontal presentation size is ideal for that.

A research poster presentation has a standard layout of 2–5 columns with 2–3 sections each. Typical structures say to separate the content into four sections; 1. A horizontal header 2. Introduction column, 3. Research/Work/Data column, and 4. Conclusion column. Each unit includes topics that relate to your poster’s objective.  Here’s a generalized outline for a poster presentation:

• Condensed Abstract 
• Objectives/Purpose
• Methodology
• Recommendations
• Implications
• Acknowledgments
• Contact Information 

The overview content you include in the units depends on your poster presentations’ theme, topic, industry, or field of research. A scientific or academic poster will include sections like hypothesis, methodology, and materials. A marketing analysis poster will include performance metrics and competitor analysis results.

There’s no way a poster can hold all the information included in your research paper or analysis report. The poster is an overview that invites the audience to want to find out more. That’s where supplement material comes in. Create a printed PDF handout or card with a QR code (created using a QR code generator ). Send the audience to the best online location for reading or downloading the complete paper.

What Makes a Poster Presentation Good and Effective? 

For your poster presentation to be effective and well-received, it needs to cover all the bases and be inviting to find out more. Stick to the standard layout suggestions and give it a unique look and feel. We’ve put together some of the most critical research poster-creation tips in the list below. Your poster presentation will perform as long as you check all the boxes.

The information you choose to include in the sections of your poster presentation needs to be cohesive. Train your editing eye and do a few revisions before presenting. The best way to look at it is to think of The Big Picture. Don’t get stuck on the details; your attendees won’t always know the background behind your research topic or why it’s important.

Be cohesive in how you word the titles, the length of the sections, the highlighting of the most important data, and how your oral presentation complements the printed—or virtual—poster.

The most important characteristic of your poster presentation is its readability and clarity. You need a poster presentation with a balanced design that’s easy to read at a distance of 1.5 meters or 4 feet. The font size and spacing must be clear and neat. All the content must suggest a visual flow for the viewer to follow.

That said, you don’t need to be a designer to add something special to your poster presentation. Once you have the standard—and recognized—columns and sections, add your special touch. These can be anything from colorful boxes for the section titles to an interesting but subtle background, images that catch the eye, and charts that inspire a more extended look. 

Storytelling is a presenting technique involving writing techniques to make information flow. Firstly, storytelling helps give your poster presentation a great introduction and an impactful conclusion. 

Think of storytelling as the invitation to listen or read more, as the glue that connects sections, making them flow from one to another. Storytelling is using stories in the oral presentation, for example, what your lab partner said when you discovered something interesting. If it makes your audience smile and nod, you’ve hit the mark. Storytelling is like giving a research presentation a dose of your personality, and it can help turning your data into opening stories .

Design Tips For Creating an Effective Research Poster Presentation

The section above briefly mentioned how important design is to your poster presentation’s effectiveness. We’ll look deeper into what you need to know when designing a poster presentation.

1. Font Characteristics

The typeface and size you choose are of great importance. Not only does the text need to be readable from two meters away, but it also needs to look and sit well on the poster. Stay away from calligraphic script typefaces, novelty typefaces, or typefaces with uniquely shaped letters.

Stick to the classics like a sans serif Helvetica, Lato, Open Sans, or Verdana. Avoid serif typefaces as they can be difficult to read from far away. Here are some standard text sizes to have on hand.

• Title: 85 pt
• Authors: 65 pt
• Headings: 36 pt
• Body Text: 24 pt
• Captions: 18 pt

If you feel too prone to use serif typefaces, work with a font pairing tool that helps you find a suitable solution – and intend those serif fonts for heading sections only. As a rule, never use more than 3 different typefaces in your design. To make it more dynamic, you can work with the same font using light, bold, and italic weights to put emphasis on the required areas.

2. Color Pairing

Using colors in your poster presentation design is a great way to grab the viewer’s attention. A color’s purpose is to help the viewer follow the data flow in your presentation, not distract. Don’t let the color take more importance than the information on your poster.

Choose one main color for the title and headlines and a similar color for the data visualizations. If you want to use more than one color, don’t create too much contrast between them. Try different tonalities of the same color and keep things balanced visually. Your color palette should have at most one main color and two accent colors.

Black text over a white background is standard practice for printed poster presentations, but for virtual presentations, try a very light gray instead of white and a very dark gray instead of black. Additionally, use variations of light color backgrounds and dark color text. Make sure it’s easy to read from two meters away or on a screen, depending on the context. We recommend ditching full white or full black tone usage as it hurts eyesight in the long term due to its intense contrast difference with the light ambiance.

3. Data Visualization Dimensions

Just like the text, your charts, graphs, and data visualizations must be easy to read and understand. Generally, if a person is interested in your research and has already read some of the text from two meters away, they’ll come closer to look at the charts and graphs. 

Fit data visualizations inside columns or let them span over two columns. Remove any unnecessary borders, lines, or labels to make them easier to read at a glance. Use a flat design without shadows or 3D characteristics. The text in legends and captions should stay within the chart size and not overflow into the margins. Use a unified text size of 18px for all your data visualizations.

4. Alignment, Margins, and White Space

Finally, the last design tip for creating an impressive and memorable poster presentation is to be mindful of the layout’s alignment, margins, and white space. Create text boxes to help keep everything aligned. They allow you to resize, adapt, and align the content along a margin or grid.

Take advantage of the white space created by borders and margins between sections. Don’t crowd them with a busy background or unattractive color.

Calculate margins considering a print format. It is a good practice in case the poster presentation ends up becoming in physical format, as you won’t need to downscale your entire design (affecting text readability in the process) to preserve information.

There are different tools that you can use to make a poster presentation. Presenters who are familiar with Microsoft Office prefer to use PowerPoint. You can learn how to make a poster in PowerPoint here.

Poster Presentation Examples

Before you start creating a poster presentation, look at some examples of real research posters. Get inspired and get creative.

Research poster presentations printed and mounted on a board look like the one in the image below. The presenter stands to the side, ready to share the information with visitors as they walk up to the panels.

With more and more conferences staying virtual or hybrid, the digital poster presentation is here to stay. Take a look at examples from a poster session at the OHSU School of Medicine .

Use SlideModel templates to help you create a winning poster presentation with PowerPoint and Google Slides. These poster PPT templates will get you off on the right foot. Mix and match tables and data visualizations from other poster slide templates to create your ideal layout according to the standard guidelines.

If you need a quick method to create a presentation deck to talk about your research poster at conferences, check out our Slides AI presentation maker. A tool in which you add the topic, curate the outline, select a design, and let AI do the work for you.

1. One-pager Scientific Poster Template for PowerPoint

A PowerPoint template tailored to make your poster presentations an easy-to-craft process. Meet our One-Pager Scientific Poster Slide Template, entirely editable to your preferences and with ample room to accommodate graphs, data charts, and much more.

Use This Template

2. Eisenhower Matrix Slides Template for PowerPoint

An Eisenhower Matrix is a powerful tool to represent priorities, classifying work according to urgency and importance. Presenters can use this 2×2 matrix in poster presentations to expose the effort required for the research process, as it also helps to communicate strategy planning.

3. OSMG Framework PowerPoint Template

Finally, we recommend presenters check our OSMG Framework PowerPoint template, as it is an ideal tool for representing a business plan: its goals, strategies, and measures for success. Expose complex processes in a simplified manner by adding this template to your poster presentation.

Remember these three words when making your research poster presentation: develop, design, and present. These are the three main actions toward a successful poster presentation. 

The section below will take you on a step-by-step journey to create your next poster presentation.

Step 1: Define the purpose and audience of your poster presentation

Before making a poster presentation design, you’ll need to plan first. Here are some questions to answer at this point:

• Are they in your field? 
• Do they know about your research topic? 
• What can they get from your research?
• Will you print it?
• Is it for a virtual conference?

Step 2: Make an outline

With a clear purpose and strategy, it’s time to collect the most important information from your research paper, analysis, or documentation. Make a content dump and then select the most interesting information. Use the content to draft an outline.

Outlines help formulate the overall structure better than going straight into designing the poster. Mimic the standard poster structure in your outline using section headlines as separators. Go further and separate the content into the columns they’ll be placed in.

Step 3: Write the content

Write or rewrite the content for the sections in your poster presentation. Use the text in your research paper as a base, but summarize it to be more succinct in what you share. 

Don’t forget to write a catchy title that presents the problem and your findings in a clear way. Likewise, craft the headlines for the sections in a similar tone as the title, creating consistency in the message. Include subtle transitions between sections to help follow the flow of information in order.

Avoid copying/pasting entire sections of the research paper on which the poster is based. Opt for the storytelling approach, so the delivered message results are interesting for your audience. 

Step 4: Put it all together visually

This entire guide on how to design a research poster presentation is the perfect resource to help you with this step. Follow all the tips and guidelines and have an unforgettable poster presentation.

