Applications you can use to create a poster
| Advantages | Disadvantages | Advice | |
| Adobe Illustrator | Files created with Illustrator tend to present the fewest problems when printing | Not a very intuitive application if you're not already familiar with graphics applications | Use this application if you know it already or have time to learn how to use it Attend our free workshop, "Creating Professional-looking Conference Posters" to learn the basics of this application. It's the application we most highly recommend |
| Adobe Photoshop | A popular graphics application that many people are familiar with Especially good for creating large, graphics-oriented posters |
Does not print text very well (text will appear pixelated) Not recommended for posters containing scientific content or text |
Not a good choice
for most academic or conference posters.
Great for collages or images |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | It's an application
many people are familiar with already
If you know your way around Microsoft Word, then you should be able to find your way through Microsoft PowerPoint |
Not intended for
creating printed graphics files, such as posters, so can tend
to create problematic files
Objects such as pictures and tables disappear or appear differently in Postscript creation. Colors or special effects (gradients, patterned backgrounds, transparency) do not print accurately. |
Use this application
if it is the only one you know how to use and you are working
under a deadline
Make the poster as plain as possible (no background gradients or transparency) Make sure you insert/place your images. Do not just copy and paste When you are at GroundWorks, work on the same operating system (Mac/PC) that you used to create your poster |
| Unsupported Applications (Publisher, PageMaker, InDesign, Canvas, etc...) | You may already be fluent with one of these applications. | Not officially supported in GroundWorks, so consultants probably will not be able to help troubleshoot problems The application may not be available on the machines in GroundWorks |
Unless you have compelling
reasons otherwise, we suggest you use one of the supported
applications (particularly Illustrator).
If you do use an unsupported application, understand that you may need to troubleshoot your file elsewhere if there is a problem with the Postscript file it creates. |
