Contents

1.

Introduction

1.

StartingPublisher

2.

CreateaPosterTemplate

5.

Aligningyourimagesandtext

7.

Applyabackground

12.

Addtexttoyourposter

14.

Addpicturestoyourposter

17.

AddgraphsandtablesfromExcel

CreateaPosterUsingPublisher
Introduction

ThisdocumentisaStepbyStepguidetopreparingaposterusingMicrosoftPublisher.
[refertoguidelinesdocument]

StartingPublisher

DoubleclickthePublisherIcononyourdesktop.

YouwillbetakentothegettingstartedareaofPublisher

CreateaPosterTemplate
Beforeyoustartcreatingposters,youneedtocreateapostertemplate.Conferencesandresearchseminarswill
usuallygiveaspecificationofthesizeandorientationofthepostertobesubmitted.Themostcommonsizeofposter
isA0.

ClickBlankPageSizes

Youwillseeascreensimilartotheonebelow.

ClickCreatecustompagesize

Adialogboxwillappear:

EnterA0PosterPortraitinthenamebox.
Enter84.1cmforthewidthand118.9cmfortheheight,
Enter0.5cmineachoftheboxesundermarginguides(left,right,top,bottom)

ThiswillsetthepagesizetothatofanA0landscapeposterwitha5mmmargin.Ifyouwishyourpostertobe
portrait,switchthenumbersfortheheightandwidth.

PressOK.

ThedialogboxwilldisappearandanewiconwillappearunderBlankpagesizes

ClickingthisnewiconwillopenaPublisherworkspace

EditthePagesizeofatemplate
Ifyouhavemadeamistake,oryouwishtochangethepagesizeorchangethemargins:

ClicktheChangePageSizebuttoninthelefthandmenu,
HoverovertheA0postertemplate,clickthebluearrow,

ClickEditfromthemenu,
Thecustompagesizedialogboxshouldappear,makeyourchangesthenclickOK.

Aligningyourimagesandtext
Thetwomostpopularwaystoalignyourimagesandtextareusinglayoutguidesandrulerguides.

LayoutGuides
Layoutguidesgiveyoutheoptiontodividetheposterupintosectionstohelpyouplaceyourvariouselements.
ToturntheLayoutGuideson:

OntheTaskmenu,clickArrange
ClickLayoutGuidesfromthedropdownmenu.
Replicatethesettingsasshownintheimagebelow:

Inthisexamplethepageisdividedintoninesectionsina3x3grid.Eachsectionhasa5mmmarginorpadding,and3
pictureshavebeenaddedtohighlighttheusageofsuchalayout.TheLayoutguidesarerepresentedbydottedblue
lines.

RulerGuides
Rulerguidesareanotherwayonaligningourelementseitherhorizontallyorvertically.
Intheexamplebelow,tworulerguideshavebeenusedtoalignapictureandatextbox.Theguidesarerepresented
bytwothingreenlines.

Toaddarulerguide:

ClickArrange
SelectRulerGuidesandselectfromthemenu,AddHorizontalRulerGuideorAddVerticalRulerGuide.

ApplyaBackground
The4mostpopularbackgroundsforpostersare:

Pattern

Gradient

SolidSingleColour

Picture

Toapplyabackground
OntheTaskmenu,clickFormatandthenBackground.

Acolumnofoptionswillappearontheleft,thisiscalledtheBackgroundTaskPane.

Youcanselectabackgroundfromanyoftheoptionspresented,oryoucanchooseto
createonefromassociateddialogboxes.

Applyassolidcolour

ClickontheMoreColorslinkintheBackgroundTaskpanetobringupthecolourgamutdialogbox.

Selectabasecolourfromthegraphicinthisdialogboxandpressok.AllthecoloursintheFormat
BackgroundsTaskPaneontheleftwillchangetoreflectthenewcolour.
Choosethesquarewiththeonesolidcolourfromthispaneltoapplythefilltothebackground.

Applyagradient
YoucanchoosefromoneofthemanygradientsavailablefromtheFormatBackgroundtaskpaneoryoucanmakea
customgradient.
Toselectacustomgradient:

ClicktheMorebackgroundslinkfromthetaskpane,thiswillbringuptheFillEffectsbox
ClicktheGradienttab

Therearemanydifferentgradientswhichcanbeachievedusingdifferentcombinationsofoptionsavailableinthis
dialog.Thesampleboxinthebottomrighthandcornerofthedialogboxwillgiveyouanindicationtowhatyour
gradientwilllooklike.

ApplyaTexture
Aswiththegradientsoptions,youcanchooseatexturefromthetaskpane.Iftherearentanytosuityou,thereis
theoptiontoselectyourownfromfile.
ToselectaCustomTexture:

ClickthelinkforMorebackgrounds....
IntheFillEffectsdialogbox,clicktheTexturetab

Youcanselectatexturefromthemanylistedoryoucanusetheothertexturebuttontoselectapicturefiletobase
yourowntextureon.Againthesampleboxwillgiveyouaquickpreviewofwhatthebackgroundwilllooklike
Applyapictureasabackground
Publisherwilltileapicturesetasabackgroundpicturedependingonthephysicalsizeofthepicture,i.e.thesmaller
thepicture,thegreaterthenumberoftiles.Yousetthebackgroundpicturethiswaybythefollowingsteps:

ClickthelinknamedMorebackgrounds.....,andclickthePicturetab

Next,clicktheSelectPicturebutton.Abrowserdialogboxwillpopup,navigatetowhereyourpictureis
stored,clickonit,andclickOK
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ClickOKonthefilleffectsdialogbox.