Moving on, here’s how to design a research poster presentation with PowerPoint Templates . Open a new project and size it to the standard 48 x 36 inches. Using the outline, map out the sections on the empty canvas. Add a text box for each title, headline, and body text. Piece by piece, add the content into their corresponding text box.

Transform the text information visually, make bullet points, and place the content in tables and timelines. Make your text visual to avoid chunky text blocks that no one will have time to read. Make sure all text sizes are coherent for all headings, body texts, image captions, etc. Double-check for spacing and text box formatting.

Next, add or create data visualizations, images, or diagrams. Align everything into columns and sections, making sure there’s no overflow. Add captions and legends to the visualizations, and check the color contrast with colleagues and friends. Ask for feedback and progress to the last step.

Step 5: Last touches

Time to check the final touches on your poster presentation design. Here’s a checklist to help finalize your research poster before sending it to printers or the virtual summit rep.

• Check the resolution of all visual elements in your poster design. Zoom to 100 or 200% to see if the images pixelate. Avoid this problem by using vector design elements and high-resolution images.
• Ensure that charts and graphs are easy to read and don’t look crowded.
• Analyze the visual hierarchy. Is there a visual flow through the title, introduction, data, and conclusion?
• Take a step back and check if it’s legible from a distance. Is there enough white space for the content to breathe?
• Does the design look inviting and interesting?

An often neglected topic arises when we need to print our designs for any exhibition purpose. Since A0 is a hard-to-manage format for most printers, these poster presentations result in heftier charges for the user. Instead, you can opt to work your design in two A1 sheets, which also becomes more manageable for transportation. Create seamless borders for the section on which the poster sheets should meet, or work with a white background.

Paper weight options should be over 200 gsm to avoid unwanted damage during the printing process due to heavy ink usage. If possible, laminate your print or stick it to photographic paper – this shall protect your work from spills.

Finally, always run a test print. Gray tints may not be printed as clearly as you see them on screen (this is due to the RGB to CMYK conversion process). Other differences can be appreciated when working with ink jet plotters vs. laser printers. Give yourself enough room to maneuver last-minute design changes.

Presenting a research poster is a big step in the poster presentation cycle. Your poster presentation might or might not be judged by faculty or peers. But knowing what judges look for will help you prepare for the design and oral presentation, regardless of whether you receive a grade for your work or if it’s business related. Likewise, the same principles apply when presenting at an in-person or virtual summit.

The opening statement

Part of presenting a research poster is welcoming the viewer to your small personal area in the sea of poster presentations. You’ll need an opening statement to pitch your research poster and get the viewers’ attention.

Draft a 2 to 3-sentence pitch that covers the most important points:

• What the research is
• Why was it conducted
• What the results say

From that opening statement, you’re ready to continue with the oral presentation for the benefit of your attendees.

The oral presentation

During the oral presentation, share the information on the poster while conversing with the interested public. Practice many times before the event. Structure the oral presentation as conversation points, and use the poster’s visual flow as support. Make eye contact with your audience as you speak, but don’t make them uncomfortable.

Pro Tip: In a conference or summit, if people show up to your poster area after you’ve started presenting it to another group, finish and then address the new visitors.

QA Sessions 

When you’ve finished the oral presentation, offer the audience a chance to ask questions. You can tell them before starting the presentation that you’ll be holding a QA session at the end. Doing so will prevent interruptions as you’re speaking.

If presenting to one or two people, be flexible and answer questions as you review all the sections on your poster.

Supplemental Material

If your audience is interested in learning more, you can offer another content type, further imprinting the information in their minds. Some ideas include; printed copies of your research paper, links to a website, a digital experience of your poster, a thesis PDF, or data spreadsheets.

Your audience will want to contact you for further conversations; include contact details in your supplemental material. If you don’t offer anything else, at least have business cards.

Even though conferences have changed, the research poster’s importance hasn’t diminished. Now, instead of simply creating a printed poster presentation, you can also make it for digital platforms. The final output will depend on the conference and its requirements.

This guide covered all the essential information you need to know for creating impactful poster presentations, from design, structure and layout tips to oral presentation techniques to engage your audience better . 

Before your next poster session, bookmark and review this guide to help you design a winning poster presentation every time. 

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How to Make a Poster in PowerPoint: 10 Simple Steps

In addition to creating presentations, did you know you can use PowerPoint to design other elements such as posters? Today, we’re walking you through exactly how to make a poster in PowerPoint.

While not everyone thinks about making a poster design in PowerPoint, it’s pretty easy—and is a viable option if you need something quickly, or don’t have other design software available. (Posters made in PowerPoint are frequently used in academic settings for assignments and event promotion on college campuses.) Today, we’re going to take you through the steps of how to make a poster in PowerPoint.

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1. Collect Poster Materials

Before starting on a PowerPoint poster design, sit down and figure out what is going on in the poster. Write out a plan for the design and collect all materials in a folder on your desktop – text, charts or data, and photos or other graphics.

2. Launch Software

Navigate to PowerPoint on your computer and open the software. Start with a blank template. It does not matter which version of PowerPoint you use to create a poster design. (Here, we are using 365, but the steps and locations of menus are similar in all modern versions of the software.)

3. Set Dimensions and Poster Size

Pick a size for your poster design. Design the PowerPoint poster at the maximum size it will be printed.

PowerPoint has a maximum slide side of 52 inches wide and tall, so keep that in mind when planning your design. Common poster sizes include:

• Large, movie-style poster: 24 inches by 36 inches
• Medium, for windows and general hanging: 18 inches by 24 inches
• Small, for posting on billboards, etc.: 11 inches by 17 inches
• A4, for poster handouts: 8.5 inches by 11 inches

Set the dimensions in the Design menu, then navigate to Slide Size. Click the drop-down and select Page Setup. (The two default options are for presentation slides on screens.)

Enter your page size. Note that most posters use portrait orientation (taller than wide). If your slides already contain some content, scale up when given the option. This will ensure that the text is large enough for the new size. (In older versions of PowerPoint, these options are located in the File menu.)

4. Add Text

Once you have the layout set, add all text elements to the poster design.

Remember to keep the goal of the design in mind and keep text limited to only what’s necessary, such as an event name, time, date, and location.

Don’t worry about placement yet. But you can think about the fonts you want to use and how large text elements should be, as you create a hierarchy for how people should follow the text on the poster.

When it comes to type size, start with a headline of 75 to 100 points and body size of 24 to 48 points; adjust the rest of your type hierarchy accordingly.

5. Add Images

Bring images and other design elements you want to use into the poster design. Drag and drop each image from your folder into the poster design.

This is also the time to import or create any charts you might want to use.

The goal is to get everything you might include visually in the poster design on the screen. When it comes to making a poster design in PowerPoint, it’s a lot easier to put it all together if all the elements are on the canvas so you can see what you have to work with.

Make sure that all of your images are large enough to print as well. As a general rule, look for image elements that are 150 dpi or higher at the size it will be used. Images pulled from websites are often not large enough to use for printed elements and will look blurry or pixelated.

6. Adjust Colors and Design Elements

Once you have all your design elements available to work with, make adjustments so that every element is in the right location. You can adjust font color and size, positioning, and even colors on text boxes to ensure that every element is easy to see and understand.

Remember that when it comes to poster design, you want elements to be large enough to read at a distance. Avoid tiny text or design elements.

7. Move Elements on the Poster Canvas

Play with where elements are located on the poster canvas and move them around so that the poster design is easy to read and understand.

Most people will read a poster from top to bottom. Stack your information in such a way that makes this type of reading easy. Commonly the headline or biggest text will be at the top and smaller elements will be in the lower part of the design.

8. Use a Preset Template (Optional)

If you are lacking design elements for your poster, consider using one of the predefined templates in PowerPoint to add some visual flair.

Templates are available in the Design menu and include high-color options that will fit the canvas size you have selected.

9. Export for Printing

Once the PowerPoint poster design is ready, export the file for printing. The most common (and generally accepted format) is PDF.

After saving your file, navigate to the Acrobat menu (or File menu in older versions) and select Create PDF. The software will do the rest.

10. Print and Distribute

Put your PDF on a drive to take to the printer (or email it) and once the design is printed, you can distribute your poster made in PowerPoint.

While PowerPoint might not be the ideal solution for creating a poster design for everyone, it is a viable solution if that’s the only software you have available. One of the biggest constraints can be that PowerPoint files do have a limited size, so make sure that is appropriate for your design.

One benefit of creating a poster in PowerPoint is that you can reuse design elements for a presentation later if you are creating connected elements. You can also import elements or images that you had made in other software, in formats, such as JPEG or PNG.

PowerPoint is a versatile tool and learning how to make a poster is just one more tool to add to your design kit.

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PowerPoint Creativity: How to Create a Poster in PowerPoint

• BY Bogdan Sandu
• 7 March 2024

Imagine transforming a blank canvas into a visual spectacle that grabs eyeballs and an audience. That’s the power harnessed when you uncover the secret to crafting a striking poster in  Microsoft PowerPoint .

