We've put together this collection of resources so that you can have peace of mind in designing a beautifully designed poster ready for your assignment or conference. 

 

Watch the the video for tips on:

  • Starting your poster
  • Finding images
  • Colors and design tips
  • Formatting information 
  • Presenting data
  • Saving and sending your poster for print

Looking for Oregon State poster templates, official logos, or design elements? 


Click the icon below to be taken to the OSU marketing Downloads page with essential brand elements. 

Looking for something a bit more creative? 


Try some of our ready-made Media Hub poster templates for a good starting place. 
Coming soon! 

 


 

Need some advice on how to start? 


Consider these points when designing your poster:

  1.  Make the poster in a program where you have complete control over the size. We recommend programs like PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Keynote  as a good place to start
    1. We really would prefer to have your raw working document!
       
  2. Only embed high quality images in your poster. Pictures can be scaled down, but they can't always be scaled up
     
  3. Check for watermarks on your images! Don't just take the first thing you find on the internet
     
  4. SPELLCHECK
     
  5. Avoid lots of black or dark colors. Dark colors means more ink -- which can bleed into other colors; and is expensive
     
  6. Consider only using 4 colors in your poster
     
  7. Send in the poster as soon as you can -- especially during the busy spring term 
     
  8. Check your ONID e-mail. If there's a problem with your poster, we'll let you know immediately. This is also how you'll know your poster is ready for pickup 

 

Wondering what programs you should use to create your poster? 

Oregon State University supports Microsoft Office 365 and the Google G-Suite

 

So what design concepts should you keep in mind?

Photo credit: Paper Leaf

Photo credit: Paper Leaf

Check out these helpful videos! 

Poster Myths Debunked

 

 

Clear up common misconceptions about printing and get your questions answered.

Printing Dos and Don'ts

Make sure to submit your file to SMS at least 2 days in advance of your due date! 
For more information about University Brand Guidelines Click Here

Printing for Clubs

 Is your club or organization qualified for our services? Find out if you are registered below. If your group's name is on the list, you're approved! 
https://sli.oregonstate.edu/find-organization

Print Design Tips and Tricks

 

Canva Tutorials

Need design ideas or templates? Check out their Canva tutorials

Pixlr Tutorial 

Looking for a Photoshop alternative? Check out our favorite alternative, Pixlr 

 

Need MORE design help?

Check out these sites that the SMS staff really likes

Easy to find assets, templates and free to use*

Find colors that work together. Just sample the colors in your poster design program

Great for specific event or subject posters

canva

canva