How big is an academic poster?

Usually around 84 × 119 cm (A0) or 91 × 122 cm (36 × 48 inches), which is roughly the height of a person from waist to head. Smaller events sometimes ask for A1 (59.4 × 84.1 cm) or 24 × 36 inches.

What font for research poster?

A plain sans-serif such as Arial, Helvetica, Calibri or Open Sans for body text, at 24–32 pt on an A0 or 36 × 48 inch poster. Titles can use the same family in bold. Avoid decorative fonts and more than two typefaces.

What is the academic poster size in cm?

For A0 it is 84.1 × 118.9 cm, for A1 59.4 × 84.1 cm, and for 36 × 48 inches 91.4 × 121.9 cm. Swap the numbers for landscape. Use the calculator above for any other format.

What is the academic poster size in inches?

The usual US size is 36 × 48 inches; the smaller option is 24 × 36 inches. A0 is 33.1 × 46.8 inches and A1 is 23.4 × 33.1 inches.

How do I set the academic poster size in PowerPoint?

Open Design › Slide Size › Custom Slide Size, enter the width and height (for A0 portrait, 84.1 cm by 118.9 cm), and confirm before adding content. PowerPoint allows up to 56 inches per side; for anything larger, design at half size and print at 200%.

Is A1 a common academic poster size?

Yes, for smaller boards, student symposia and departmental events. At A1 everything is about 70% of its A0 size, so use the smaller end of the font ranges and fewer words.

Should an academic poster be landscape or portrait?

Follow the guidelines. Portrait is the default for A0 boards in Europe; landscape is common in the US because many boards are wider than they are tall. If either is allowed, portrait keeps the title readable above a crowd.

What is the standard academic poster size in the UK?

A0 portrait, 841 × 1189 mm, is the standard for most UK conferences and university events, with A1 for smaller sessions.

Which size should I use if the conference does not specify one?

Ask the organisers first. If you cannot, choose A0 portrait in Europe and much of Asia, or 36 × 48 inches in North America; both fit typical boards with room for pins.

What image resolution do I need for a printed poster?

150 to 300 pixels per inch at the printed size. A full A0 background at 300 dpi is about 9,933 × 14,043 pixels; for individual figures, multiply their printed width in inches by 300.

How do A0 and 36 × 48 inches compare?

A0 (84.1 × 118.9 cm) is about 7 cm narrower and 3 cm shorter than 36 × 48 inches (91.4 × 121.9 cm). A0 has a 1 : 1.41 shape and 36 × 48 a 3 : 4 shape, so a layout moved between them needs extra margin or a small re-layout rather than a straight scale.

Academic Poster Size

The most common academic poster size is A0 portrait (84.1 × 118.9 cm, 33.1 × 46.8 in) in Europe and much of Asia, and 36 × 48 inches in North America; always follow the size your conference states. Use the calculator below to get exact centimetres, inches, pixels for print, a PowerPoint page setup and font sizes for any common format.

Poster size

Orientation

Suggested font sizes

Title: 72–110 pt
Headings: 36–54 pt
Body text: 24–32 pt
Captions: 18–24 pt

Typical ranges for reading at one to two metres, scaled to the poster height. Your conference guidelines take priority.

Centimetres: 84.1 × 118.9
Inches: 33.1 × 46.8
Pixels at 300 dpi: 9,933 × 14,043
Pixels at 150 dpi: 4,967 × 7,022
PowerPoint slide size: 84.1 × 118.9 cm

Enter it directly under Design › Slide Size › Custom Slide Size.

Standard Academic Poster Size Chart

The chart lists the formats you will meet most often, with exact metric and imperial dimensions and the pixel size an image needs to print sharply at that format. ISO A sizes keep the same 1 : 1.414 shape, so an A1 layout scales up to A0 without changing anything; US sizes have different proportions, which matters when you reuse a design.

Size	cm (portrait)	inches (portrait)	pixels at 300 dpi	Where it is common
A0	84.1 × 118.9	33.1 × 46.8	9,933 × 14,043	Default in Europe, the UK, China and Australia
A1	59.4 × 84.1	23.4 × 33.1	7,016 × 9,933	Smaller boards, departmental and student events
A2	42 × 59.4	16.5 × 23.4	4,961 × 7,016	Handouts and printed abstracts
24 × 36 in	61 × 91.4	24 × 36	7,200 × 10,800	Smaller US boards and campus symposia
36 × 48 in	91.4 × 121.9	36 × 48	10,800 × 14,400	Most common US and Canadian conference size
36 × 56 in	91.4 × 142.2	36 × 56	10,800 × 16,800	Wide landscape boards; close to the PowerPoint limit

Scientific Poster Size in cm and Inches

Metric organisers usually write A0 or give 84 × 119 cm, while US organisers give inches such as 36 × 48. Scientific poster dimensions in the call for abstracts are normally the maximum board area, so a slightly smaller print is fine; one even a few centimetres larger will not fit.

Conference Poster Size Requirements

Read three things in the guidelines: the maximum width and height, the orientation, and whether the board is shared. A conference poster size written as 4 × 4 feet usually means the board, not the print; leave about 5 cm around the edge for pins and a little air.

Standard Poster Size for Academic Conference in the US and UK

In the UK and Europe the standard scientific poster size is A0 portrait. In the US the most frequent request is 36 × 48 inches, landscape or portrait, with 24 × 36 inches for smaller sessions. When a meeting gives no size at all, these two remain the safest choices.

Scientific Poster Font Size Guide

A poster is read from one to two metres away, often while people walk past. Text that looks large on a laptop is tiny on a board, so set font sizes in points at the final print size and check the layout at 100% zoom before printing. The ranges below are typical for an A0 or 36 × 48 inch poster.

Title, Heading and Body Text Sizes

Use about 72–110 pt for the title, 36–54 pt for section headings, 24–32 pt for body text and 18–24 pt for figure captions and references. A clean sans-serif such as Arial, Helvetica or Calibri reads best at distance; keep to one or two typefaces.

Image Resolution for Print

Photos and micrographs need 150–300 pixels per inch at their printed size, so a figure 30 cm wide wants roughly 1,800–3,500 pixels across. Charts and diagrams are better kept as vector graphics (SVG, PDF or native PowerPoint shapes), which stay sharp at any academic poster size.

Spacing, Margins and Layout

Leave margins of 2–3 cm, align columns to a grid and keep generous space between blocks. Three or four columns suit a portrait A0 poster; four to five suit landscape 36 × 48 inches. Put the main finding where eyes land first, at the top centre.

How to Set Your Academic Poster Size in 3 Steps

Most posters are built in PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides. Setting the page size first saves you from rescaling every element later.

1
Check the Conference Guidelines
Note the maximum width, height and orientation. If they are missing, use A0 portrait for European meetings or 36 × 48 inches for North American ones.
2
Set the Slide Size Before Designing
In PowerPoint choose Design › Slide Size › Custom Slide Size and enter the dimensions from the calculator, for example 84.1 × 118.9 cm for A0. Choose "Don't scale" if asked.
3
Add Figures and Export a Print PDF
Place figures at full resolution, then export to PDF and print a small proof at A4 to check spacing. A ready-made template already has the correct size and font scale.
Get a poster template