In a world where information zips by at lightning speed, your message needs to stand out. Posters are your visual shout-out, essential at conferences, in educational settings, or as a sleek marketing collateral.

But  how to make a poster in PowerPoint ? Buckle up; you’re about to dive into an ocean of creativity facilitated by one of the most widely used  presentation software .

Through this jaunt, you’ll snag design skills that rival the pros—mastering everything from  text formatting  and  image insertion  to  color schemes  and  customizable slide layouts . I’ll guide you through the whirlwind process where  slide design principles  meet your innovation.

By the time you reach the finish line, you’ll be primed to not just make, but  engineer  a poster in PowerPoint that echoes your intention with panache. From stirring  visual communication  to technical  print settings , consider this your treasure map to poster perfection.

Preparing to Create Your Poster

Alright, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of how to create a poster in PowerPoint .

It’s not just about opening the app and throwing things together. A bit of prep can make a world of difference!

Collecting Materials

Gathering text, charts, data, and graphics.

First things first, you need your raw materials. Think of this as gathering your ingredients before baking a cake.

Got some text? Charts? Maybe some snazzy graphics or crucial data? Pull them all together.

This isn’t just about being organized; it’s about seeing what you’ve got to work with. Remember, a well-prepared plan is half the battle!

Organizing materials in a folder

Now, don’t just dump everything on your desktop. Create a folder, label it something you’ll remember, and put all your bits and pieces in there.

This step is like having a clean workspace – it keeps you sane and your process smooth.

Setting Up PowerPoint

Time to get our hands dirty with PowerPoint, the unsung hero in our how-to create a poster in PowerPoint saga.

Starting PowerPoint

Fire up PowerPoint and let’s get rolling. It’s like stepping into your own digital art studio.

Here, the slides are your canvas, and your creativity is the limit. Whether you’re a PowerPoint newbie or a seasoned pro, there’s always something new to discover.

Choosing Poster Dimensions

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How to Make a Poster in PowerPoint

You are likely aware of using Microsoft PowerPoint for making slides for a presentation. In addition to presentations, you can use PowerPoint for designing posters as well. Although not everyone thinks of designing posters in PowerPoint, it is a very easy process, especially if you need a poster urgently, and or do not have any other software readily available.

You can use posters made in PowerPoint in academic settings for assignments, event promotions on campuses, and general display purposes.

You can use one of two methods for designing your poster:

• Design the poster from scratch
• Use a template

However, before you start on the design, we recommend you think about the poster in detail. You may need to plan for:

• The size of the Poster
• Background image for the poster
• Text in the Poster
• Any other graphics or images

Preferably, collect all the above in a folder before starting on the design.

We will take you through the steps of how to make a poster in PowerPoint.

Let us begin.

Method #1: Design a Poster from Scratch

This method takes more time and effort. But, it gives you complete control over all elements in the poster.

Step #1: Open a Presentation

Open PowerPoint.

Open an existing presentation or a new slide.

Navigate to the slide where you want your presentation.

Step #2: Set up the Poster Size

Click the Design tab in the top menu bar to change the ribbon.

In the section Customize , click the Slide Size icon.

This will open a drop-down menu.

Click the Custom Slide Size… tab.

This will open the Slide Size menu.

Click the window below Slides sized for:

Enter the most suitable size from the drop-down list.

Change the width and height to what you want for the Poster.

PowerPoint can make posters with a maximum size of 132.08 cms x 132.08 cms.

Common poster sizes are:

• Large posters, movie style: 61 cms x 91 cms
• Medium posters, windows and general: 46 cms x 61 cms
• Small posters, billboard size: 28 cms x 43 cms
• Handout posters, A4 size: 22 cms x 28 cms

You can use any size suitable to your application.

Step #3: Add Text

Click the Click to add title , and make necessary changes.

Click the Click to add subtitle , and make necessary changes.

Change the font, size, color, and orientation to your choice.

Step #4: Add Background

Click the Insert tab in the top menu bar to change the ribbon.

In the Images section, click the Pictures icon.

A drop-down menu will appear.

Click to select the source of the image file.

The File Manager will open.

Navigate to the folder containing the background image.

Select the image file and click Open .

The background image will fill the slide, covering the text.

In the Adjust section of the ribbon, click the Transparency icon.

Picture Transparency Options… will open.

Select the option that allows the text to become visible again.

Your slide will now look like:

Step #5: Add a Logo

Navigate to the folder containing the logo image.

The logo image will appear in the slide.

Use the handles to size and position the logo.

Adjust the font, size, colors, and background transparency to your liking.

Method #2: Design a Poster from a Template

This method uses a predesigned template to make the poster. But, you can also change the elements in the poster.

Step #3: Use a Template

Select a suitable theme from the Themes section of the ribbon.

Select a suitable variant from the Variants section of the ribbon.

Step #4: Fill in the Elements

We have shown you two methods of making posters in PowerPoint. Use the method most suitable to your application. If you have any comments or suggestions, please enter them in the comments section below.

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How to make a poster in PowerPoint

Table of Contents

PowerPoint isn’t just for presentations; it’s also a powerful tool for designing professional or scientific posters. We’ll walk you through the basics of how to make a poster in PowerPoint, from layout planning to printing. 

This guide will show you how, whether for a class, conference, exhibition, or work project. You’ll discover design tips and free template sources to inspire your creativity. By following these simple steps, you’ll have your poster draft ready today!

Steps: How to make a poster in PowerPoint

Step 1: create a new presentation.

Open PowerPoint on the web or your computer and create a new blank presentation.

Step 2: Set the poster size

The standard PowerPoint slide is a mere 10” x 7.5” and not a standard poster size. You’ll want to change this to the appropriate dimensions.

Go to the ‘Design’ tab and click ‘Slide size’.

You can choose from preset sizes or enter your own custom dimensions. If using custom sizes, type in your desired poster size. Select the orientation (landscape or portrait).

For Slide scale, select either ‘Scale to fit’ (to adjust your content size to fit the poster) or ‘Crop’ (to trim off excess content).

The most common poster sizes are:

Step 3: Plan the layout

Before adding images and text in PowerPoint, consider planning your poster’s layout. This isn’t just an extra step; it’s a key part of your design process. Take a moment to sketch out your ideas on paper. How many columns will you need? Where should images or graphs go?

For portrait posters, 2 or 3 columns usually work well, creating a balanced look. Landscape posters can comfortably fit 3 to 4, offering more space for detailed content.

💡 Pro tip: This planning step might seem like extra work, but it can significantly reduce confusion and save time when you start designing in PowerPoint. A well-thought-out layout leads to a clearer, more effective poster.

Step 4: Add images and text

Now, it’s time to fill out your poster with images and text. Think of the poster as a visual guide for your audience. Create the content as though it is a story, or present a selected portion of your work if there’s too much to fit into a poster.  

Key tips for creating poster content: 

• Stay focused on your main goal, theme, or topic.
• Clearly convey your key message. Include important takeaways, lessons learned, or conclusions.
• Tell a story that engages and resonates with your audience.
• Use high-resolution images for printing, ideally at least 150 dpi. Low-resolution images (below 72 dpi) might look blurry on larger posters.
• Finding the right images can be challenging. Think creatively, using analogies or narrative elements to spark ideas for visuals.

Using a PowerPoint poster template

To save time, you can consider starting with a PowerPoint poster template, or use the templates as a source of inspiration.

Where to find free PowerPoint poster templates

• Microsoft 365 poster templates
• Free research poster templates by Poster Presentations
• Research poster templates (PowerPoint) by Rutgers University
• Scientific poster PowerPoint templates by Posternerd

These templates are available in .ppt and .pptx formats and are ready to edit.

Saving and exporting for print

Once you’ve finished designing your poster in PowerPoint, save it as a PDF. This ensures your poster is print-ready, preserving your formatting and design exactly as you created it.

For Windows and Mac OS:

• Go to ‘File’, then ‘Export’ (Windows) or ‘Save As’ (Mac OS).
• Choose ‘Create PDF/XPS Document’ (Windows) or select PDF as the file format (Mac OS).
• On Mac OS, set the print quality to ‘High’.
• Select ‘File’ > ‘Download as’, or ‘Save as’.
• Choose ‘Download as PDF’.

💡 PDFs are widely compatible with printing devices and maintain your poster’s formatting, layout, and design better than other file formats.

Poster design tips

🎨 poster sizes.

Common poster sizes include 24×36 and 56×36. To check your poster size, go to the ‘Design’ tab > ‘Slide size’ > ‘Custom slide size.’

If you’re converting from paper sizes (in inches), these are the dimensions to use:

• A0 (33.1 x 46.8 in)
• A1 (23.4 x 33.1 in)
• A2 (16.5 x 23.4 in)
• A3 (11.7 x 16.5 in)
• A4 (8.3 x 11.7 in)

💡 Always design your file at full size (100%)!

