Poster Printing Tips for Dimensions, Quality, and Scaling

Environment

Poster Printing at U-M, Posters, CCS Poster Printing

Issue

Tips for poster dimensions, quality, and scaling

Resolution

We recommend using Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides to design your poster, however some alternatives are discussed below. All poster orders must be submitted as a PDF file.

See Printing a Poster with Campus Computing Sites for preparing your file and submitting your poster order. Note that the instructions below are optimized for Campus Computing Sites and may not match your experience when using a personal computer.

Image Dimensions and File Size Requirements

• One side (height or width) of your poster cannot exceed 40 inches. If one side is 40 inches or less, the other side can exceed 40 inches. See more about configuring your image size.
• U-M programs will commonly provide poster templates. These will have a preconfigured size (e.g., 40” x 32”, 48” x 36”) and do not need to be changed.
• The final PDF file cannot exceed 250 MB in size. See more about reducing your file size.

Configure Image Size

Follow the applicable steps below to configure the dimensions of your source file as needed.

PowerPoint

1. Click Design.
2. Click Slide Size.
3. Select Custom Slide Size.
4. Enter the desired dimensions, and then click OK.

Google Slides

1. Click File.
2. Click Page Setup.
3. Select Custom from the drop-down menu.
4. Enter the desired dimensions, and then click Apply.

Image File (JPEG, PNG, etc.)

• If you are starting with an image file, you will need to ensure it meets the dimension requirements described above. To check the dimensions of an image file:
  • (Windows) Right-click the image file and select Properties > Details.
  • (Mac) Control + click the image file and select Get Info > More info.
• If you need to resize your image, there are several ways to do so including using Photoshop, Microsoft Paint, or an online image resizing tool. 
• Once your image is sized correctly, follow the instructions below to save it as a PDF.

Save as a PDF From Other Applications

PowerPoint

1. Click File > Save as Adobe PDF.
2. Save the file to a desired location on your computer.

Google Slides

1. Click File > Download.
2. Select PDF Document (.pdf).
3. The PDF file saves to your computer’s Downloads folder or in your web browser’s Downloads history.

Adobe Suite

1. Click File > Save As. 
2. Select the desired location on your computer.
3. Select Adobe PDF Files (.pdf) in the Save as type field, and then click Save.

Image Files (JPEG, PNG, etc.)

1. Open Adobe Acrobat.
2. Click File > Open.
3. Select All Files.

4. Select your image file and click Open. 
5. Click File > Save and select a location on your computer to save the file as a PDF.

Check the dimensions on an existing PDF poster file

Acrobat is not the default viewer on Campus Computing Sites computers, so open the Adobe Acrobat application first.

1. Click File.
2. Click Open and select your PDF poster file.
3. Click File > Document Properties.
4. Click Page size, and ensure the dimensions listed match your desired poster size.

Reduce and Optimize PDF File Size

Files over 250MB cannot be uploaded. You can use Adobe Acrobat to optimize and reduce the file size.

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat.
2. Click File > Save As Other > Reduced Size PDF.

View Adobe's Optimization Guide for additional details and options.

Image Quality and Scaling

• The quality of the source image affects print quality. Refunds are not available for poor-quality prints due to low-quality source files. 
• It is recommended that you avoid using transparent colors.
• Use images and graphs in your source content with original formats of TIF, PNG, or EPS and have a minimum of 150 ppi (pixels per inch) to avoid pixelated appearance.
• For maximum accuracy of colors, save or convert files to CMYK color model before printing. The RGB color model is the default on most software and is optimized for digital screens, not printing. 
  • Use Adobe Photoshop, available on Campus Computing Sites computers, to change the color model by clicking Image > Mode > CMYK.
• If scaling your original up to poster size, be sure to keep the dimension ratio fixed (e.g. 5" x 4" could scale evenly up to a 40" x 32" poster with the same 5:4 ratio).

Other Finishing Tips

• The poster printer can print the entire 40-inch width of the paper. Please include a margin in your poster design if a margin is desired.
• Avoid using transparent colors.
• Use images and graphs in your source content with original formats of TIF, PNG, or EPS and have a minimum of 150 ppi (pixels per inch) to avoid pixelated appearance.

Additional Information

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.