poster-presentation

# Scientific Conference Poster — PowerPoint (.pptx)

## Overview

This skill creates professional scientific conference posters as editable PowerPoint (.pptx) files using `python-pptx`. It supports standard conference poster sizes (A0, A1), landscape and portrait orientations, structured academic sections, figure insertion with captions, and publication-quality academic color schemes.

The generated `.pptx` is fully editable, allowing researchers to fine-tune layout, fonts, and colors using Microsoft PowerPoint, LibreOffice Impress, or any compatible application. PDF export is available via LibreOffice or PowerPoint.

---

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:
- Creating a poster for an academic conference, symposium, or workshop
- Converting a research paper or manuscript into poster format
- Building a poster template for a research group or institution
- Presenting preliminary results, thesis work, or funded project outcomes
- Needing an editable (non-PDF) poster that collaborators can update

**Trigger phrases:**
- "Create a conference poster as a PowerPoint / .pptx"
- "Make me a scientific poster I can edit in PowerPoint"
- "Generate a poster for my paper / conference / symposium"
- "Build an A0 / A1 poster for [conference name]"
- "Create a research poster with sections for methods, results, conclusions"

---

## Prerequisites

Install required Python packages before running any poster generation code:

```bash
pip install python-pptx Pillow
```

For PDF export from the command line:

```bash
# macOS (via Homebrew)
brew install --cask libreoffice

# Ubuntu / Debian
sudo apt-get install libreoffice

# Windows — download from https://www.libreoffice.org/
```

---

## Standard Poster Dimensions

| Format   | Orientation | Width (cm) | Height (cm) | Width (in) | Height (in) | Common use          |
|----------|-------------|------------|-------------|------------|-------------|---------------------|
| A0       | Portrait    | 84.1       | 118.9       | 33.11      | 46.81       | European conferences|
| A0       | Landscape   | 118.9      | 84.1        | 46.81      | 33.11       | US / mixed format   |
| A1       | Portrait    | 59.4       | 84.1        | 23.39      | 33.11       | Smaller venues      |
| A1       | Landscape   | 84.1       | 59.4        | 33.11      | 23.39       | Departmental events |
| 36×48 in | Portrait    | 91.44      | 121.92      | 36.0       | 48.0        | US conferences      |
| 48×36 in | Landscape   | 121.92     | 91.44       | 48.0       | 36.0        | US conferences      |

**python-pptx uses EMUs (English Metric Units): 1 inch = 914400 EMU, 1 cm = 360000 EMU**

---

## Workflow Phases

### Phase 1: Gather Content

Collect all poster content from the user or source document:

1. **Title** — full paper/poster title
2. **Authors** — list with superscript affiliation numbers
3. **Affiliations** — institution names linked to authors
4. **Contact / corresponding author** email
5. **Abstract** — 150–250 words
6. **Introduction / Background** — key context and motivation (3–5 bullet points or short paragraphs)
7. **Methods** — concise description with optional workflow figure
8. **Results** — key findings, data visualizations, tables
9. **Conclusions** — 4–6 bullet points
10. **Acknowledgements** — funding sources, collaborators
11. **References** — 5–10 key references (abbreviated format)
12. **Figures** — file paths to images/plots to embed
13. **Logo(s)** — institutional/conference logo paths
14. **Color scheme** — preferred colors or institution palette (see schemes below)

### Phase 2: Plan Layout

Standard two- or three-column academic poster layout:

```
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  LOGO  │           TITLE / AUTHORS / AFFILIATIONS         │  LOGO │
├─────────────────┬────────────────┬────────────────────────┤
│  Introduction   │   Methods      │   Results              │
│                 │                │                        │
│  Background     │   Workflow     │   Figure 1             │
│                 │   Figure       │                        │
├─────────────────┴────────────────┤   Figure 2             │
│  [Optional middle spanning row]  │                        │
├─────────────────┬────────────────┼────────────────────────┤
│  Conclusions    │ Acknowledgements│  References            │
└─────────────────┴────────────────┴────────────────────────┘
```

### Phase 3: Generate .pptx

Use the code templates below to build the poster programmatically.

### Phase 4: Export

- Save as `.pptx` (primary deliverable — fully editable)
- Export to PDF via LibreOffice or PowerPoint (see export section)
- Verify layout at 100% zoom before delivering

---

## Core Code: Poster Foundation

```python
"""
scientific_poster.py — Generate A0 landscape conference poster as .pptx
Requires: python-pptx, Pillow
"""

from pptx import Presentation
from pptx.util import Inches, Pt, Emu, Cm
from pptx.dml.color import RGBColor
from pptx.enum.text import PP_ALIGN
from pptx.util import Inches, Pt
import os


# ── Dimensions ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
# A0 Landscape: 118.9 cm × 84.1 cm
POSTER_WIDTH_CM  = 118.9
POSTER_HEIGHT_CM = 84.1

def cm(value):
    """Convert centimetres to EMUs."""
    return Cm(value)


def create_poster(output_path: str = "poster.pptx") -> Presentation:
    """Create and return a blank poster Presentation at A0 landscape size."""
    prs = Presentation()
    prs.slide_width  = cm(POSTER_WIDTH_CM)
    prs.slide_height = cm(POSTER_HEIGHT_CM)

    # Remove all default placeholder layouts — use blank slide
    slide_layout = prs.slide_layouts[6]  # index 6 = blank
    slide = prs.slides.add_slide(slide_layout)

    return prs, slide
```

---

## Academic Color Schemes

```python
# ── Color Palettes ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

SCHEMES = {
    "classic_blue": {
        "header_bg":    RGBColor(0x1A, 0x3A, 0x5C),   # dark navy
        "header