Poster Guidelines

Poster Session Policies

Authors must set up their posters between 7:30 AM and 9:30 AM on the day of their presentation and keep them up until 3:45 PM. Posters must be removed by 4:30 PM when the Exhibit Hall closes.

• Presenters must be at their poster boards from 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM on their assigned day.
• Posters that are not presented at the meeting will not be published. AAI travel awardees must present their abstracts in poster presentations to receive award reimbursement. The poster must be displayed on the day of presentation designated in the program, and presenter must be at the assigned poster board from 2:30PM – 3:45PM on the designated day. Abstracts that are not presented at the meeting during the assigned poster session, regardless of whether they were presented in block symposia, will not be published in The Journal of Immunology Special Meeting Supplement.
• Posters must remain on display until 3:45 PM on the assigned presentation day. All posters must be removed by 4:30 PM on the day of presentation. Posters not removed will be discarded.
• Posters are viewable for one day only.
• Recording any presentation or session (oral or poster) by any means, (photography, audio taping, or videotaping) is prohibited except by an AAI authorized agent for official purposes or by first authors who wish to photograph their own poster presentations.

Poster Dimensions and Style Guidelines

The poster dimensions are 3’9″ high and 3’9″ wide. Prepare a 6″ high headline strip that runs the full width of the poster. Include the title, authors, and affiliations on the strip in letters not less than 1″ high. Post a large-typed copy of your abstract in the upper left-hand corner. Be sure to note these dimensions as you will not be permitted to extend into another presenter’s space. Click on thumbnail to see sample.

Poster Presentation Guidelines

Posters should be legible at a distance of five feet. The message should be clear and comprehensible without oral explanation. The following guidelines have been prepared to help improve the effectiveness of poster communication.

1. Initial Sketch – Plan your poster early. Focus your attention on a few key points. Try various styles of data presentation to achieve clarity and simplicity. Does the use of color help? What needs to be expressed in words? Suggest headlines and text topics.
2. Rough Layout – Enlarge your best initial sketch, keeping the dimensions in proportion to the final poster (see diagram). Ideally, the rough layout should be full size. A blackboard is a convenient place to work. Print the title and headlines. Indicate text by horizontal lines. Draw rough graphs and tables. This will give you a good idea of proportions and balance. Ask associates for comments. This is still an experimental stage.
3. Text Layout – Avoid abbreviations, acronyms, and jargon. Use a consistent font throughout. It is recommended that authors use a 20 pt. font size; this makes the text legible from five feet away.
4. Final Layout – The artwork is complete and the text and tables are typed, but not necessarily enlarged to full size. Now ask, is the message clear? Do the important points stand out? Is there a balance between words and illustrations? Is there spatial balance? Is the pathway through the poster clear?
5. Balance – Figures and tables should cover slightly more than 50% of the poster area. If you have only a few illustrations, enlarge them. Do not omit text, but keep it brief. The poster should be comprehensible without oral explanation.
6. Eye Movement – The movement (pathway) of the eye over the poster should be natural, down the columns or along the rows. Size attracts attention. Arrows, pointing hands, numbers, and letters can help clarify the sequence.
7. Simplicity – Resist the temptation to overload the poster. More material may mean less communication.
8. Limited Supply of pushpins will be available on a first come-first served basis. Please bring additional supplies with you.

Discounted Poster Printing Services for AAI Attendees

PosterSmith is offering a 30% discount for wrinkle-resistant fabric posters with complimentary shipping and handling through April 5, 2018. After April 5, attendees can still receive a $15 discount with the coupon code “AAI2018.”

Visit https://postersmith.com/poster/sponsor/aai2018 when you are ready to order your poster or for more information.

Can’t finish your poster in advance? We have made arrangements with the Thomas PrintWorks, located across the street from the Convention Center. For more information on ordering your poster from Thomas PrintWorks, please click on this link.