Self-standing display boards, with a trifold are best for strength and durability and can be found online and at office supply stores. They come in white or black foam or corrugated material; 36 inches high by 48 inches wide. Display boards can also be made from durable corrugated cardboard. Display boards for science projects are usually three feet tall by four feet wide, but it would be wise to check all rules and regulations of your science fair prior to constructing the display board. Thick paper should be used to print out information, especially when using wet glue or glue sticks to adhere print-outs.
Colorful backgrounds may be distracting; keeping it simple usually works with display boards. Lettering for titles and description should be printed by computer, or adhesive letters may be used. These options look neat and professional compared to handwritten titles.
Colorful construction paper set behind typed descriptions, charts and graphs make display boards striking. Photographs or drawings may be used to make your project interesting and eye-catching. Science project logbooks should be displayed as well, to highlight the experimental data.
A good display board, for a science project should include information such as the title, a purpose statement, an abstract, hypothesis, background research, materials list, experimental procedure, data analysis, conclusions, acknowledgments and bibliography. Display-board sections should be displayed from left to right or top to bottom for easy reading, with large fonts no smaller than 16 point. The title should be eye-catching and large enough to be visible from across the room. Pictures and photographs should be used effectively to convey information about the project, and display boards should always appear neat and tidy.
Creating a display board for a science project requires planning. Creating a layout sketch to factor the placement is a good way to organize all information prior to gluing it down permanently. The center of the board is where all eyes will focus first. Starting here will allow for correct placement of title and pictures. All other information should be placed around the center. Place information such as "conclusions" and pictures in the order that makes the most sense. Conclusions should be the last information read, so it would make sense to place it to the right side of the board.