The GeoData Center is equipped with a 42 inch roll-feed HP large-format printer capable of printing at 1200 DPI. This device is commonly used to print posters for conference presentations, large maps, and banners. We provide printing services at a discounted rate for UWF faculty, staff and students. Please see the main services page for current printing costs.
We require at least 48 hours turnaround time from the time we recieve your poster file to complete your print order (excluding weekends). Because printing supplies can run out and staff may go out of town, it is also strongly encouraged that you notify us as far in advance as possbile of when you will be submitting an item for printing.
Microsoft Publisher is the recommended software platform for designing and submitting your poster. Adobe products such as InDesign or Illustrator are also good for design purposes but must be converted to PDF format before being submitted. 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. Publisher has a similar interface to Powerpoint and is included with the University licensed MS Office package installed on most campus computers as well as the computers in our lab, so we advise you to use it instead. Please email us if you plan on using any other format to make sure we have the ability to open it.
Posters must be no larger than 42 inches on one side. It is usually advisable to set the paper size to exactly 42" to avoid uncessary cuts after it is printed. The second side can be either smaller or larger than 42", theoretically up to 100 feet. Remember when sizing your document that larger posters tend to be more difficult for viewers to navigate (in addition to being more expensive). 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.
You can download UWF logos from the UWF Graphic Identity Standards Website. Be sure to use the .tif files for best results.