Creating posters to present scientific data
Paragraph styles
Use style sheets
Most of the time, writing is formatted as follows:
The text is composed and afterwards the highlighting is done, the text is justified, headings are formatted, etc.
This may be sufficient if you need to layout a letter or a short-term paper. But as soon as a table of contents is required, style sheets or paragraph styles (same feature, but the name varies from programme to programme) are a must.
A style sheet is used to define how a paragraph should be laid out. You name the sheet and define the text attributes (for instance, the font, the font size, the alignment of the text, the spacing to preceding and following paragraphs, indents, numbering, etc.). Then the sheet can be assigned to a paragraph with a few clicks.
- All paragraphs of the same format can be changed simultaneously by changing the style sheet.
- Style sheets can be assigned to structure levels so that headings are automatically listed according to their level in tables of contents (the same applies to tables of figures).
So define style sheets/paragraph styles for all the text types that will appear on your poster!
Example:
Text type | Suggested formatting for the style sheet |
Title | Arial * 50 pt * bold * left justified or centred * line spacing: 50 pt * paragraph after: 24 pt |
Authors | Arial * 36 pt * bold * left justified * line spacing: 36 pt * paragraph after: 12 pt |
Addresses | Arial * 36 pt * italic * left justified * line spacing: 36 pt * paragraph after: 12 pt |
Chapter headings | Arial * 36 pt * bold * left justified or centred * line spacing: 36 pt * paragraph after: 6 pt * paragraph before: 12 pt |
Continuous text | Arial * 24 pt * full justification * line spacing: 24 pt * paragraph after: 12 pt |
Lists | Arial * 24 pt * left justified * line spacing: 24 pt * paragraph after: 6 pt * indented 2 cm * list character dot * tab 2 cm left justified. |
Legends or keys | Arial * 21 pt * full justification * line spacing: 20 pt * paragraph after: 6 pt |
References | Arial * 21 pt * left * line spacing: 21 pt * paragraph after: 6 pt |