/ Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

Posters

When you register for the Celebration, you will need to indicate how you will present your research. 

Most students use a flat poster — 24" x 36" or larger, up to 36" high by 48" wide — presented on a poster board.

Upload your poster and provide approvals for Digital Commons and abstracts.

Flat Posters, templates

Flat posters 24" x 36" or larger, up to 36" high by 48" wide, presented on a poster board. Typically, two posters are pinned to each side of the board. These PowerPoint templates can serve as the basis of your poster presentation:

Want to try something new? In 2019 Mike Morrison, a Ph.D. student at Michigan State University, introduced a different poster design, recently featured on NPR. Here are three templates to try, all of which are size 36" x 48".

Checklist and information for making a great poster
Printing
 

Hope College faculty, staff and students can submit posters for printing to Campus Print and Mail Services for general, academic and research purposes. For research posters, select the Research Posters button on the New Orders menu. Select your poster size, and be sure your PowerPoint slide or .pdf document is sized correctly. 

Note: To use Print Services, you must be registered for an account. Find step-by-step instructions on setting up an account.

If you need help with layout, design, or sizing of your project in PowerPoint, visit the Digital Media Lab on the 2nd floor of the Van Wylen Library. Staff can also help you submit your project for printing.

Print Services Submission Guideline for the Celebration

Due to the high volume of printing for the Celebration, Print Services needs extra time to print your poster. Submit your poster early, if possible before Spring Break.

  • Format: We suggest using the CURCA templates above. If you decide to create your own, make sure you adjust the document size to fit your poster size, save the file as a PDF, and review the file before sending it to print.
  • Hours: Print Services is open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Pickup from Digital Media Lab on the 2nd floor in the Van Wylen Library is available during Library hours.
  • Locations: 1st floor in DeWitt, 2nd floor in Van Wylen Library
  • Payment: This year Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity will cover the cost of printing a poster for the event. See "Poster Submission" below for instructions.

POSTER SUBMISSION

  • Navigate to Print & Mail Services and set up a printing account (step-by-step instructions in .pdf format here)
  • Submit your poster (step-by-step instructions in .pdf format here)
  • In Step 3 for Job Name: Please enter "Celebration - <studentlastname>"
  • In Step 6 for Billing and Delivery: Select "See billing instructions for Fund." In the box, Additional Billing Instructions, type "Research Celebration Poster."

Tips for Preparing Your Poster

  • Plan ahead! Please do not wait until the last minute to print your poster. During busy times, the turnaround time may be longer. For the Celebration of Undergraduate Research, you need to submit your poster for printing by the printing deadline to be sure it's printed in time.
  • Do not place any text, graphics, etc. within 1/2" of the margin.
  • Avoid overlapping text boxes and pictures.
  • Avoid excessive clutter.
  • Saturated color can be used in small sections, but avoid using it as a background or in large sections
  • Image quality is important. Low-resolution images will appear pixilated or blurry when printed large on a large scale. For best results, scan images from books, use quality digital photos or speak with a reference librarian about high-quality image databases.
  • If you are using this poster for an earlier presentation, please be sure to note that earlier deadline when you print your poster.