Basics

The Service Desk and Ticket Center is equipped with a 42 inch roll-feed HP large-format printer. This device is commonly used to print large poster and banners. We provide printing services at $2.00 a square foot to all faculty and staff, students, and guests.

We require that all customers create and bring a copy of their files with them. Printing services will be done on a first come first serve basis. Some printing services request can be accommodated in person or via email (sdmgr@uwf.edu).

Software and File Formats

Microsoft Publisher or Adobe Illustrator is the recommended software platform for designing and submitting your poster. Other software such as InDesign, Photoshop, or GIMP (free online!) are also good for design purposes. All files must be converted to PDF format before being submitted and printed. Microsoft PowerPoint, although widely used, is discouraged for anything but the simplest poster designs as PowerPoint files frequently look different printed than they do on your computer screen. It is not uncommon for PowerPoint posters to print with missing graphics, mismatched colors or incorrect formatting. Please contact us (850.474.2405) if you plan on using any other format to make sure we have the ability to open it.

Image Editing Software on Campus

Image editing software (Adobe Suite, Gimp) is available in the John C. Pace Library Skylab (5th floor). We highly recommend you use these programs instead of Microsoft Office or Paint.

Skylab Software List

Formatting & Design

Posters must be no larger than 36 or 42 inches on one side. It is usually advisable to set the paper size to exactly 36” or 42" to avoid unnecessary cuts after it is printed. The second side can be either smaller or larger than 42", theoretically up to 100 feet. Note that margins of 0.5 inch or larger are required on each side, so depending on your software you may need to set your page to 41" if it is measuring editable space rather than paper size (as in PowerPoint).

If you are using non-standard fonts be sure and enable "embedded fonts" in your poster file. If you cannot or do not know how to do this then make a copy of the font files you are using and bring them with you. In Windows your fonts are stored in a folder that is easily accessed from the Control Panel.

Other Tips

• We recommend that your document’s resolution be set between 180 dpi or pixels/inch. 150 is probably ok.
• For example, to print a 40” x 30” poster, we recommend that the original image be at least 6000 x 4500 pixels.
• To calculate how big your image should be, take the number of pixels along each side and divide it by 180 to get the recommended length in inches.
• Don't attempt to 'up-scale' your g raphics and photos. Printing pictures larger than they actually are will make your final product look pixelated or distorted.
• Choose font sizes that can be read from about 4 feet away. Anything smaller than 20-point is probably too small.
• Dark backgrounds are discouraged. Besides consuming large amounts of ink, dark backgrounds may oversaturate the paper and cause it to wrinkle or smudge.
• Always preview your poster on your screen at 100% and have a colleague proofread it before submitting. It is also a good idea to print a small copy on a regular color printer for proofing. Printing a full size draft copy is cost- prohibitive and you will be charged if you need a second copy.

File Setup and Page Size Settings

Send your files in their native format from any supported software. You should design at no less than 25% of the final image size, with 100-150 dpi of information at final print size for raster-based images.

For example: A 24x36 poster could either be designed on a page size of:

(a) 24x36 at 150 dpi,
(b) 12x18 at 300 dpi, or
(c) 8x12 at 450 dpi