🎨 Image resolution

The quality of images is crucial, especially when it comes to printing versus displaying on the web. Print materials generally require higher resolution graphics to ensure clarity and sharpness on paper.

• For printing: Aim for a minimum of 150 dpi (dots per inch). For best quality, 300 dpi is ideal.
• For web use: 72 or 96 ppi (pixels per inch) is sufficient. Lower resolutions result in smaller file sizes, which are quicker to load online.

💡 Remember, an image’s resolution refers to its level of detail. Higher resolution means more dots or pixels per inch, leading to clearer and more detailed images.

🎨 Colors and backgrounds

• Using colors in your poster? Choose and stick to 2 or 3 complementary colors for best visual impact.
• Ensure there’s good contrast between your text, images, and background. This contrast is key to making your content easy to read.
• For backgrounds, whether you choose solid colors, gradients, or images, aim for subtlety. Often, a light-toned background color works well, but sometimes a background isn’t necessary to convey your message.

💡 Printing tip: Colors can look different when printed compared to on-screen. For printing, the CMYK color mode is recommended. Check with your printing service for any specific requirements or adjustments needed.

🎨 Fonts, text, and titles

• Organize your content using a separate text box for each paragraph or section.
• Sans-serif fonts: Verdana, Lucida Sans/Lucida Grande, Tahoma, Andika
• Serif fonts: Georgia, Palatino/Palatino Linotype, Book Antiqua
• Title: 72 to 85pt for visibility
• Sub-headings: 36 to 40pt for emphasis
• Body text: 24pt or larger for readability
• Captions: 18pt to be legible

💡 To maintain a cohesive poster design, limit yourself to two font types.

For example, use a serif font for your title to draw attention and a sans-serif font for body text for easy reading. Mixing too many fonts can overwhelm and distract your audience.

In this tutorial, we’ve shown you how to create a poster in PowerPoint. You’ve learned to set the right dimensions, plan your layout, and add high-quality images and text. Apply these steps to design visually striking posters that clearly deliver your message, whether for academic, professional, or personal use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this tutorial work for other versions of powerpoint.

Yes, you can follow the same steps for the Windows, Mac OS, or the web (online) version of PowerPoint.

Is PowerPoint free to use?

The web version of PowerPoint is free to use. You’ll need to create a free Microsoft 365 account.

What’s the maximum poster size in PowerPoint?

The maximum slide size in PowerPoint is 56” x 56” (142.24cm x 142.24cm). If you need a larger poster size, consider using dedicated design software like Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, or Affinity Publisher.

Can I design the poster using another presentation software and convert it to .ppt?

Yes, you can use similar software like Google Slides and convert your files.

Learn more:

💡 How to Convert Google Slides to PowerPoint

💡 How To Convert PowerPoint to Google Slides

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Making Posters with PowerPoint

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Things to consider before beginning

What size is the poster.

PowerPoint places a limit on the dimensions of slides; if you plan on printing a poster that has dimensions larger than 56″ you will need to create it with another piece of software like  Photoshop  or InDesign.

How much does a poster cost?

Get an estimate using the  price calculator .

Where are the images coming from?

Images copied from the web are low resolution (72 dpi) and are not good quality for a printed poster. Minimum image resolution should be 150 dpi at actual printing size for best results.

What is the deadline?

Posters are printed Monday through Friday with a standard 24-hour turnaround time. Plan ahead to avoid high volume times for quicker turnaround.

Start with a template

Choose from a variety of styles and sizes. Download a template .

Create a new poster

Open a new document in PowerPoint.

• Go to Design –> Slide Size
• Choose  Custom Slide Size
• Set  Width  and  Height  (max. 56″)
• Choose the  Landscape  (horizontal) or Portrait orientation.
• Click  OK .
• If a message pops up telling you that “ The current page size exceeds the printable area of the paper in the printer ” just click  OK .

Basic design tips

Academic posters are a summary of what you did, how you did it, and what you learned. Most are divided into four parts:

• Introduction (what you did)
• Design or methods (how you did it)
• Conclusion (what you learned)

Space is limited. Choose your words and graphics carefully.

Don’t forget to SPELL CHECK your poster before submitting for print!

Design your file at full size (100%). If your poster is 36″ wide x 24″ tall then set your slide dimensions to 36″ x 24″.

Present information the way you would normally read —left to right, top to bottom.

Use columns and line breaks to divide the poster into smaller sections. Use bullets instead of long paragraphs to summarize information.

Maintain a good contrast between the background color and the text. Consider using a light color background and a dark text. A gradient color fill background, especially black, will print poorly and is not recommended.

Someone standing 3–4 feet away should be able to read everything on your poster. Here are some suggested fonts and sizes:

Sans serif:  Lucida Sans, Lucida Grande ; Serif:   Palatino, Book Antiqua

• Title: 72 point
• Headings/section titles: 40 point
• Body text: 24 point
• Captions: 18 point

Limit yourself to 2–3 types of fonts in order to create consistency and unity.

A picture is worth 1,000 words. Poster content should be 60% images, 40% text . Use graphs, charts, tables, and photos to summarize and present data.

High resolution images ( 150 dpi or higher ) are required for printing high quality posters.

Color mode for best results is CMYK .

Insert images directly into PowerPoint . Don’t cut and paste, or copy and paste.

Copy and paste Excel charts and graphs into PowerPoint.

To adjust an image and retain proper proportion, hold the shift key on your keyboard, click, and drag the corners to scale . Enlarging images in PowerPoint is not recommended.

Saving to PDF

CougPrints Plus requires a PDF file set to your custom page size . To save a PowerPoint poster to PDF, follow the steps outlined in Saving PowerPoint Presentations as PDF Files .

Printing your poster

Order your poster online from CougPrints Plus by filling in the submission form and uploading your PDF file. Pick up and pay for posters at CougPrints Plus in the CUB.

Place your poster order!

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How to Design a Poster in Microsoft Powerpoint

Most people assume that Microsoft Powerpoint is to be used solely for presentations. This isn’t true. You can also use Powerpoint to design a beautiful poster. Read on to learn some tips for designing posters in Powerpoint.

Poster Dimensions

The first step is to define the poster dimensions. This can be done by adjusting the slide dimensions. The maximum size limit for a slide dimension is 56 inches x 56 inches, so you won’t be able to design anything bigger than that. If you’re designing the poster for a competition or meeting, they may have some required sizes to you need to adhere to.

Some standard poster sizes that you can use are:

• Small poster: 11” x 17”
• Medium poster: 18” x 24”
• Large posters: 24” x 36”

Once you’ve decided on a size, follow the steps below to set it up in Powerpoint:

1. From the top menu, select “Design.”

2. In the Customize section, select “Slide Size -> Custom Slide Size -> Page Setup.”

3. From the pop-up box, set the width and height you desire for your poster.

4. Powerpoint will give you two scaling options. You can choose to “Scale Up” your content or “Don’t scale” as desired.

Poster Design

The next step is to design the poster. The way you design your poster obviously depends upon you and the type of look you want to achieve. You’ll want to pay special attention to the background, text and image arrangement, etc. Make sure you use different fonts, text sizes and colors to make your poster look more aesthetic. We’ve included some general tips for proper poster design below:

1. Use a proper font and increase the size accordingly.

The font you use should be easy to read and sized accordingly, as the main goal of a poster is to be easily visible from a distance. Opt for a readable but interesting font that draws attention. For instance, if you want to portray something important, use a bold sans serif font. However, if you want to give a specific element of your poster a fun look, try a script font. Similarly, italics will make a line or saying stand out from the rest of the text. You can find a lot of free fonts on Google or DaFont .

2. Position the heading at the top or center of the poster.

Depending on the type of poster you’re designing, make sure the title stands out. Include some details about the title above or beneath it in a smaller font. Similarly, use plenty of pictures/flowcharts to help complement your text. No one likes a bare block of text.

3. The colors you use in the poster are of prime importance.

It is always recommended to use contrast, as contrast quickly catches one’s attention. You can use a contrast of bright and dark colors. If you’d like to do something daring, try a varying color contrast with a shape design. Use repetition, patterns, different positions, etc., to make your poster more attractive. You can also try playing with scale vs. size when using contrast of different text elements. All of these factors can somewhat come into play in Microsoft Powerpoint.

4. Use space efficiently.

Although we’ve mentioned many methods of design above, make sure your poster is not cluttered. The most common mistakes on scientific posters is that they’re very cluttered and the font size is reduced to a barely readable size in order to incorporate maximum text. This should not be the case. Limit the content that you’re including on the poster to only that which is necessary. It is advisable to use greater spacing between lines in a poster, as it creates an open look in general. You can also give more space between different types of text and images.

