Research Poster Quality Checklist

Research Poster Quality Checklist

Use this comprehensive checklist before printing or presenting your research poster.

Pre-Compilation Checks

Content Completeness

• Title is concise and descriptive (10-15 words)
• All author names spelled correctly
• Affiliations complete and accurate
• Contact email address included
• All sections present: Introduction, Methods, Results, Conclusions
• References cited (5-10 key citations)
• Acknowledgments included (funding, collaborators)
• No placeholder text remaining (TODO, Lorem ipsum, etc.)

Visual Content

• All figures prepared and high resolution (300+ DPI)
• Figure captions written and descriptive
• Logos available (university, funding agencies)
• QR codes generated and tested
• Icons/graphics sourced (if used)

LaTeX Configuration

• Correct paper size specified (A0, A1, 36×48", etc.)
• Correct orientation (portrait/landscape)
• Minimal margins configured (5-15mm)
• Font sizes appropriate (title 72pt+, body 24pt+)
• Color scheme defined
• All packages installed and working

Compilation Checks

Successful Compilation

• PDF compiles without errors
• No critical warnings in .log file
• All citations resolved (no [?] marks)
• All cross-references working
• Bibliography generated correctly (if using BibTeX)

Warning Review

Run in terminal: grep -i "warning\|overfull\|underfull" poster.log

• No overfull hbox warnings (text too wide)
• No underfull hbox warnings (excessive spacing)
• No missing figure warnings
• No missing font warnings
• No undefined reference warnings

PDF Quality Checks

Automated Checks

Run: ./scripts/review_poster.sh poster.pdf or manually verify:

Page Specifications

pdfinfo poster.pdf | grep "Page size"

• Page size matches requirements exactly
• Single page document (not multi-page)
• Correct orientation

Font Embedding

pdffonts poster.pdf

• All fonts show "yes" in "emb" column
• No bitmap fonts (should be Type 1 or TrueType)

Image Quality

pdfimages -list poster.pdf

• All images at least 300 DPI
• No JPEG artifacts in figures
• Vector graphics used where possible

File Size

ls -lh poster.pdf

• Reasonable size (2-50 MB typical)
• Not too large for email (<50 MB) if sharing digitally
• Not suspiciously small (<1 MB - may indicate low quality)

Visual Inspection (100% Zoom)

Layout and Spacing

• Content fills entire page (no excessive white margins)
• Consistent spacing between columns (1-2cm)
• Consistent spacing between blocks (1-2cm)
• All elements aligned to grid
• No overlapping text or figures
• White space evenly distributed (30-40% total)
• Visual balance across poster (no heavy/empty areas)

Typography

• Title readable and prominent (72-120pt)
• Section headers clear (48-72pt)
• Body text large enough (24-36pt minimum, 30pt+ recommended)
• Captions readable (18-24pt)
• No text running off edges
• Consistent font usage throughout
• Line spacing adequate (1.2-1.5×)
• No awkward hyphenation or word breaks
• All special characters render correctly (Greek, math symbols)

Visual Elements

• All figures display correctly
• No pixelated or blurry images
• Figure resolution high (zoom to 200% to verify)
• Figure labels large and clear
• Graph axes labeled with units
• Color schemes consistent across figures
• Legends readable and well-positioned
• Logos crisp and professional
• QR codes sharp and high-contrast (minimum 2×2cm)
• No visual artifacts or rendering errors

Colors

• Colors render as intended (not washed out)
• High contrast between text and background (≥4.5:1)
• Color scheme harmonious
• Colors appropriate for printing (not too bright/neon)
• Institutional colors used correctly
• Color-blind friendly palette (avoid red-green only)

Content

• Title complete and correctly positioned
• All author names and affiliations visible
• All sections present and labeled
• Results section has figures/data
• Conclusions clearly stated
• References formatted consistently
• Contact information clearly visible
• No missing content

Reduced-Scale Print Test (CRITICAL)

Test Print Preparation

Print poster at 25% scale:

• A0 poster → Print on A4 paper
• 36×48" poster → Print on Letter paper
• A1 poster → Print on A5 paper

Readability from Distance

From 6 feet (2 meters):

• Title clearly readable
• Authors identifiable
• Main figures visible

From 4 feet (1.2 meters):

• Section headers readable
• Figure captions readable
• Key results visible

From 2 feet (0.6 meters):

