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 (<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

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

Content Proofreading

Text Accuracy

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

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)