5. Make sure your poster stands out.

Using a combination of the few tips mentioned above, amd make sure your font style, size, poster design, poster color contrast and all other elements make your poster unique. Your poster will probably be hanging in an area alongside lots of other posters. So make sure your poster stands out from others and attracts attention.

For instance, you can see how color contrast, proper font size proportion and the use of a saying has made this poster stand out and be more attractive than a generic poster.

Once done, you can choose to save the poster in either a standard Powerpoint file (ppt) or a PDF file for easy sharing.

Use a ready-made template.

If you want to avoid the hassle of designing the entire poster from scratch, you can choose to use a ready-made template. Poster templates for Microsoft Powerpoint can be found easily on different websites. For instance Makesigns provides a lot of templates to choose from. Simply select the design you’d like to use, select the poster size and download the file.

Once the file opens in Powerpoint, you’ll be able to customize the title, content, photos, etc. You can also add various flowcharts and tables to make your poster look more pleasing.

That’s all there is to designing a poster in Microsoft Powerpoint. You can also create a Youtube video using Microsoft Powerpoint . If you have any additional tips for customizing a poster, let us know in the comments section below.

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How to Make a Poster in PowerPoint

Create printable posters in any size you need

What to Know

• PC: Choose a template or presentation. Go to Design > Slide Size > Custom Slide Size . Choose an orientation and enter the dimensions.
• Mac: File > Page Setup > Options > Paper Size . Select Manage Custom Sizes and enter the page size for the poster.
• Create your content, then go to File > Print > Print Full Page Slides . Check the preview and settings, and then select Print .

This article explains how to create printable posters in PowerPoint. Information covers PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 , PowerPoint 2019, 2016, 2013, and PowerPoint for Mac.

Define Your PowerPoint Poster Size

When creating a poster in PowerPoint, the first thing you need to do is define its size.

The maximum slide size in PowerPoint is 56 inches by 56 inches. If you need a larger poster, set the dimensions to half the size of your desired output in width and height. Then, when you print the poster, set the output to 200 percent.

Open PowerPoint.

Choose an existing template or open a blank presentation.

Select the Design tab, located near the upper-left corner of the PowerPoint interface.

On a Mac, select File > Page Setup and enter a custom poster size.

Select Slide Size > Custom Slide Size .

In the Slide Size dialog box, select Portrait or Landscape , enter the width and height for your poster, then select OK .

Common poster sizes (in inches) include 11x17, 18x24, 24x36, 27x41, 48x36 and 56x36. Your printer must support these sizes.

A message asks if you want to maximize the size of the content or scale it down to ensure it will fit on the new slide. Select Ensure Fit .

On a Mac, go to File > Page Setup > Options > Paper Size . Select Manage Custom Sizes , and then enter the page size for your poster. Select OK . In Page Setup , enter the width and height, then select Portrait or Landscape .

You've successfully set your poster size.

Add Content to Your PowerPoint Poster

Back in the main PowerPoint interface, it's time to create your poster content. You'll use only one slide for a poster, so make sure all the content fits.

Creating content for a PowerPoint poster is essentially the same as creating content for a presentation slide. What you see is what you get. Take your time with details such as background and fonts as well as image and text placement, making sure your poster will stand out once it's printed.

Print Your PowerPoint Poster

If you've defined the slide size and completed the design, it's time to print your poster. Make sure you have the proper paper loaded and that the printer is online and seen by your computer.

To print a poster:

Go to File > Print .

On a Mac, in the Print dialog box, check the print settings, select Scale to Fit Paper , and then select Print .

Select Print Full Page Slides .

Check the preview and settings, and then select Print .

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How to Make a Poster in PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a well-known software for creating presentations . But little do people know PowerPoint also does a bang-up job in creating eye-catching posters. Learning how to make a poster in PowerPoint is easy. Follow this seven-step guide on how to make posters in PowerPoint. 

1. Open PowerPoint

Open PowerPoint , click the Blank Presentation option or choose a poster background template. Let’s start with a clean slate for this ‘How to make poster in PowerPoint’ guide. 

2. Set poster size

Depending on the purpose of your poster, you need to set the proper poster size to ensure the quality is spot on. Here are the most common poster sizes to guide you:

• 27 by 40 inches – This is the largest poster size that is best for movie posters
• 24 by 36 inches – Next to the extra large poster size, this is a large-sized poster that fits in outdoor advertising spaces, events, or retail stores
• 18 by 24 inches – This is a medium-sized poster that can still grab attention when displayed indoors or outdoors
• 11 by 17 inches – This is the smallest poster size on the list. You can choose this size when putting your posters on street posts, store windows, bulletin boards, or public bathrooms. 

Go to the Design menu at the top toolbar. 

Click the drop-down arrow of the Slide Size menu, and click Page Setup . Choose Custom from the drop-down menu and enter your preferred poster dimensions. 

Tip: Most poster sizes are in portrait mode rather than landscape mode, which means they’re taller instead of wider. 

If you already have content on your slide, a pop-up will ask if you want to scale up or down. You will be asked to choose between Maximize and Ensure Fit . Select Maximize to scale up and ensure the text is legible enough for the new size. 

3. Add images, background, logos, etc. 

If you’re not choosing from the PowerPoint poster templates , prepare and save your poster design details on your computer. Add the image and other design elements by dragging and dropping them from your folder to PowerPoint’s design interface. 

Tip: When using a background, ensure it doesn’t compete for attention. Choose a solid tone or simple gradients to make the essential poster details pop. Also, select a background color that complements your font well. 

Posters are relatively larger than presentation slides. That said, check if your saved images, icons, and backgrounds are large enough to prevent compromising the printed quality. Ensure the images have a DPI of at least 150. If you’re pulling images online, note that these aren’t large enough for poster printing. And the outcome might come out pixelated. 

Tip: Drag and drop all design elements on your empty canvas and adjust later. It’s easier to put all visual components and move them around to areas you deem fit. 

4. Add text

The next step in this ‘How to make poster in PowerPoint’ guide is to add text. Prepare your text beforehand so everything is ready and good to go. If you’re satisfied with the design layout, carefully considering the text placement is crucial. This will help guide the readers from the most vital information to the least. 

Here are a few reminders when adding text to your poster in PowerPoint:

• Keep the copy concise
• Headings should appear the largest on your poster
• Consider a bullet-style format for good structure
• Choose a straightforward sans-serif font for legibility
• Go for 20 percent text, 40 perfect figures/symbols, and 40 percent space
• Make sure the text is legible from around five to seven feet away
• Leave some room around your texts
• Avoid using all uppercase letters 
• Combine bold and italics to emphasize words/phrases/headings
• Limit combinations to not more than two typefaces

Here is a poster font size guide:

• Headings must be 85 pt
• Subheadings must be 36 pt
• Body text must be 24 pt
• Captions must be 18 pt
• Authors must be 56 pt

For your text to be legible, follow these pointers:

• Use 30 pt to be readable from six feet 
• Use 48 pt to be readable from 10 feet
• Use 60 pt to be readable from 12 feet
• Use 72 pt to be readable from 14 feet

Click the Text Box icon and type your heading, subheading, body text, and the rest of the copy. 

5. Choose colors

Of course, you want your poster to grab attention, and adding colors will give your poster life and vibrance. You might need to skip this step if you’ve chosen a custom design. 

However, if you’re customizing your poster’s background colors, follow these tips:

• Limit the combination to two to three colors to prevent your poster design from looking chaotic
• Go for a lighter color if your text color is darker and vice versa
• Create contrast between the images and texts
• Avoid bright color combinations

6. Make the final adjustments

After dragging and dropping the images, typing the copy, and arranging the layout, it’s time to make the final adjustments. Move the elements around and review the structure from top to bottom. Ensure reading is a breeze when putting yourself in your audience’s shoes. 

7. Export and print

The last step in learning how to make posters in PowerPoint is to export the file and print the poster. Depending on how you’ll distribute the poster , you can select a safe file format: PDF. If you only print the posters, choosing PNG over JPG is better for larger images. If you’re working with virtual teams, PDF files allow you to easily share files online. 

Need compelling poster designs? Subscribe to Penji for unlimited designs and revisions at fixed monthly rates! Sign up now for a 15 percent discount. 

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How to Make a Presentation Poster

Last Updated: March 28, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff . Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 32,903 times. Learn more...

Presentation posters are an excellent way to present information and are required for many courses, projects, and conferences. Organise the content strategically so that it as clear and easy to read as possible. Use PowerPoint to quickly and easily format your content into an eye-catching poster. Once you have formatted the poster and finalised all the content, you are ready to present your poster!

Organising the Content

• For example, “New Poetry Discovered in the Journals of WW2 Soldiers” would be an interesting title for a poetry poster.

• If you're making a scientific poster, include your hypothesis in the introduction.
• This section is generally only 1 paragraph long.