Thepictureyouusedtiledonthebackground

Ifthisisnotasuitablebackgroundfortheposterandasinglepictureispreferred,followthestepsoutlinedbelow.

ClickInsert,Picture,Fromfile...,
Thiswillbringupabrowserwindow,navigatetoandselectthefileyouwishtouseclickOK

Thepictureyouhavechosenwillbeplacedinthecentreoftheworkareaasshown:

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Usetheminicirclesaroundtheedgeofthepicturetoresizethepicturetotheextentofthemarginsas
illustratedinthenextgraphicbelow/

Next,rightclickonthepicture,intheContextmenu,selectOrderthenleftclickSendtoback

Theimagewillnowlaybehindeverythingelseintheworkarea.

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AddTexttoyourPoster.
Themosteffectivewaytoreadtextonaposteristobreakitdownintosmallmanageablechunks.Thisisbest
achievedusingtextboxes.
Toinsertatextbox

Clickinsert
FromthedropdownmenuclickTextBox.
Thecursorwillchangetoacross,leftclicktoplacethecursoronthePublisherworkspace.

Clickinsidetheboxtoenteryourtext.
Ifyoufindthatyoudonothaveenoughroomtodisplayallofyourtext,youwillseethefollowingsymbol
underneaththetextbox:,Inthiscaseyouwillneedtoresizethetextbox.

Leftclickanddragthesmallcirclesonthetextboxcornerstoresizethetextbox.

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Rotate
Youcanalsorotatethetextboxby,clickingonthegreencontrolatthetopofthetextboxanddragginginacircular
motion.

TextInput
Toinserttextintoatextbox:

Clickinsideitandaflashingcursorwillappear.Thetextboxisreadytoaccepttyping.
YoucanalsocopyandpastetextfromWorddocumentsorInternetExplorerintotextboxes.
Thewaytochangethefont,size,andcolouroftextisverysimilartothatofMicrosoftWord.
Allthecontrolsareintheformattingtoolbarunderthemenubar.

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AddingPicturestoyourPoster
Thereare2waystoaddpicturestoaPublisherdocument.
Youcaneitherdraganimagefromthedesktopor
YoucanusetheInsertPicturefunction.
InsertaPicture

Clickinsert
InthedropdownmenuhoveroverPictureandfromthemenuselectFromFile
Thiswillopenabrowserwindowtopictures.Youcanhowever,navigatetootherfoldersfromhere.

SelectthepicturefilethatyouwanttouseandclicktheInsertbutton.

Resize
Resizethepictureusingthesmallcircularpicturesizecontrolsoneachcornerandedgeoftheboxsurroundingthe
picture.

Note:Trytoavoidresizingsmallpicturesandthumbnailstoalargesizeasthismaydistorttheimage.

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MovementandRotation
Whenyoumoveyourmouseoverthemiddleofthepicture,thecursorchangestolooklikethismeansthat
youcanmoveyourpictureovertheworkspacebyleftclickanddraggingthepicture.
Youcanrotatethepicturebyclickingandholdingthegreencontrolatthetopofthepictureanddraggingaroundit.

RotatedTotheRight:

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AddGraphsandTablesFromExcel.
InsertaTable
YoucancopyandpastechartsandtablesfromExcelintoPublisher,oryoucanlinkthefilessothatanyupdatesto
theExcelspreadsheetwillbereflectedinthePublisherdocument.
LinkanExcelfile

TolinkatableinPublishertoanExcelfile:
SelectandcopythecellsinExcel.
OpenyourPublisherdocument
ClickEditandclickPasteSpecialfromthedropdownlist.

ClicktheradiobuttonmarkedPasteLink
MakesuretheMicrosoftofficeExcelworksheetobjectlinkishighlighted
ClickOK

TheselectedspreadsheetwillappearinthePublisherdocument.

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InsertaChart
YoucancopyandpastechartsfromExcelintoPublisher.
Note:tomakeiteasiertodiscernwhichchartsarebeinginserted,giveeachchartitsownsheetinExcel.Todothis,
followthestepsbelow.

OpenExcel
Maketheworksheetwiththechartinitactive.
Rightclickintheboxcontainingthechart
SelectMovechartfromthemenu
ClickNewsheetandinsertasuitablenameforthesheet
ClickOK

YoushouldhaveanewsheetintheExcelworkbookthatyouhaveappropriatelynamed.
NOTE:YoumayseeawarninginExceldisablingdataconnectionsinyellowatthetopoftheworkbook.Please
clickthebuttonandclickenablecontent
ToInsertthechartintoPublisher:

ClickInsert
ClickObjectfromthedropdownmenu

ClicktheradiobuttoncalledCreatefromfile
PutacheckintheboxcalledLink
ClicktheBrowsebutton
NavigateandselectyourExcelfile
ClickOpen
ClickOK

Yourchartwillappearinthemiddleoftheworkspace.
Justresizeandmoveasyouwouldapictureoratextbox.

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