Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Poster Printing FAQ

Poster Printing FAQ

Graphic Layout

Q. Why do you need the conference title? I am using my own account to pay for the poster.
A. The University of Illinois Accounting will no longer approve a poster without a reason and date appearing in the billing. When submitting the poster request, just add the conference title and date to the request text.
Q. My poster looks fine on screen. Why didn't it print out the same?
A. If you submitted your file in PowerPoint format and didn't follow the guidelines, you may be in for a suprise. Symbols will not print properly if they are not inserted through the option menu. Graphs and images that are imported from other programs will also print differently if they are not ungrouped.
  • Illustrator: If you didn't outline your text or flatten all layered images, your file may not print properly.
  • Images: If you linked your images to your file rather than embedding them, your file will not include them when printed. It is important to follow all steps to set your file up properly.
  • Image quality: If you used images that are 72–100 dpi, they will appear fuzzy and pixelated; in some cases they may even be unrecognizable. Minimally, you should use 144 dpi. Ideally, your image should be 300 dpi.
Q. What size should I make my poster?
A. If you are making a poster for a conference, we suggest that you contact them directly for the poster size specifications. All conferences are different and have their own guidelines to follow. However, if the guidelines are not specific, you should have at least one of your measurements (height or width) be 44" to save on trim costs. That is the size of our printing paper.
Q. How do I outline my fonts before submitting my file for print?
A. Illustrator: Select your text with your mouse and while the text is selected right-click to open your options menu. Scroll down the options menu and select "Create Outlines".
Q. Why did you replace my logo?
A. We will replace logos with a high-resolution print version that we have on file. This will be an additional charge. However, you may download acceptable logos here:
Q. I have a border around a box and made some lines. Why didn't they print?
A. In most cases it probably did print, but it is so thin you have to put your face right up to your poster to see it. This will happen if your stroke point value is set too low. The value of the stroke settings will determine how thick your lines will print out.
Q. Why can't I use images I got from a website for print?
A. Web images and print-quality images are different. They do not look different at first glance, but they are different formats. The web, video, and television use images that are 52–72 dpi (screen resolution). They also use the colors red, green, and blue (RGB) to make up the colors that you see. Printers use the colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) to print images and require a much higher resolution (300–1200 dpi) to print with clarity.

Print & Imaging

Q. How do I submit my poster for printing?
A. Please use our work request to submit a poster for printing; otherwise, you will be charged 15 minutes for creation of the work request by our staff. Include the instructor name and account number. The poster can be attached to the work request for submission. If you've never submitted a work request before we will be glad to answer questions.
Q. How long does it take to get a poster printed?
A. Our turnaround time for an unlaminated poster is 48 hours. Laminated posters have a 3-day turnaround.
Q. How much does laminating cost?
A. Lamination for a poster costs an additional $1.00 per square foot and $5.00 setup charge. Letter and tabloid sized prints cost $1.00 a piece with one $5.00 setup charge per group.
Q. What is the maximum size I can print my poster?
A. Posters can be printed up to 44" wide and can be as long as you want. The lamination machine can only take 27" (and 26" is our optimal maximum) as the maximum width.
Q. Is there a way to test print my poster before I go ahead with a final version?
A. Yes, you can send us your file and we will print a proof (11"×17") as many times as you require for a cost of $2.00 each.
Q. Help me! I don't know how to design a poster. Can you do it for me and print it out?
A. Yes, we can make poster layouts for a charge of $40/hr plus all printing costs. You provide the content and images and we'll put it together for you. Please note that we require 5 days notice for all poster creations.