• For example, if you collected water samples for a geography project, explain where you got the water from, when you collected it, and the method that you used to take the sample.
• If your poster is summarising the work of artists or researchers, such as in poetry, geography, or history, explain why you chose the publications that you used and detail the modes of research you utilised.
• If you are making a scientific poster, include all the materials that you used, your method of statistics, and why you chose the method that you used. Use sub-headings, such as “Materials” or “Steps” to break up the section.

• For example, if you are making a poster for a children's poetry fair, lots of funny poems and poetry facts would likely draw the children to your poster.
• If you are making a scientific poster, use annotated graphs and tables to visually display the data that you have collected.
• If you’re making a history or geography poster, consider placing an essay, timeline, or map in this space.

• Contemplate ending with a memorable quote. For example, if you are making a history poster, you could find a profound Nelson Mandela quote to finish with.
• If you are making a scientific poster, compare your results to the hypothesis and comment on whether your predictions were correct.

• This section can have a smaller font than the rest of the poster if you have limited space.

• Use high-resolution photos to ensure that the images don’t look fuzzy when they are printed.
• Avoid using Clip Art, as this tends to look unprofessional.

Formatting the Poster

• If you have enough room, increase the font size to 20 pt or 24 pt. The larger the text is – the easier it will be to read.

• Stand 10 ft (3 m) away from your poster and check that the key titles can be read. If you have trouble reading them, increase the size of the text.

• Times New Roman, Helvetica, Calibri, Arial, and Garamond are good font options.

• Bold any important words or phrases to help them stand out.

• Use paragraphs to break up large sections of text.
• Gaps between sections are often referred to as white space.

• Once you have created a first draft of the poster, ask a friend if they can easily understand the flow of the poster. If they can't, rearrange the components until they fit in a natural, logical way.

Using PowerPoint

• If you haven’t been given a specified poster dimension, make the poster 48 inches (120 cm) wide and 36 inches (91 cm) tall.

• If the slide is already in the correct orientation, skip this step.

• These templates can be edited in the same way as a regular PowerPoint presentation.

• The text box icon is a small square box with an “a” and horizontal lines inside it.

• Opt for high-resolution photos to ensure that the photos look sharp and clear when you print the poster.
• You can also use graphs, charts, and other visuals in addition to photographs.

• If you want to adjust the positioning of an object very slightly, hold down the Control (Ctrl) key as you use the arrows. This reduces the size of the movements.

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1876493/
• ↑ https://urc.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk3561/files/local_resources/documents/pdf_documents/How_To_Make_an_Effective_Poster2.pdf
• ↑ https://guides.nyu.edu/posters
• ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/change-the-size-of-your-slides-040a811c-be43-40b9-8d04-0de5ed79987e#OfficeVersion=Office_2010
• ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/change-the-page-layout-49030c0f-9cd9-4f92-a894-605bc0671d10
• ↑ https://templates.office.com/en-US/Posters
• ↑ https://youtu.be/jaGb5tckCZQ?t=19
• ↑ https://support.office.com/en-gb/article/insert-a-picture-in-powerpoint-5f7368d2-ee94-4b94-a6f2-a663646a07e1
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-keyboard-shortcuts-to-create-powerpoint-presentations-ebb3d20e-dcd4-444f-a38e-bb5c5ed180f4?ui=en-us&rs=en-us&ad=us

About This Article

To make a presentation poster in Powerpoint, start by changing your page setup to widescreen in the "Design" tab. Then, write a clear title that tells readers what your poster is about across the top of the page. After your title, write an introduction to your topic, including any research methods you used on the left side. Use the middle column to detail your main points. Then, on the right side, add your conclusion and any references you cited. If you want your poster to catch your readers’ eye, place a few images and graphs that illustrate your main points throughout the poster. For more tips, including how to choose fonts for your poster, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to make a poster in PowerPoint | PowerPoint Tutorial

Most of the time, we use PowerPoint to create presentations, but did you know you could use PowerPoint to build other elements such as posters?  It is quite handy software to create poster designs as it offers more graphic features and greater flexibility in placing your text and images.  In this tutorial, we will explain a stepwise process on how to make a poster in PowerPoint. 

How to make a poster in PowerPoint?

The steps involved in designing a poster entirely depends upon its type and use. It could be a business or product advertisement poster, an upcoming event poster, or maybe a festival greeting. In this tutorial, we have explained how to make a poster in PowerPoint for a Christmas greeting. You can follow the same steps to create other poster designs. But before that, let us discuss a few common things in designing a poster. 

Things to consider while designing a poster in PowerPoint 

• Before designing a poster , figure out a plan or layout according to the size of the poster. 

Selecting the right poster dimensions is important as it impacts the message you want to convey through the poster. Make sure the size you choose is appropriate for the requirement. Most posters follow a regular size format, but you can choose a custom size.

Go to the Design menu > select Slide Size > Custom slide size.

2. Keep ready all the images, graphics, elements, or data required for the poster. 

3. Choose a poster background:  The poster background should be according to the overall theme and message you are conveying. The background could be a solid color, a gradient color, maybe an image. 

4. After the background, insert the visual elements and infographics. Make sure the image quality is good and does not get pixelated when you print the poster. 

5. While adding the text, keep the text limited only to the necessary message. 

6. The font type is a significant factor to consider while creating a poster. Choose the font style and size that best fits the motive of the poster. 

Here is a quick tutorial on how to make a poster in PowerPoint specificallyg a Christmas PowerPoint Poster. You can follow the same process and create a poster for other uses.- 

Step 1- Poster Layout  As we make a PowerPoint Christmas theme poster, we have kept the background in blue gradient color. 

Right-click on the slide > Format Background > Gradient Fill > choose the color and make adjustments

Once you are done with setting the Christmas PowerPoint background, design a Christmas poster theme. This can be done by – 1. creating some of the elements, 2. Using images and making necessary adjustments (step 2)

Step 2- Adding Images 

Add images that are appropriate for a Christmas poster theme. Adjust the size and place the pictures accordingly. 

Step 3 – Branding 

To make your poster personalized, you can place your brand logo in it. Insert an image file of your logo and put the logo appropriately. 

Step 4 – Save and Print 

To print the Christmas PowerPoint poster – press Ctrl + P 

Watch this PowerPoint tutorial to get a detailed idea –

Christmas PowerPoint Templates and poster designs

We have designed a few completely editable Christmas PowerPoint templates that you can edit and print as well.

Christmas Poster Template

View Christmas Poster Template 

Christmas PowerPoint

View Christmas PowerPoint 

Poster Design Template

View Poster Design Template

PowerPoint Christmas Theme

View PowerPoint Christmas Theme

Now you don’t have to scour the web to find out the right templates. Download our PowerPoint Templates from within PowerPoint.  See how ?

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Small Business Trends

How to make a poster in powerpoint.

Microsoft PowerPoint is a go-to tool for most of us to show  presentation ideas  to our audiences. But you can also use it to design poster presentations. Whether for advertising or promoting an event, PowerPoint lets you create a poster for any purpose. In this article, you will learn how to make a poster in PowerPoint step-by-step.

Additionally, you will know proven tips to design your poster to make it more appealing.

Let’s dive in:

How to Create a Poster in Powerpoint

There is no fixed PowerPoint poster design. Business owners incorporate different design elements in their posters, depending on their needs. We’ll explore key design elements you can use to make a poster.

To make the process of PowerPoint poster creation easy to understand, we have divided it into the following small steps:

1- Open a Blank Presentation Slide

Click on the New tab and select blank presentation to open a blank slide.

Click on the View menu and activate Ruler, Gridlines, and Guides. Doing so will help you align images, texts, or other poster content in the slide.

2- Pick a Size for Your Poster Presentation

Go to the Design Tab and click on the Slide Size menu. You will see three options: Standard (4:3), Widescreen (16:9), and Custom Slide Size.

If you don’t want to use any of the typical sizes (standard or widescreen), Click on the Custome Slide Size tab to make a poster of a custom size.

For this poster presentation, we are going to make a poster of 24 inches x 36 inches. You can use this size of poster for multiple purposes.

After you set the PowerPoint poster size, PowerPoint will ask you whether you want to maximize the size of your content or you want to scale down to ensure fit. Choose Maximize.

3- Add Visual Elements

To create a beautiful PowerPoint poster, you have to add creatives to your slide. Click on the Insert tab and select the picture menu.

You will have three options to insert pictures from – This Device, Stock Images, and Online Pictures. For this poster, we have used a stock image. So we have selected the Stock Images option.

4- Add Text Elements

Once your chosen image is uploaded to the slide. Click on the Text Box tab from the Insert menu to add a text box.

You can add as many text boxes as your poster demands. Once text boxes are added to the poster, you can change font sizes, colors, and types of fonts.

5- Insert Shape Elements into the Poster

Click on the Insert menu and select the desired shape you want to add to your poster.

You can write desired text into shape elements. Also, you will have options to choose Shape Fill, Shape Outline, or Shape effects. Based on the layout of your poster, you should pick shape elements and colors to personalize those elements.

