Patrons - Poster Printing

This document will go through how to create a poster in PowerPoint for Windows, PowerPoint for Mac, and Google Slides. It will also go through how to submit a poster to be printed, and how to troubleshoot it if there are issues.

Table of Contents

Get Help Making a Poster

DesignLab is happy to help patrons who are working on posters. Patrons don’t just have to come to DesignLab if they are having issues with getting their posters ready to print. DesignLab staff can talk patrons through the entire process of making a poster, including how to get started, what software to use, how to organize a poster, and what needs to go on a poster, as well as provide feedback on aesthetics (font, color, alignment, etc).

DesignLab is typically open Monday through Friday in the afternoons. Our main location is at College Library (600 N Park St) and we also have a satellite location at Ebling Library in the Health Sciences Learning Center (750 Highland Ave). We also offer appointments via Zoom and a chat/text service.

Check the main page of the DesignLab website for current hours: https://designlab.wisc.edu

Creating a Poster

IMPORTANT: Our poster roll has a maximum width allowance of 43”. Please make sure that at least ONE of the dimensions for your poster is no larger than 43”. (Example: 48”x 56” will not print, but 43”x 50” will print!)

PowerPoint for Windows OS

    1. Open PowerPoint

    2. Click “Blank Presentation”

    3. Start with a blank slate

      1. Under the “Home” tab

      2. Click “Layout” in the “Slides” section

      3. Click “Blank Slide”

    4. Set the poster’s size:

      1. Click the “Design” tab

      2. Click “Slide Size”

      3. Click “Custom Slide Size”

      4. Enter the desired poster size

      5. Click “OK”

      6. A pop-up box will ask if you want to “Maximize” or “Ensure Fit”. If you have no content on your slide, this choice will not matter, either is entirely acceptable. If you do have content on your slide already, please read through these descriptions before deciding:

        1. Maximize - Will scale the slide to fit the new width or height without going over the edges of the new slide size. Then you will need to fix the poster to fit the excess space on the slide. This option has the least amount of work to fix for printing, but the program may over-resize images, which may cause pixelation.

        2. Ensure Fit - Will keep everything on the poster the current size and just enlarge the slide around it. This option is more work because you will need to manually scale the items to fit the new poster size. However, there is more control over images to make sure they don’t become pixelated.

    PowerPoint for Mac OS

    1. Open PowerPoint

    2. Select “Blank Presentation”

    3. Click “Create”

    4. Start with a blank slate

      1. Under the “Home” tab

      2. Click “Layout” in the “Slides” section

      3. Click “Blank Slide”

    5. Set the poster’s size:

      1. Click the “Design” tab

      2. Click “Slide Size”

      3. Click “Page Setup”

      4. Enter the desired poster size

      5. Click “OK”

      6. A pop-up box will ask if you want to “Scale” or “Don’t Scale”. If you have no content on your slide, this choice will not matter, either is entirely acceptable. If you do have content on your slide already, please read through these descriptions before deciding:

        1. Scale - Will scale the slide to fit the new width or height without going over the edges of the new slide size. Then you will need to fix the poster to fit the excess space on the slide. This option has the least amount of work to fix for printing, but the program may over-resize images, which may cause pixelation.

        2. Don’t Scale - Will keep everything on the poster the current size and just enlarge the slide around it. This option is more work because you will need to manually scale the items to fit the new poster size. However, there is more control over images to make sure they don’t become pixelated.

    Google Slides

    1. Open Google Slides, and sign in

    2. Under “Start a new presentation,” click “Blank”

    3. Change the name of the presentation to your first name, your last name, and a one-word description of your poster. Ex: buckybadger-biology

    4. Start with a blank slate

      1. Click the “Slide” menu

      2. Click “Apply Layout”

      3. Click “Blank”

    1. Set the poster’s size

      1. Click the “File” menu

      2. Click “Page Setup”

      3. From the drop-down menu, select “Custom”

      4. Enter the desired poster size

      5. Click “Apply"

    Designing a Poster

    PowerPoint

    1. If you are going to have a background image, it is recommended to add that in first so you are then able to design the text and aesthetic of the poster accordingly.

