Print layout / worked example

AGU26 poster size: fit a 44-inch space without shrinking your text

By Baseframe Kinetics · Published November 1, 2026

For an in-person AGU26 poster, the maximum is 44 inches wide × 44 inches high. AGU asks presenters to leave a 1-inch border and keep text, images and logos at least 1 inch from the edge. A square poster is not mandatory: a smaller landscape poster can fit, too.

These are the official AGU26 presenter requirements checked on November 1, 2026. Each side of a board is shared by two presenters. Check that source again before printing; older annual-meeting templates may use different dimensions. Baseframe Kinetics is not affiliated with AGU.

Will resizing an old poster be enough?

Resizing can make the outer dimensions fit while also shrinking every label and margin. Reflow means rearranging the content on a new canvas while choosing its text size deliberately. Neither operation should change a figure's values, axis labels, units or scientific meaning.

Original example

72 × 48 inches
36-point body text
1-inch edge margin

Proportional fit inside 44 × 44

44 × 29.33 inches
22-point body text
0.61-inch edge margin

The scale factor is 44 ÷ 72, about 61.11%. The margin would fall below AGU's 1-inch guidance. This is an original arithmetic example, not a customer's poster or a claim that all 22-point text is unreadable.

Check the scaling effect on your dimensions

Enter your existing poster's dimensions in inches. This calculator fits it proportionally inside the maximum 44 × 44-inch space without enlarging smaller posters. It assumes uniform scaling, including the supplied body-text size and margin. It does not inspect or change a file.

Scale: 61.11%. Result: 44.00 × 29.33 inches. Body text: 22.00 points. Edge margin: 0.61 inches.

The scaled margin is below 1 inch. Rebuild the margin or reflow the layout before printing.

Inputs stay in this page; the calculator does not upload poster files or send these values to analytics. Optional site analytics follow your cookie choice. A successful calculation is not a print-readiness certificate.

How to reflow instead of shrinking everything

Keep the original. Work on a copy and confirm the dimensions for your own session. This guide covers the physical in-person poster, not an online iPoster.
Set the new canvas and safe area. A 44 × 44-inch canvas with 1-inch margins leaves 42 × 42 inches for content. Smaller canvases have smaller usable areas. Do not stretch a landscape design into a square.
Rearrange sections before reducing type. Move figures and their captions together. Change column widths and reading order. If the approved content no longer fits, ask its author to prioritize or shorten it; do not silently omit results or rewrite conclusions.
Compare the content. Check every figure, caption, symbol, unit, reference and author name against the original. Preserve figure aspect ratios and label associations. A visually tidy layout can still contain a transcription mistake.
Inspect the exported PDF at its intended size. Check page dimensions, text, symbols, image quality and margins. Check your printer's own file requirements and obtain its proof where available. A browser thumbnail cannot verify a physical print.

PosterNerd provides free editable PowerPoint templates, including square layouts. A template can help organize content, but its default size and typography still need checking against your meeting's rules. You do not need a paid service merely to obtain a square canvas.

Does 44 × 44 mean the poster must be square?

No. It is a maximum in both directions. For example, a 44 × 30-inch poster fits the dimensional limit, but still needs the required edge spacing and room for all accompanying materials. AGU's current guidance also describes horizontal positioning. Follow any more specific instruction for your own presentation.

What this page verifies

The calculator demonstrates proportional geometry and its effect on a stated font size and margin. It does not measure the actual text in a PDF, validate PowerPoint compatibility, check scientific accuracy or guarantee legibility. No real poster, native PowerPoint handoff or physical print has been accepted through this example.

No scientific-poster design service is available for purchase here. This is a free layout guide and research example.

If a format change has caused a concrete problem, you can optionally describe the layout problem by email. Please exclude unpublished research, participant data, private files and credentials. This is optional research feedback, not a promised quote or repair.