• Body text readable
• References readable
• All details clear

Print Quality

• Colors accurate (match screen expectations)
• No banding or color shifts
• Sharp edges (not blurry)
• Consistent print density
• No printer artifacts

Content Proofreading

Text Accuracy

• Spell-checked all text
• Grammar checked
• All author names spelled correctly
• All affiliations accurate
• Email address correct
• No typos in title or headers

Scientific Accuracy

• All numbers and statistics verified
• Units included and correct
• Statistical significance correctly indicated
• Sample sizes (n=) reported
• Figure numbering consistent
• Citations accurate and complete
• Methodology accurately described
• Results match figures/data
• Conclusions supported by data

Consistency

• Terminology consistent throughout
• Abbreviations defined at first use
• Consistent notation (italics for genes, etc.)
• Consistent units (don't mix metric/imperial)
• Consistent decimal places
• Consistent citation format

Accessibility Checks

Color Contrast

Test at: https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/

• Title-background contrast ≥ 7:1
• Body text-background contrast ≥ 4.5:1
• All text meets WCAG AA standard minimum

Color Blindness

Test with simulator: https://www.color-blindness.com/coblis-color-blindness-simulator/

• Information not lost with deuteranopia (red-green)
• Key distinctions visible with protanopia
• Patterns/shapes used in addition to color
• No critical info conveyed by color alone

Visual Clarity

• Clear visual hierarchy (size, weight, position)
• Logical reading order
• Grouping of related elements obvious
• Important info emphasized appropriately

Peer Review

30-Second Test

Show poster to colleague for 30 seconds, then ask:

• They can identify the research topic
• They can state the main finding
• They remember the key figure

5-Minute Review

Ask colleague to read poster (5 minutes), then ask:

• They understand the research question
• They can explain the approach
• They can summarize the conclusions
• They identify what makes it novel/important

Feedback

• Noted any confusing elements
• Identified any unclear figures
• Checked for jargon that needs definition
• Verified logical flow

Pre-Printing Final Checks

Technical Specifications

• PDF size exactly matches conference requirements
• Orientation correct (portrait vs landscape)
• All fonts embedded (verified with pdffonts)
• Color space correct (RGB for screen, CMYK if printer requires)
• Resolution adequate (300+ DPI for all images)
• Bleed area added if required (typically 3-5mm)
• Crop marks visible if required
• File naming convention followed

Printer Communication

• Confirmed paper type (matte vs glossy)
• Confirmed poster size
• Provided color profile if required
• Verified delivery deadline
• Confirmed shipping/pickup arrangements
• Discussed backup plan if issues arise

Backup and Storage

• PDF saved with clear filename: LastName_Conference_Poster.pdf
• Source .tex file backed up
• All figure files backed up
• Copy saved to cloud storage
• Copy saved on USB drive for conference
• Digital version ready to email if requested

Digital Presentation Checks

If presenting digitally or sharing online:

File Optimization

• PDF compressed if >10MB (for email)
• Test opens in Adobe Reader
• Test opens in Preview (Mac)
• Test opens in browser PDF viewers
• Test on mobile devices

Interactive Elements

• All QR codes tested and functional
• QR codes link to correct URLs
• Hyperlinks work (if included)
• Links open in new tabs/windows appropriately

Alternative Formats

• PNG version created for social media (if needed)
• Thumbnail image created
• Poster description/abstract prepared
• Hashtags and social media text ready

Conference-Specific

Requirements Verification

• Poster size matches conference specifications exactly
• Orientation matches requirements
• File format correct (usually PDF)
• Submission deadline met
• File naming convention followed
• Abstract/description submitted if required

Physical Preparation

• Poster printed and inspected
• Backup printed copy prepared
• Push pins/mounting materials ready
• Poster tube or flat portfolio for transport
• Business cards/handouts prepared
• Digital backup on laptop/phone

Presentation Preparation

• 30-second elevator pitch prepared
• 2-minute summary prepared
• 5-minute detailed explanation prepared
• Anticipated questions considered
• Follow-up materials ready (QR code to paper, etc.)

Final Sign-Off

Date: ________________

Poster Title: _______________________________________________

Conference: _______________________________________________

Reviewed by: _______________________________________________

All critical items checked: [ ]

Ready for printing: [ ]

Ready for presentation: [ ]

Notes/Issues to address:

Quick Reference: Common Issues

Checklist Version

Version 1.0 - For use with LaTeX poster packages (beamerposter, tikzposter, baposter)