    2. To change the background of the slide:

      1. Go to the “Design” tab

      2. Click “Format Background”

      3. To choose a solid color background:

        1. Select the “Solid Fill” option at the top of the box

        2. Change the color by selecting the paint bucket

        3. You can also change the transparency of the background color – either by manually inputting the percent of transparency or using the slider to change the transparency.

      4. To use your own image:

        1. Select “Picture or Texture Fill” from the top of the box

        2. Under “Picture Source” click “Insert” Then choose the desired image from your computer.

        3. You can adjust the transparency of the image either by manually inputting the percent of transparency or using the slider to change the transparency.

    3. To add text to the slide, you will need to insert text boxes. To do this, go to the “Insert” menu and select “Text Box.”

      1. Note: With reference to font size and style, it is best to use your own judgment concerning what looks the best for the design and aesthetic of your poster. We recommend you do not use anything smaller than 12pt font, although even this is small for a poster.

      2. If you would like to add a solid background to your text box, right-click on the text box and choose “Format Shape.”

      3. You can also add transparency to the background fill of your text box by manually entering a specific percentage or using the slider along the transparency bar to reach the desired appearance.

      4. You can also achieve an ombre style background color fill by choosing the “Gradient” fill when in the “Format Shape” mode.

    4. In order to add images to the slide, you will need to insert pictures. To input an image, save the file (we recommend using a PNG or JPEG file) to your computer.

      1. From the “Insert” menu, select “Pictures”

      2. Choose the desired file

      3. If you would like to include any logos for the University of Wisconsin-Madison you can visit the following link to find a range of choices of high-quality logos: umark.wisc.edu/brand/templates-and-downloads/print-logos.php (Unfortunately this does not include specific School or Departmental logos.)

    5. Repeat the processes listed in Steps #3 and #4 to add more text boxes and images to your poster, as well as insert any desired graphs, tables, etc.

    Google Slides

    1. If you are going to have a background image, it is recommended to add that in first so you are then able to design the text and aesthetic of the poster accordingly.

    2. To change the background of the slide, click “Background”

      1. To choose a solid color or gradient background:

        1. Click the circle drop-down next to “Color”

        2. For a solid color background, select a color from the “Solid” tab

        3. For a gradient background, select a color from the “Gradient” tab

      2. To choose an image as the background:

        1. Click “Choose image” next to “Image”

        2. Click “Browse”

        3. Select the image file, and click “Open”

      1. To add text to the slide, you will need to insert text boxes. To do this, click the text box icon in the ribbon of the window, or click “Insert” then “Text Box”.

        1. Note: With reference to font size and style, it is best to use your own judgment concerning what looks the best for the design and aesthetic of your poster. We recommend you do not use anything smaller than 12pt font, although even this is small for a poster.

        2. If you would like to add a solid background to your text box, click the paint bucket icon in the ribbon

      2. In order to add images to the slide, you will need to insert pictures. To input an image, save the file (we recommend using a PNG or JPEG file) to your computer.

        1. From the “Insert” menu, select “Image”

        2. Click “Upload from computer”

        3. Choose the desired file

        4. If you would like to include any logos for the University of Wisconsin-Madison you can visit the following link to find a range of choices of high-quality logos: http://umark.wisc.edu/brand/templates-and-downloads/print-logos.php (Unfortunately this does not include specific School or Departmental logos.)

      3. Repeat the processes listed in Steps #3 and #4 to add more text boxes and images to your poster, as well as insert any desired graphs, tables, etc.

      Exporting your Poster to a Printable Format

      Because we only print image files, you will need to export the poster to an image format.

