How to create school posters in PowerPoint

Choose the right school presentation template

First things first, start with the right foundation. PowerPoint includes templates that make posters look instantly organized.

Try searching for terms like poster, science fair, school project, or infographic when you create a new file. Templates help you skip the “where should this go?” phase by giving you layouts with clear sections and visual balance.

Hint: If you don’t find exactly what you want, choose an infographic or research‑style layout. They’re great for school projects and easy to customize.

Set up your poster or science fair board

If you want specific poster dimensions, PowerPoint can match them exactly. Head to Design → Slide Size → Custom Slide Size and enter the size of your board. Popular sizes include:

• 24×36 inches
• 20×30 inches
• 36×48 inches for large trifold displays

Once your canvas is set, organize your content into simple, predictable sections teachers love:

• Title
• Question or topic
• Hypothesis or main idea
• Materials and method
• Images, charts, diagrams
• Results
• Conclusion

Tip: Turn on View → Gridlines and Guides. Straight lines = instant professionalism.

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Design tips that make your project shine

Now your poster is taking shape. This is where the magic really happens. A few smart design choices can turn a “good enough” school project into something that feels polished, confident, and totally display‑worthy. Here’s how to level up your poster without adding extra stress.

Keep it readable

Use clean, friendly fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Verdana. Go big for titles and readable body text—no tiny writing that teachers need to squint at.

Use color with purpose

Pick two or three colors and stick with them. High contrast (dark text on a light background) makes everything easy to read, even from afar.

Keep it visual

Replace chunky paragraphs with bullet points. Add icons, images, diagrams, or shapes. White space is your friend. Give your content room to breathe.

Hint: If it feels cluttered, it is cluttered. Remove one thing and check again.

Add photos, charts, and media

PowerPoint makes adding visuals easy. Insert photos you took, diagrams you made, or illustrations and icons directly from the app.

If your project includes data, try inserting a chart. Bar graphs, pie charts, and line charts make results instantly clearer. PowerPoint lets you type directly into the chart data sheet, no spreadsheet required. And Copilot in PowerPoint can help you generate relevant charts and visuals from a single prompt.

Pro tip: Charts don’t have to be fancy. Simple, clean visuals almost always look better than overloaded ones.

Turn your poster into a presentation for school

One of the biggest advantages of designing your poster in PowerPoint is that it can easily double as a presentation for school. By turning your poster into individual slides, you’re also learning how to create presentations for school using content you’ve already organized and refined.

To do this, duplicate your poster slide and split each section into its own slide—title on one, hypothesis or main idea on another, results on another, and so on. Add speaker notes to each slide so you know exactly what to say when it’s time to present.

If you want to take your presentation skills even further, check out these tips for making a stronger, more engaging presentation.

Save, print, or share your project

When you’re ready to print or turn it in, exporting as a PDF is the safest choice. It preserves layout and quality so your poster prints cleanly.

If you’re collaborating with a partner or turning it in digitally, use Share to send a link. Saving to OneDrive keeps your work synced at school, at home, and on any device, even your phone.

Final tips for standing out

Before you print or present, walk through these last steps:

• Proofread everything (teachers notice!)
• Keep your visuals consistent
• Practice explaining your poster out loud
• Make sure images aren’t blurry
• Check that your sections follow a logical story

Your project should feel clear, confident, and well‑organized.

Give PowerPoint in Microsoft 365 a try

Creating school posters doesn’t have to be stressful—PowerPoint in Microsoft 365 makes it simple. Whether it’s your next science fair board, research poster, club flyer, or class presentation, you’ll be surprised how quickly your ideas become something you’re proud to share. Try PowerPoint in Microsoft 365 today.

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