Academic research poster templates and how to lay one out
A research poster should be readable from a few steps away and understood in a minute or two. Lead with a clear title and one-sentence finding, use three or four columns in reading order, and let figures carry the results.
No account needed to edit.
Templates to start from
Sectioned poster
Headed sections for a clear reading order.
Classroom poster
Process poster
Steps in order — good for methods and workflows.
Classroom poster
Key message poster
One headline finding with supporting points.
Classroom poster
Terms poster
Key terms and definitions for a teaching poster.
Classroom poster
Sections of a research poster
- Title: a short statement of the finding, not just the topic. Authors, affiliations and logos underneath.
- Introduction or background: the question and why it matters, in a few sentences.
- Methods: a diagram or numbered steps rather than paragraphs.
- Results: two or three figures with one-line takeaways as captions.
- Conclusions: the answer to your question, in three bullet points.
- References, acknowledgements and funding: small, at the bottom.
- Contact: your email or a QR code linking to the paper or data.
Text size guide (for a 48 × 36 in poster)
| Element | Typical size |
|---|---|
| Title | 72–100 pt or more |
| Section headings | 40–60 pt |
| Body text | 24–32 pt |
| Captions and references | 18–24 pt |
These are common guidelines rather than rules. A quick check: print the poster at letter or A4 size — if the body text is hard to read there, it will be hard to read on the wall.
Design tips
- Aim for roughly 300–800 words in total; cut text before shrinking it.
- Use your institution's colours sparingly and keep plenty of white space.
- Make the reading order obvious with numbered or clearly aligned columns.
- Use high-contrast colours and avoid red/green as the only way to tell data apart.
- Prepare a two-minute spoken summary; the poster supports the conversation.
How to make it in CatalogProFlow
- Check the required sizeYour conference or department sets the size and orientation. Common sizes are 48 × 36 inches in the US and A0 in Europe.
- Start from a sectioned layoutOpen a poster template; change the title, authors and affiliation in the header.
- Fill sections in reading orderIntroduction, methods, results, conclusions, references — left to right, top to bottom.
- Add figuresUpload your charts and photos as high-resolution PNG or JPG; keep text labels large.
- Export and printPoster templates open at 18 × 24 in. Download a print-ready PDF and ask your print shop or university print service to print it at the required size, or set the size you need with Resize where it's listed. Check that small text still reads well.
Questions
What size is an academic poster?
It depends on the event. 48 × 36 inches (landscape) is common in the US and A0 (841 × 1189 mm, usually portrait) in Europe. Always check the conference instructions.
How many words should a research poster have?
Usually a few hundred — many guides suggest under 800. Let figures and short captions carry the results.
Can I print a research poster at home?
Not at full size on a normal printer. Download the file and use a print shop or your university's print service for large-format printing.
Related guides
- Editable university syllabus template: sections, example and tipsWhat a university or college syllabus should include — course details, outcomes, schedule, assessment weights and policies — with an editable course plan template you can print or share as a PDF.
- Cornell notes printable: the layout, the method and templatesHow the Cornell note-taking method works — notes column, cue column and summary — with step-by-step instructions, an example, and editable printable note sheets for students and classes.
- Flashcard maker for teachers: printable, editable, front and backMake printable flashcards for your class: vocabulary, maths facts, questions, picture cards and memory games, printed front and back.