      PowerPoint for Windows OS

      1. Click “File” in the upper left corner

      2. Click “Save as Adobe PDF”

        1. If there is a pop-up asking you to allow PDF Maker to save the file and continue, click “Yes”

      3. Change the file name to FirstNameLastName-OneWordDescription

      4. Change the Save As Type to “PDF”

      5. Open the PDF file you just created in Photoshop

      6. In Photoshop, click “File” in the upper left-hand corner

      7. Click “Save As”

      8. If the pop-up says “Save to Creative Cloud,” click “On your Computer”

      9. Change the Save As Type to TIFF (Recommended), or PNG.

      10. Click “Save”

      11. For TIFF Files:

        1. Under “Image Compression,” click “None”

        2. Under “Pixel Order,” click “Interleaved”

        3. Under “Byte Order,” click “IBM PC”

        4. Under “Layer Compression,” click “RLE”

        5. Click “OK”

        6. If there is another pop-up warning you that Including layers will increase file size, click “OK”

      12. For PNG Files:

        1. Under “File Size,” click “Large File Size”

        2. Click “OK”

      PowerPoint for Mac OS

      1. Click “File” in the upper left corner

      2. Click “Save as”

        1. If you can see a button that says “On my Mac,” click it

      3. Change the file name to FirstNameLastName-OneWordDescription

      4. Change File Format to “PDF”

      5. Open the PDF file you just created in Photoshop

      6. In Photoshop, click “File” in the upper left-hand corner

      7. Click “Save As”

      8. If the pop-up says “Save to Creative Cloud,” click “On your Computer”

      9. Change the Save As Type to TIFF (Recommended), or PNG.

      10. Click “Save”

      11. For TIFF Files:

        1. Under “Image Compression,” click “None”

        2. Under “Pixel Order,” click “Interleaved”

        3. Under “Byte Order,” click “IBM PC”

        4. Under “Layer Compression,” click “RLE”

        5. Click “OK”

        6. If there is another pop-up warning you that Including layers will increase file size, click “OK”

      12. For PNG Files:

        1. Under “File Size,” click “Large File Size”

        2. Click “OK”

      Google Slides

      1. Click “File”

      2. Click “Download”

      3. Click “PDF”

      4. Open the PDF file you just created in Photoshop

      5. In Photoshop, click “File” in the upper left-hand corner

      6. Click “Save As”

      7. If the pop-up says “Save to Creative Cloud,” click “On your Computer”

      8. Change the Save As Type to TIFF (Recommended), or PNG.

      9. Click “Save”

      10. For TIFF Files:

        1. Under “Image Compression,” click “None”

        2. Under “Pixel Order,” click “Interleaved”

        3. Under “Byte Order,” click “IBM PC”

        4. Under “Layer Compression,” click “RLE”

        5. Click “OK”

        6. If there is another pop-up warning you that Including layers will increase file size, click “OK”

      11. For PNG Files:

        1. Under “File Size,” click “Large File Size”

        2. Click “OK”

      Submitting a Poster Order

      1. Open your poster in Photoshop

      2. Check your print’s quality:

        1. Zoom in to 100%

        2. Move around on the poster looking for distortion, blurriness, or pixelation of images and text

        3. If there are any issues, see the troubleshooting section below

      3. Check the size of your print:

        1. Click "Image".

        2. Click "Image Size".

        1. One edge must measure at or below 43”

      1. Go to poster.library.wisc.edu

      2. Click “Sign in to your library account”

      3. Click “NetID Sign in”

      4. Sign in with your NetID and password

      5. Click “Order a Print”

      6. Choose the location you would like to print a poster at

      7. To Upload via File:

        1. Click “Choose File”

        2. Select the file you would like to print

        3. Click “Open”

      8. To Upload via URL:

        1. Select “URL”

        2. Paste the Share URL into the box

      9. Click “Next”

      10. Type in the Width and Height of the poster as found in Step 3

      11. Enter the number of prints of the file you want in the “Quantity” box

      12. Select the Paper Type

        1. NOTE: College Library can print in either Satin or Glossy, Steenbock can only print in Satin

      13. Click “Next”

      14. Look over the “Order Details” page for accuracy

      15. If everything looks good, click “Finalize Order”

      Troubleshooting and FAQs

      Issues with Poster Size

      To fix any issues with the size of your poster, you will need to go back to the initial file to maintain the quality.

