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Research Poster Printing Services

At UTCS Publications Office, we operate in alignment with the academic calendar, including closures during holidays and breaks when no classes are held. Please be aware of these closures when planning your poster printing requests. For specific details, you may refer to the academic calendar or contact our team.

Research Poster Instructions

Welcome to the UTCS Publications Office! We're excited to support your research endeavors by offering free research poster printing services. Below are the instructions to guide you through the process.

In addition to reading the online instructions please read Making Posters (PDF) for more details.

Who Can Receive Posters

Posters are available at no charge to current UTCS students, faculty, and staff for department-related work, such as conference presentations and talks. We cannot accommodate requests from other departments or visitors. Personal-use posters are also not within our service scope.

How to Order a Poster

To ensure a smooth printing process, adhere to the following instructions when submitting your research poster:

  • Maximum Size: Your poster's maximum dimension on one side should not exceed 34 inches. Use the UTCS Research Poster Request Form for submission.
  • File Naming Convention: When submitting your poster, name your document "last name_first name" for easy identification.
  • Designing in PowerPoint:
    • In Page Setup, specify your preferred poster size (e.g., 34" x 49" or 20" x 30").
    • Optimal font sizes: Aim for approximately 90 for the poster title and 24 for the poster text.
    • Avoid dark backgrounds, as they consume excessive ink and may cause delays in the printing process.
  • File Format: Only submit your poster in PDF format for processing.
  • Turnaround times: See minimum lead times for poster printing in the Group and Individual Printing Requests sections below to ensure you allow for sufficient lead time. Posters are scheduled to be ready by 5 pm on the date they are due.

Group Printing Requests

Whether you're an event organizer coordinating a session or a professor scheduling a poster presentation for your students, our department's poster printer is here to support your event. While we don't operate as a full-scale print center, we're dedicated to assisting you in making your group printing experience smooth and successful. To coordinate course-based printing and on-campus research event printing, please reach out to our team in advance. Requests should be submitted at least one week before the event or due date, allowing up to five business days for processing, from file submission to poster pick-up.

Individual Printing Requests

For individual poster printing requests, a minimum of two business days is required for the turnaround time, from file submission to poster pick-up, during the Fall and Spring academic semesters. In the summer, a three business day turnaround time is necessary to accommodate our reduced staff. If you have any questions or require further assistance, feel free to reach out during business hours.

Poster Resources

Before submitting your request, explore these resources for designing impactful posters:

  • Adobe Illustrator CS: Available for use in the graduate lounge.
  • UTCS CMYK Wordmark: Access our department wordmark vector file.
  • ImageMagick suite: Learn more about the capabilities of the ImageMagick suite.
  • PowerPoint templates: Find templates for research posters from an external resource.
  • Making Posters (PDF): Refer to a comprehensive guide on designing a research poster and requesting poster printing services.
  • Science Communication Resources: If you need assistance in designing scientific figures or creating a layperson-friendly summary, explore the resources provided by the College of Natural Sciences.

Alternative Printing Sources

If your poster cannot be accommodated in the UTCS publications office, consider the following alternative printing sources:

  • The College of Natural Sciences offers research poster printing for undergraduate students at a $25 fee. Unfortunately, they no longer offer printing services for non-undergraduate CNS students or faculty.
  • UT’s Document Solutions provides poster printing services for researchers.

Remember to check the specific guidelines and requirements of each alternative printing source to ensure your poster is prepared correctly for printing.

Special Note: Handling Outage Times

We understand that our dedicated poster printing team, made up of part-time student workers, may experience unavailability during peak academic periods, including mid-terms, finals, and holidays. To ensure your printing needs are met, we recommend planning and submitting your requests well in advance. For urgent matters during outage times, please contact us, and we'll do our best to assist or provide alternative solutions.