Subject Guides: Designing a Professional Poster: Graphics & Logos

Using Graphics Effectively

Graphics add to the visual appeal of a poster, but more importantly they can increase communication effectiveness 40-50% (Berg, 2017). Consider including a meaningful photo, table, pie chart, or infographic.

Graphics should be easy to read from about 6 feet away
Clearly label all charts, tables, photos, etc.
Ensure that images and graphics will not become distorted or blurred when the poster is enlarged at printout
- Zoom in on your slide to 100% and check that graphics remain clear and unblurred
If you pull an image from the web, verify that it can be reused and make sure to properly cite it

Online graphic creator resources:

If you are using PowerPoint to create your poster, there is a chart creator within the program. From the Insert tab click on the Chart icon and follow the prompts for choosing the chart type and entering data. Here are some additional resources you may also find useful.

Canva
Free online graphic design tool. Can be used for creating graphs, line charts, bar charts, pie charts, infographics, etc. While many portions of Canva are free once you create an account, some features require an upgraded subscription to use.
Piktochart
Free online infographic maker. Some portions of the website may require an upgraded subscription to use.
Medical Image Resources Subject Guide
Subject Guide created by the Sladen Library offering websites and online resources that may provide usable medical images.

Henry Ford Health Logos

Henry Ford Health's Brand in Action website provides a variety of downloads of HFH-approved logos.

To get to the Logos and Templates page, from OneHenry go to Tools → Branded Logos and Templates. On the website, go to Logo Downloads → then select your category.

Some conferences specify how big an institutional logo can be on your poster. Be sure to check the poster guidelines for approved dimensions.