      PowerPoint for Windows

      1. In PowerPoint, click the “Design” tab

      2. Click “Slide Size”

      3. Click “Custom Slide Size”

      4. Enter the desired poster size

      5. Click “OK”

      6. A pop-up box will ask if you want to “Maximize” or “Ensure Fit”. If you have no content on your slide, this choice will not matter, either is entirely acceptable. If you do have content on your slide already, please read through these descriptions before deciding:

        1. Maximize - Will scale the slide to fit the new width or height without going over the edges of the new slide size. Then you will need to fix the poster to fit the excess space on the slide. This option has the least amount of work to fix for printing, but the program may over-resize images, which may cause pixelation.

        2. Ensure Fit - Will keep everything on the poster the current size and just enlarge the slide around it. This option is more work because you will need to manually scale the items to fit the new poster size. However, there is more control over images to make sure they don’t become pixelated.

      7. Ensure all content is still laid out as you want it to be, and there is no distortion of any of your images

      8. Click “File” in the upper left corner

      9. Click “Save as Adobe PDF”

        1. If there is a pop-up asking you to allow PDF Maker to save the file and continue, click “Yes”

      10. Change the file name to FirstNameLastName-OneWordDescription

      11. Change the Save As Type to “PDF”

      12. Open the PDF file you just created in Photoshop

      13. In Photoshop, click “File” in the upper left-hand corner

      14. Click “Save As”

      15. If the pop-up says “Save to Creative Cloud,” click “On your Computer”

      16. Change the Save As Type to TIFF (Recommended), or PNG.

      17. Click “Save”

      18. For TIFF Files:

        1. Under “Image Compression,” click “None”

        2. Under “Pixel Order,” click “Interleaved”

        3. Under “Byte Order,” click “IBM PC”

        4. Under “Layer Compression,” click “RLE”

        5. Click “OK”

        6. If there is another pop-up warning you that Including layers will increase file size, click “OK”

      19. For PNG Files:

        1. Under “File Size,” click “Large File Size”

        2. Click “OK”

      20. Re-upload the file using the link in the email you received, and the instructions above under “Submitting a Poster Order”

        1. NOTE: You MUST Check the quality and size before resubmitting.

        PowerPoint for Mac OS

        1. Click the “Design” tab

        2. Click “Slide Size”

        3. Click “Page Setup”

        4. Enter the desired poster size

        5. Click “OK”

        6. A pop-up box will ask if you want to “Scale” or “Don’t Scale”. If you have no content on your slide, this choice will not matter, either is entirely acceptable. If you do have content on your slide already, please read through these descriptions before deciding:

          1. Scale - Will scale the slide to fit the new width or height without going over the edges of the new slide size. Then you will need to fix the poster to fit the excess space on the slide. This option has the least amount of work to fix for printing, but the program may over-resize images, which may cause pixelation.

          2. Don’t Scale - Will keep everything on the poster the current size and just enlarge the slide around it. This option is more work because you will need to manually scale the items to fit the new

