How to Print a Poster With a Printer
Professionally-designed academic and professional posters for presentations and conferences lend polish to the content and enhance credibility among peers. In the past, creative agencies and print shops created and printed these posters. Now students and companies can develop their own large-format posters using desktop publishing applications such as Adobe Illustrator, imaging software such as Photoshop or presentation programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint. Consumers can purchase a large-format inkjet printer from an office supply or electronics store to print posters at home or in the office. Additionally, consider using the large-format printers at universities or printing centers.
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Instructions
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Make sure, on the computer you are using, the printer drivers and/or print utility are installed and the printer is added to the list of available printers.
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Launch the imaging application you are planning to use, such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop.
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Create a new slide or page and change the page set up or canvas size to a "Custom Size." Type in the desired poster dimensions for length and width. Note: Some applications such as PowerPoint, have a size limitation of up to 54-inches square. Check the size limitation of both the application and printer in order to determine the correct poster size.,
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Insert the desired graphic into a blank slide or page and add text and other elements as desired (such as shapes and borders). Alternatively, insert the desired poster image and resize it to fit the slide or canvas.
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Click "OK" or check mark if prompted by the application.
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Select "Print" under "File," then select the desired poster printer.
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Select the "Properties" (Windows) or "Layout" (Mac) option in the Print menu to choose the paper size for output (select a predefined size or choose "Custom size") and orientation of the image (i.e., landscape or portrait).
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Set the Print Quality to "Normal" or better (e.g., "Best" or "Best Photo" if available, depending on the application and printer).
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Review the thumbnail image, if available, on the main Print menu window (usually in the section, "Copies and Pages").
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Check that the paper is loaded in the printer feed (if on a roll) or tray.
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Click the "Print" button.
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Tips & Warnings
Choose a poster size that is slightly smaller than the width of the paper, especially if the paper size is 42-inches wide (such as on a roll) to avoid edges from being cut off.
If a poster is longer than the paper width, consider changing the page orientation from portrait to landscape because many printers using paper on rolls can print longer than 42-inches square. If the poster is larger than the paper the printer will accommodate, consider printing the poster across multiple pages (tiled printing). Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop and Illustrator will automatically tile pages for printing (if you are using another application, export the poster to a PDF file). Tape the tiled pages together to create the oversized poster.
Don't select "Borderless" for a print option because it may enlarge the image slightly and the edges of the poster may not print.
Choose images that are 600 dpi or less because some printers may not support higher resolutions for large prints.
Avoid using dark-colored backgrounds because ink saturation may affect the colors of the lighter images and text.
Enlarging a JPEG image sized for a page smaller than the desired poster size will produce a fuzzy image if enlarged through the Print function (like enlarging on a photocopy machine). Whenever possible, create a document of the desired page size and insert and expand the image to fit this page to improve print resolution.
