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 ```bash pdfinfo poster.pdf | grep "Page size" ``` - [ ] Page size matches requirements exactly - [ ] Single page document (not multi-page) - [ ] Correct orientation #### Font Embedding ```bash pdffonts poster.pdf ``` - [ ] All fonts show "yes" in "emb" column - [ ] No bitmap fonts (should be Type 1 or TrueType) #### Image Quality ```bash pdfimages -list poster.pdf ``` - [ ] All images at least 300 DPI - [ ] No JPEG artifacts in figures - [ ] Vector graphics used where possible #### File Size ```bash ls -lh poster.pdf ``` - [ ] Reasonable size (2-50 MB typical) - [ ] Not too large for email (<50 MB) if sharing digitally - [ ] Not suspiciously small (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 | Issue | Quick Fix | |-------|-----------| | Large white margins | Reduce margin in documentclass: `margin=5mm` | | Text too small | Increase scale: `scale=1.5` in beamerposter | | Blurry figures | Use vector graphics (PDF) or higher resolution (600+ DPI) | | Colors wrong | Check RGB vs CMYK, test print before final | | Fonts not embedded | Compile with: `pdflatex -dEmbedAllFonts=true` | | Content cut off | Check total width: columns + spacing + margins = pagewidth | | QR codes don't scan | Increase size (min 2×2cm), ensure high contrast | | File too large | Compress: `gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dPDFSETTINGS=/printer ...` | ## Checklist Version Version 1.0 - For use with LaTeX poster packages (beamerposter, tikzposter, baposter)