        7. Ensure all content is still laid out as you want it to be, and there is no distortion of any of your images

        8. Click “File” in the upper left corner

        9. Click “Save as”

          1. If there you can see a button that says “On my Mac,” Click it

        10. Change the file name to FirstNameLastName-OneWordDescription

        11. Change File Format to “PDF”

        12. Open the PDF file you just created in Photoshop

        13. In Photoshop, click “File” in the upper left-hand corner

        14. Click “Save As”

        15. If the pop-up says “Save to Creative Cloud,” click “On your Computer”

        16. Change the Save As Type to TIFF (Recommended), or PNG.

        17. Click “Save”

        18. For TIFF Files:

          1. Under “Image Compression,” click “None”

          2. Under “Pixel Order,” click “Interleaved”

          3. Under “Byte Order,” click “IBM PC”

          4. Under “Layer Compression,” click “RLE”

          5. Click “OK”

          6. If there is another pop-up warning you that Including layers will increase file size, click “OK”

        19. For PNG Files:

          1. Under “File Size,” click “Large File Size”

          2. Click “OK”

        20. Re-upload the file using the link in the email you received, and the instructions above under “Submitting a Poster Order”

          1. NOTE: You MUST Check the quality and size before resubmitting.

        Google Slides

        1. Click the “File” menu

        2. Click “Page Setup”

        3. From the drop-down menu, select “Custom”

        4. Enter the desired poster size

        5. Click “Apply”

        6. Ensure all content is still laid out as you want it to be, and there is no distortion of any of your images

        7. Click “File”

        8. Click “Download”

        9. Click “PDF”

        10. Open the PDF file you just created in Photoshop

        11. In Photoshop, click “File” in the upper left-hand corner

        12. Click “Save As”

        13. If the pop-up says “Save to Creative Cloud,” click “On your Computer”

        14. Change the Save As Type to TIFF (Recommended), or PNG.

        15. Click “Save”

        16. For TIFF Files:

          1. Under “Image Compression,” click “None”

          2. Under “Pixel Order,” click “Interleaved”

          3. Under “Byte Order,” click “IBM PC”

          4. Under “Layer Compression,” click “RLE”

          5. Click “OK”

          6. If there is another pop-up warning you that Including layers will increase file size, click “OK”

        17. For PNG Files:

          1. Under “File Size,” click “Large File Size”

          2. Click “OK”

        18. Re-upload the file using the link in the email you received, and the instructions above under “Submitting a Poster Order”

          1. NOTE: You MUST Check the quality and size before resubmitting.

          Issues with Image Resolution

          If the whole poster is blurry

          Some image file types are better than others for maintaining quality. For more information on how to change the file type, see the instructions under “Exporting your Poster to a Printable Format”. Here is the DesignLab’s recommendation for image file formats:

          1. Highest Quality: TIFF – the acronym “Tagged Image File Format,” is used for storing raster graphics images. This format is popular among graphic artists, publishing, and photographers and is commonly used for print media. TIFF files can have multiple layers within the file and TIFF files retain transparencies when printed.

          2. Middle Quality: PNG – acronym “Portable Network Graphic,” is commonly used to store web graphics and digital photographs. PNG files have a lossless compression (similar to .GIF) for smaller file sizes. PNG files have a flattened (non-layered) image but PNG files retain transparencies when printed.

          3. Lowest Quality: JPEG – acronym “Joint Photographic Experts Group,” is a standard image format for containing lossy and compressed image data, leading to the smallest file size, but the lowest quality image. JPEG files have a flattened (non-layered) image and do not support transparencies, which are converted to the closest color or white.

          If the whole poster is blurry, including all images and text, there may have been a degradation in quality in exporting the file to an image format.

          When exporting from .PPT to any image file type, the user is asked to provide the pixels for width and height. The default will make a very small image file.