6- Check if You Have Included Everything

We have also added one icon from the Insert menu to give our poster a good look, we have added an icon from the Insert menu at the footer of the poster. You can also add your logo instead of this icon.

And finally, we have added one more shape and a text box at the footer. Your poster design will look like the below:

7- Save Your Poster Design

Once your poster is ready, you should save the file. You have multiple options to save it.

But make sure you save the file in PowerPoint. If you save the file in PowerPoint, you can easily edit it in the future.

To print the file, you can save it in a Pdf or JPEG file.

As you have observed, there are multiple options to add images, icons, and shapes to your poster.

So your PowerPoint poster design can be as creative as you want.

Formatting Your PowerPoint Presentation Poster

When it comes to creating an eye-catchy poster for your business, formatting plays a significant role.

PowerPoint poster dimensions vary according to the purposes for which the posters are being created.

Therefore, you should understand your requirement first before diving into designing a poster in PowerPoint.

Here are a few formatting tips:

• Don’t write a long title
• Use easy-to-read fonts in your poster
• Don’t change the type sizes and/or typefaces excessively in your poster design
• Consider poster sizes that are common in your industry before deciding the size for your poster

Best PowerPoint Poster Template Options

Creating a poster in PowerPoint from scratch can sometimes take time, especially when you’re using the software first time. In such a case, using PowerPoint poster templates can save time and energy.

Here are five beautiful PowerPoint templates to create posters:

1. Newfield PowerPoint Poster Template

This template is well-suited for creating research posters. Newfield template comes in many sizes, including 36×48, 36×56, 36×60, and more.

2. Pool Party Poster Template

If you want to design and print a poster for a pool party or any other party, the Pool Party template can help you do the job easily. It is a 100% customizable template.

3. Multipurpose Corporate Flyer Design

This template is perfect for designing a poster to present your business at trade events. You can fully customize the Multipurpose Corporate Flyer Design template to meet your objectives.

4. Community Posters from Microsoft

Microsoft has a collection of community posters that you can easily customize. These templates are good to create posters for fundraisers, festivals, or other community events.

5. Product Flyer Template

You can use the Product Flyer Template to design creative sale posters easily. You can use it to create fashion flyers, tech store flyers, car for sale flyers, and more.

5 Top Tips on How to Make a PowerPoint Poster

Here are five top tips on how to make a poster in PowerPoint:

1- Consider Your Branding

Your poster represents your brand irrespective of its purpose. So you should keep your brand in mind while creating a poster.

Colors, fonts, and creatives should be in line with your brand theme.

2- Use Design Elements in Harmony

You should use all the design elements in harmony. Images, texts, shapes, and graphics should be used in a way that one element doesn’t overpower the other.

3- Avoid Excessive Color Variations

Using excessive color variations can create a distraction and make the message delivery poor. So, while creating a poster, you should strategically use colors that are in alignment with your brand philosophy.

4- Break Your Poster into Sections

Make sure your poster doesn’t look like a long thread. Instead, break it into sections to make your message delivery powerful.

5- Be Creative

When it comes to adding creativity to your PowerPoint poster design, you have multiple options.

You can use beautifully created images, write smart copy, and experiment with graphics to create a poster that catches the attention of your audience.

Now that you know how to make a poster in PowerPoint. It is time to put a thinking cap on and create a powerful poster, avoiding common PowerPoint mistakes .

PowerPoint is an excellent software tool for preparing presentation slides. But to fully harness the power of this software tool, you should also know how to do a voiceover in PowerPoint, how to create a roadmap in PowerPoint, and how to make a Venn Diagram in PowerPoint.

Image: Depositphotos

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How To Make A Poster In PowerPoint

Express your creativity and show off your design skills by using PowerPoint to create fun and informative posters in the easiest way possible.

Create engaging posters that communicates your message effectively.

You can get creative and design a poster in PowerPoint with custom sizes, images, text, and shapes .

Here are some steps and FAQs to help you get started on creating a poster in PowerPoint.

How To Make A Poster In PowerPoint 🖼️

Frequently asked questions 🤔.

Important disclosure: we're proud affiliates of some tools mentioned in this guide. If you click an affiliate link and subsequently make a purchase, we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you (you pay nothing extra). For more information, read our affiliate disclosure .

To make a poster in PowerPoint, follow these steps:

• Open PowerPoint and create a new slide.
• Set the slide size to the desired dimensions for your poster.
• Add a background color or image to your slide.
• Insert text boxes, images, and shapes to design your poster.

The world is your oyster so have fun with it!

5. Resize and arrange objects as needed.

6. Use the "Arrange" and "Align" tools to make sure objects are properly aligned.

7. Save your poster as a PDF or image file for printing or sharing.

What is the ideal size for a poster in PowerPoint? The size of your poster will depend on the requirements of the event or the purpose for which it is being created. A common size for posters is 36 inches by 48 inches .

Can I use images from the internet in my poster? Yes, you can. Be sure to check the copyright restrictions and give proper attribution if required. Alternatively, you can use royalty-free images or create your own graphics.

How can I make my poster visually appealing? To make your poster visually appealing, use a clear and simple design with a balanced layout. Use a color scheme that is easy on the eyes and align objects properly. Use images and graphics to support your text, and make sure your fonts are readable from a distance .

Can I print my poster directly from PowerPoint? Yes, you can print your poster directly from PowerPoint, but depending on the size of your poster and your printer, you may need to adjust the print settings to print it on multiple pages. You can do this by selecting "Print" and choosing "Scale to Fit Paper" under the "Printer Settings."

How can I save my poster as a PDF or image file? To save your poster as a PDF or image file, go to "File" and select "Save As." Choose the file type you want to save it as, such as PDF or JPEG, and select the folder where you want to save it.

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How to Make a Poster Using PowerPoint

(adapted from the VisLab website: http://www.hs.washington.edu/locke/vislab/tech/powerpoint-poster.html )

Step by Step:

1. Start PowerPoint: Make a New presentation – a blank one. When asked for a Layout, choose a blank one – one without anything – even a title.

2. Choose the size of your poster: I recommend that you select a poster approximately 48-60" wide (across) and exactly 36" in height (top to bottom). This applies for your individual poster even though you will print it out much smaller than this for grading purposes; doing this will allow you to have the flexibility to print your file as a large poster if your group chooses it. While HP-3000 printers can print up to 52.5 x several hundred inches, and Power Point limits you to up to 56 by 56, most printers on campus (eg: OUGL or Mary Gates) have a 36" limit.

Note for PowerPoint Poster Gurus Only: The PowerPoint limitation can be overcome with scaling – set your slide up at half size and use scale to 200% when printing. Set the size by using the File menu/Page Setup. If rulers are not visible, you might want to enable them – use the View menu/Rulers.

3. Adding text: In order to add text, the text needs a "container" – a Text Box. Make a text box by

a.Click on the Text Box tool or selecting Text Box under the Insert menu. (PowerPoint is very flexible in how its tools are arranged. The down side of that is that your tools may be in a different place than they are described here. The Text Box tool is often found near the bottom center – it looks like a mini page with an "A" in the upper-left part of it.)

b.Click or click-and-drag where you want the text to be. After this second step, you should see the rectangular shape of the Text Box. You can re-size it at any time by dragging one of the little square "handles". The box will also grow automatically as you type (if it needs to).

As in many programs, you can change the font and size by highlighting the text to be changed and then making the changes. A 100-point font is about an inch high. If you don't see the size you want in the selection list, you can enter it in by hand.

To move a Text Box, position your pointer over a part of the edge of the box that is not a handle. The pointer should become shaped like a plus sign with arrows. Click and drag the Text Box to the wanted position.

You can change the color of the text, the edge, and the fill as well as other things under the Format menu/Text Box.

Make a separate Text Box for each separate piece of text. "Separate text" means a portion of text that you want to be able to move independently from the others.

• Adding images: The two ways to add images are with Insert/Picture and with Copy and Paste:

Insert/Picture: This is the most common way of adding graphics to a PowerPoint document. If you have a file that is in one of several standard graphic formats (like JPEG, GIF, PICT, etc.), use the Insert menu/Picture/From-file and select your file. The image will appear on your document with handles. Use one of the corner handles to re-size it. (The corner handles will keep the same aspect ratio; the side handles will not.) Click and drag in the middle of the graphic to move it. You can do many other things to an image (including brightness, cropping, and resetting it to how it was originally brought in) under Format/Picture.

Image size: You need to plan ahead – in the package that created the graphic (or in program like PhotoShop) figure out the final print size of your graphic and scale it to about 200 dpi (dots per inch). The HP-3000 prints at 600 dpi, but the dithering it needs to do for most colors (all except the seven colors RGB and CMYK) takes up space – anything over 200 dpi is ignored for most colors. 150 dpi or even 100 dpi will look fine for most images.

