Introduction > Presenting Science > Poster Presentations > Use of Colour

Use of Colour Colour is one of the most essential factors in determining the 'attractiveness' of your poster, but there's a fine line between using colour effectively and creating a colour-clashing monstrosity! As a general rule, given the high incidence of red/green colour blindness, large areas of green and red should be avoided on posters whenever possible. In particular, think carefully about what colours you should use for your background, figures and text: Background a bold background colour will catch the eye of your potential audience and draw them to your poster stay clear of bright colours and make sure the colour you've chosen doesn't clash with any of your figures or plates if you choose to use a background colour, it's a good idea to include your text, figures, tables and plates in white boxes so they're easier to read the background colour should be solid, so avoid using photographs or text. Top Tip: A coloured-border can be just as effective. Exercise Have a look at these slides. Can you identify good and not-so-good background colours? Figures colourful figures (eg graphs) can make your poster more attractive, but you need to take care when you're creating them too many lines on a graph can appear cluttered and confusing, so choose a few important results and concentrate on them. Top Tip: As with the background colour, avoid using bright colours and yellow; stick to deeper darker colours. a contrast between dark and light colours makes text easier to read (think of the dark blue background with yellow text on PowerPoint), so if you're using a dark, bold background colour, your text should be light and vice versa. Top Tip: Although the colour of the main body of text should remain constant throughout your poster, section headings in a different colour (or bold) can make your poster easier to read. Exercise Have a look at these slides. What combination of background and text colour makes the slide easier to read?

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