          To avoid this issue, we recommend that you do the following:

          PowerPoint for Windows
          1. Click “File” in the upper left corner

          2. Click “Save as Adobe PDF”

            1. If there is a pop-up asking you to allow PDF Maker to save the file and continue, click “Yes”

          3. Change the file name to FirstNameLastName-OneWordDescription

          4. Change the Save As Type to “PDF”

          5. Open the PDF file you just created in Photoshop

          6. In Photoshop, click “File” in the upper left-hand corner

          7. Click “Save As”

          8. If the pop-up says “Save to Creative Cloud,” click “On your Computer”

          9. Change the Save As Type to TIFF (Recommended), or PNG.

          10. Click “Save”

          11. For TIFF Files:

            1. Under “Image Compression,” click “None”

            2. Under “Pixel Order,” click “Interleaved”

            3. Under “Byte Order,” click “IBM PC”

            4. Under “Layer Compression,” click “RLE”

            5. Click “OK”

            6. If there is another pop-up warning you that Including layers will increase file size, click “OK”

          12. For PNG Files:

            1. Under “File Size,” click “Large File Size”

            2. Click “OK”

          13. Re-upload the file using the link in the email you received, and the instructions above under “Submitting a Poster Order”

            1. NOTE: You MUST Check the quality and size before resubmitting

          PowerPoint for Mac
          1. Click “File” in the upper left corner

          2. Click “Save as”

            1. If there you can see a button that says “On my Mac,” Click it

          3. Change the file name to FirstNameLastName-OneWordDescription

          4. Change File Format to “PDF”

          5. Open the PDF file you just created in Photoshop

          6. In Photoshop, click “File” in the upper left-hand corner

          7. Click “Save As”

          8. If the pop-up says “Save to Creative Cloud,” click “On your Computer”

          9. Change the Save As Type to TIFF (Recommended), or PNG.

          10. Click “Save”

          11. For TIFF Files:

            1. Under “Image Compression,” click “None”

            2. Under “Pixel Order,” click “Interleaved”

            3. Under “Byte Order,” click “IBM PC”

            4. Under “Layer Compression,” click “RLE”

            5. Click “OK”

            6. If there is another pop-up warning you that Including layers will increase file size, click “OK”

          12. For PNG Files:

            1. Under “File Size,” click “Large File Size”

            2. Click “OK”

          13. Re-upload the file using the link in the email you received, and the instructions above under “Submitting a Poster Order”

            1. NOTE: You MUST Check the quality and size before resubmitting

          Google Slides
          1. Click “File”

          2. Click “Download”

          3. Click “PDF”

          4. Open the PDF file you just created in Photoshop

          5. In Photoshop, click “File” in the upper left-hand corner

          6. Click “Save As”

          7. If the pop-up says “Save to Creative Cloud,” click “On your Computer”

          8. Change the Save As Type to TIFF (Recommended), or PNG.

          9. Click “Save”

          10. For TIFF Files:

            1. Under “Image Compression,” click “None”

            2. Under “Pixel Order,” click “Interleaved”

            3. Under “Byte Order,” click “IBM PC”

            4. Under “Layer Compression,” click “RLE”

            5. Click “OK”

            6. If there is another pop-up warning you that Including layers will increase file size, click “OK”

          11. For PNG Files:

            1. Under “File Size,” click “Large File Size”

            2. Click “OK”

          12. Re-upload the file using the link in the email you received, and the instructions above under “Submitting a Poster Order”

            1. NOTE: You MUST Check the quality and size before resubmitting

          If parts of the poster are blurry

          There isn't a way to make the images look any better if they are not high quality, to begin with. But that doesn't mean there isn't something patrons can do to fix it.

          You may be using raster image types or image files that are made up of a tiny grid of pixels (small squares of color). Raster image file types are often .jpeg/.jpg, .gif, and .png. Raster images have a fixed number of pixels in the image, so they cannot be enlarged beyond their original size without image quality loss. You should never enlarge a raster image beyond its original size because that will lead to pixelization.

          For things like logos, it is best to look for vector images, which are made up of crisp lines drawn between points. Most vector images are logos, icons, and text. Vector image file types are often .svg (which stands for “scalable vector graphic”), .eps, and .ai. Vector images are scalable, meaning that one can make them larger or smaller without compromising the quality of the image because they're not made of a fixed number of pixels.

          The best way to fix a logo issue is to contact the organization directly and ask for a high-quality or large-size logo. If you need a UW logo, go to https://brand.wisc.edu. 