Copy and Paste: Use this if you have something like an Excel graph you want to add to your document. Generally avoid this method if you can – Copy and Paste will often only give you a low-resolution copy of a graphic.

• Background: You can select a background under the Format menu/Background. If you want a picture background, select “Background” off the Format menu, then click on the down arrow for more options.   Select “fill effects” and then the tab for “picture”.   Click on “select picture” and find the picture you want from your hard drive.   You will probably want to fade or lighten the image prior to using it as background or you may risk the picture competing with your text.  
• Lines, Boxes, Arrows: There are many other things that PowerPoint can do. Next to the Text Box tool are tools to make ovals, boxes, lines, arrows, etc. When you have made one of these, you can change it (when it is selected) with the Format menu/Colors and Lines.
• Zoom: You can control the zoom amount by clicking on the zoom choice box (if visible), or using the View menu/Zoom.

If you are printing your individual poster for grading purposes only (not for display), then the following instructions apply to you: Chose "File" then "Print". Select all to print (default setting), but SELECT the box that says "scale to fit". You will end up with a small poster (8.5" X 11" or 8.5" x 14" if you use legal paper). To get maximum benefit from the use of color you should use a color printer, although a black & white printer will also show some gray variations that demonstrate where color is used in the document.

If you want to print a DISPLAY poster see below....

                        Where to go to print DISPLAY-SIZE posters on campus:

T271 Health Sciences Building (Health Sciences Academic Services & Facilities 206-543-9275). ­   up to 54" wide by 100' long on Hewlett Packard

DesignJet 3500 and 5000 CP Printers.

Costs for Standard Papers at HSAS&F (check for current prices and information at www.uwposters.com or depts.washington.edu/hsasf/photo/posters.html)

  Size            Economy Bond    Semi-Gloss or Matte    High-Gloss

16x20            $14.00               16.00                              17.00

20x24              17.00               20.00                               21.00

24x36             24.00               28.00                               35.00

32x40             30.00               35.00                               43.00

40x60             42.00               54.00                               60.00

Commons at OUGL (36" Wide, unlimited length - $1.00 set up and $0.25 per inch of length). Keep in mind that we are using the length as "our width" and vice versa.

Mary Gates Hall CRC (36” Wide) Plotter $1.00 setup fee, $0.50 per inch.   See   http://depts.washington.edu/sacg/news/mgh-crc.php for updates.

You can print off campus (i.e. Kinko’s) but they are expensive ($100-$120) since they are trying to make a profit while the university is just trying to cover costs. NOT RECOMMENDED .

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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How to Create Slides That Suit Your Superiors: 11 Tips

When you’re pitching ideas or budgets to execs in your organization, you need to deliver slides that fit those particular people just right. This checklist identifies the key considerations.

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I recently interviewed 20 of my customers, all in senior roles at Fortune 100 companies, and asked them their biggest pain point in presenting to higher-ups and even colleagues. What I heard consistently was that it can feel like Goldilocks bouncing from one option to the next, testing to figure out what’s “just right.” Does the audience want deep reports? Sparse slides? Something in between? Like … what?

Teams often come to presentation meetings with vast amounts of backup content just in case an exec wants to take a deep dive on any given point. There’s often a struggle to anticipate every direction attendees might want to go. It’s frustrating, and it’s not efficient.

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There are many ways to build slides. I’m not just talking about crafting them well versus poorly. I’m talking about all of the important decisions regarding how to organize them, how much text to use, when to lean into a chart, the best ways to use bullets and color, and whether to include an appendix with additional information. Before you make your next proposal or request of the executive team, use this list of 11 tips for your next set of slides as a guide.

Four Things You Must Have in Every Exec’s Slides

Before we drill down into the harder aspects, the ones where your executives’ tastes may vary widely, let’s quickly cover four aspects that you can consider the building blocks — the basics you should never proceed without.

Start with an executive summary. Begin the slide deck with a tight executive summary that follows a three-act structure. First, start with stating the current realities. Second, clearly state the problem or opportunity your idea addresses and its potential impact. Third, explain how your recommendation solves the problem or exploits the opportunity and the next steps you’re proposing.

Have a logical organization. The arc of the deck — the package from beginning to end — should make sense. If your audience reads only the headline of every slide, the order should be coherent and make most of the case for you. The content below each slide’s headline must support the statement made in the title. Remove everything that doesn’t support your point; as writers will tell you, you sometimes need to “kill your darlings” when you’re editing.

Begin the slide deck with a tight executive summary that follows a three-act structure.

Make it skimmable. Help your audience to quickly grasp the point without getting bogged down in details. Create a clear visual hierarchy. Guide the reader’s eye through the content: Use bold headings, bullet points, and numbered lists to break down information into digestible pieces. Highlight key takeaways or conclusions in a different color or font size to draw attention to these critical points.

Focus on concise insights. Succinct statements with clear insights are everyone’s jam. Every slide should serve a purpose and contribute directly to the decision-making process. Distill complex information. Don’t use 100 words when 20 words will nail it. If you’re having difficulty trimming, consider using company-approved AI tools to help you take out the fluff.

Five Preferences to Confirm With the Person You Want to Reach

Now we’ll delve into what your particular audience does and does not want. If you haven’t yet, start by asking the person you’re presenting to what they generally prefer. They probably know themselves well but have not been asked to articulate how they like to receive information.

Ask how dense is too dense. Some executives prefer detailed slides with comprehensive data. Others favor a more high-level approach. You’re weighing how to balance informative content with readability, ensuring that slides are not overloaded yet are sufficiently detailed to support decision-making.

Confirm the delivery format and timing. Some execs like information presented to them. Others prefer a pre-read of the material followed by a discussion. I always recommend our tool Slidedocs (I’ve written a free e-book on them), which are visual documents using both words and images. The templates help presenters organize their thoughts into a document for a pre-read or a read-along. They are designed to be skimmable and able to travel through your organization without the help of a presenter.

I’m a huge fan of pre-reads and prefer to use my time in meetings to ask questions and build alignment. If your audience didn’t review your material in advance, ask at the top of the meeting whether they would like you to present it or would prefer to read through it and then discuss it.

Find out how much data visualization they prefer. Charts, graphs, photos, and illustrations often communicate complex data more clearly than words alone. When execs can see what you’re saying, they often can better understand the impact of your idea. Does the exec want to understand exact numbers? Bar charts allow them to move their eyes across a series of specifics. Does the exec want to know the shape of a trend over time? Line charts can show the pattern. (See “Classic Charts Communicate Data Quickly.”) Some prefer charts with annotations that draw attention to what you think is the most important point. Others want to make their own conclusions from the data.

One of my clients, the CEO of a massive commercial real estate company, doesn’t want anything visualized. He prefers numbers, only in a table, and only in two colors — black and red. You might think this is archaic. But the fact that he’s clear to his teams about what he wants takes all the mystery out of how to communicate with him.

When the stakes are high, have a conceptual thinker help with diagrams and concepts. If you don’t have one on your team, and when it’s high stakes, find an internal designer to help you or hire one. You can’t afford to have the baby (your idea) thrown out with the bathwater (terrible slides).

Identify which details need spelling out. How well do the people you’re presenting to know the landscape and function of the company and products you’re talking about? For example, if your engineering team threw a slide into a deck about an issue that requires executive approval, do the execs all speak geek? Or do you need to explain the technology so that they will really understand the ask? Either eliminate internal jargon and acronyms or unpack those bits, especially if your proposal deeply involves expertise outside of the executives’ domain.

Ask whether appendices will be useful. When you’re organizing a presentation, you often troll data, read through complicated reports, and even hire external experts to figure out what’s best for the company. Do your execs want access to that supporting data? You can add a document to the end of the presentation as an appendix to show all of the data and source material. This allows the main content of the slides to remain focused and accessible while still providing comprehensive background information for those who want more.

Two Tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills

Getting materials in place is the biggest step. They will be your best tools for selling your ideas. But there are two extra areas to pay attention to as a presenter: how you handle questions and how you use every experience to improve.

Anticipate questions, and practice your answers. Before you have your meeting, gather a small team to challenge every point you make. Invite colleagues you trust to role-play as “a rapidly inquisitive exec” or “the doubting naysayer exec” so you are prepared to present your idea well. They’re gonna grill you, and practicing will help you remain unruffled when it happens.

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Ask for feedback after the presentation. Establish a feedback loop with those you presented to. Ask what worked well and how you can improve. If attendees don’t have the time, find people who have had their ideas funded and talk to them about what they did that worked. Advice and some perspective will help you nail your performance even better next time.

Empathetically understanding your audience members and how they process information, whether it’s executives or peers, sets up your ideas for success. Clarity creates efficiency. When a presentation fits just right, you’ve given your great thinking the best chance of moving through your organization and having maximum impact.

About the Author

Nancy Duarte is CEO of Duarte Inc. , a communication company in the Silicon Valley. She’s the author of six books, including DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story (Ideapress Publishing, 2019).

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