Pale colours are pleasing to the eye and allow good text/background contrast
Bright background colours should be avoided - they can look tacky and unprofessional
Patterned backgrounds can distract the reader from your text
Dark colours can be eye-catching, but the text colour should be changed to maintain contrast
Avoid colour gradients - they detract from your text and may necessitate different font colours
Photographs distract readers from your poster and the different colours can cause readability problems
