Creating Large-Format Posters using PowerPoint
The process of creating files that can be printed on large format printers (larger than 11"x17") goes beyond the familiar tools and techniques many of us are
used to. This document describes a particular process and set of procedures that we've found to work well. In our experience people who don't follow this
process routinely end up with documents that look fine on screen but are un-printable. Invariably this discovery is made at the last, worst possible moment.
The ensuing tears, panic and failure far outstrip the initial boredom reading this document may invoke. So try to stay with us. Also note that in some places
we've glossed over exact step-by-step details. This is not to imply that you don't need to figure out and follow all the steps yourself – it’s simply that time and
space don't permit all the gory details to appear here. As always, if you have questions call the appropriate computer support person (you can start with the
Helpdesk at x5999).
A quick overview
The general procedure is to create the document using MS PowerPoint, taking pains to make sure all possible text and graphics are as small (in computer
storage terms) as feasible.
Before you begin
You'll first need to determine the size of your final poster. Our printer (as with many others) prints on 36" rolls of paper. So at least one of the dimensions of
your poster should be no more than 36" (e.g. 24"x36" and 36"x48" are fine-48"x48" won't work). Keep in mind that the larger the poster the more care will be
required in keeping your file size small so that the final result is printable. Also keep in mind that just because you've been given an 8 foot by 8 foot space at
the conference doesn't mean your poster has to fill it. Few people will read your important title 8' above the floor or your important conclusions 1' above the
floor. In this case, Quantity does NOT equal Quality.
Let the printer people know
Before you commit too much time to creating your masterpiece get in touch with the folks at Print Services, x4186. Let them know when you expect to send
them your poster, and the date you need it by. Make sure your timeline is reasonable, and that when you're done, they'll have enough time to do their thing
(including ordering more paper and ink and such...).
Get your content all ready to go
Next gather the text and figures for your poster. You can compose the text in a word processor and cut and paste it in when it's nicely polished. You can also
add text directly in PowerPoint. Note – In PowerPoint, all text needs to go into a text box.
If you're adding figures or pictures make sure you have the (digital) originals. For instance, if you're inserting a graph from an Excel spreadsheet make sure
you have the original spreadsheet in hand. If you're creating other graphical output make sure you have the original file and access to the software used to
create the graphic. Simply having a copy of the file is often not good enough. Frequently the file that you have, though it looks fine, may be inappropriate for
large format printing. Expect to have to recreate some of your graphics from the original program (unless you've had the forethought to create your graphics
with this purpose in mind). Which brings us to a pedantic yet painfully necessary discussion.
Graphics
Most of the familiar 'graphics' formats are raster: jpeg, gif, tiff, bmp. To confuse things further most "vector" file formats are capable of holding raster as well as
vector bits within them. Current versions of PowerPoint can use native Illustrator files, PDFs and EPS files.
Here are some practical suggestions. If you're getting graphics out of a drawing or plotting programs (SPSS, ArcGIS, Kaleidagraph, Mathematica), get them
out in Encapsulated Postscript format (EPS) or PDF. (Sometimes you can copy/paste from the drawing program right into PowerPoint, but be aware that
sometimes PowerPoint will “link” the graphic, which can result in the graphic being “missing” when you print it from a different computer than the computer on
which you create the poster.) Some programs have a "Save As" or "Export" function with EPS or PDF format as an option. If so, use it. If not, there's a fairly
universal trick that should work in most cases-print it to a file.
If you've selected a postscript printer (as most of the networked laser printers on campus are) then using the "print to a file" option within the operating systems
will give you an EPS file if you flip the appropriate toggle to change the Postscript format to Encapsulated Postscript. These options are generally buried within
the guts of the Print dialog box. For example on a Mac, you'd choose the "PDF" or "Save as PDF ..." button on the print panel. On Windows, you'd choose the
"print to file" checkbox on the main print window and then look for the EPS option under the postscript tab under the properties button (possibly digging
through an advanced settings menu on the way). The result should be a file (which you should name with a .eps or .pdf extension) which contains vector
information-essentially the same mathematical description that the printer would have used to print that particular graphic.
What about pictures?
Pictures-taken with a digital camera, or scanned, are fundamentally raster. As such they can be quite large. It's entirely possible that a reasonable collection of
raster pictures may simply be too large to print even if they can all be successfully brought into PowerPoint. So you'll need to be extra careful in choosing and
sizing the raster images you decide to include.