          For other logos, always try the organization’s website:

          1. Go to the organization’s website
          2. Find their logo somewhere on the website
          3. Right-click the logo and select "Open in a New Tab"
          4. See if the image is large enough to be used (if the image is small in the new tab, it probably won’t work…)

          How to find better quality logos from Google Image search:

          1. Go to Google Image search and type in "[organization x] logo" (with organization X being the logo the patron need to replace)
          2. Then either:
            1. Look for .svg or .eps file types
            2. Go to "Tools" > "Size" > "Large" and see what images are available

          If your charts/graphs/data visualizations are blurry, resize the image from the original file first, then reinsert them into the poster. This usually will fix the problem.

          If it is a chart/graph from a publication that you did not write, you should try to contact the publisher to get a higher-quality version if possible. You may also have to re-create the graph or chart if you cannot get a higher-resolution version.

          Other issues? Contact DesignLab via email or chat and they’ll help troubleshoot.

          Frequently Asked Questions

          Are there resources for making posters?

          Yes! DesignLab has an entire website page dedicated to poster creation. https://designlab.wisc.edu/resources/projects/posters/

          What software should I use to make posters?

          PowerPoint is the industry standard, but there are lots of options. Check out the DesignLab’s Research Poster page for a list of recommended software: https://designlab.wisc.edu/resources/projects/posters/

          What size should my poster be?

          Poster size is dependent on the event (conference, symposium, etc.). You should contact the event organizers, your instructor/advisor, or the venue to ask about poster sizing. The most typical poster size for conferences is 48in X 36in in landscape. Here on UW-Madison’s campus, most poster boards are 44in x 44in, so we tend to recommend 43in x 36in for campus events, but any event restrictions on size should supersede our suggestions.

          How do I estimate the cost of a poster?

          The cost of printing is $4 per square foot. To estimate the cost of your poster:

          1. Multiply the length in inches and the width in inches (to get the size in square inches)
          2. Then divide that number by 144 (to get the size in square feet)
          3. Multiply the size in square feet by $4.

          This is also noted in the poster printing system. 

          What is a good image resolution?

          300 ppi is a perfectly adequate resolution for printing. However, 96ppi is the lowest resolution for printing that does not have noticeable low quality to the naked eye. Anything less than 96ppi is not adequate for printing. Anything higher than 300 ppi is also not noticeable to the naked eye and just makes the file size bigger. 

          What file type is best to save as?

          Some image file types are better than others for maintaining quality. Here is the DesignLab’s recommendation for image file formats: 

          1. Highest Quality: TIFF – acronym “Tagged Image File Format,” is used for storing raster graphics images. This format is popular among graphic artists, publishing, and photographers and is commonly used for print media. TIFF files can have multiple layers within the file and TIFF files retain transparencies when printed.
          2. Middle Quality: PNG – acronym “Portable Network Graphic,” is commonly used to store web graphics and digital photographs. PNG files have a lossless compression (similar to .GIF) for smaller file size. PNG files have a flattened (non-layered) image but PNG files retain transparencies when printed.
          3. Lowest Quality: JPEG – acronym “Joint Photographic Experts Group,” is a standard image format for containing lossy and compressed image data, leading to the smallest file size, but the lowest quality image. JPEG files have a flattened (non-layered) image and do not support transparencies, which are converted to the closest color or white.

          Can I use something other than Photoshop to convert the PDF into an image file?

          As far as we have tested, you cannot use Adobe Acrobat or other programs to convert the PDF file to TIFF/PNG/JPEG. If you do not have Photoshop, it should be available in any campus computer lab and on checkout laptops.



          KeywordsPoster Printing, Poster, Printing, order, edit, print   Doc ID124849
          OwnerReina W.GroupLibraries
          Created2023-03-14 12:10:13Updated2023-05-02 10:13:57
          SitesInfoLabs, UW-Madison Libraries
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