All accepted Search for Excellence (SFE) submissions are eligible to participate in the SFE digital poster display at the Virtual 2026 UC Master Gardener Conference (September. 18 -20, 2026). 

How to Participate

To take part in the poster display, please complete the following steps:

1. Review poster guidelines: Understand expectations for content, audience, and overall design.
2. Reserve your poster slot: Confirm your participation by completing poster reservation survey by noon on July 1, 2026.
3. Create your poster and supporting materials: Use the provided guidelines, template and branding resources to create your poster.
4. Submit your poster and supporting materials: Due August 3, 2026. Upload your poster and supporting materials. 

Reserve Your Poster Slot

To reserve your poster slot for the conference, please complete the poster reservation survey. If submitting more than one poster, please submit a separate survey for each.

Poster Guidelines 

Your poster should help fellow UC Master Gardener volunteers quickly understand your project’s purpose, process, and impact. Design your poster for a general audience, including people who may be unfamiliar with your project.

Digital Poster Templates

We recommend using UC Master Gardener–branded, accessible templates for your poster design. If you choose to create your own, please ensure it aligns with program branding and accessibility guidelines.

What to include:

Required

• County name
• Project name
• Authors name(s)
• Month and year 

Optional

• Contact information
• QR code or links to appropriate
  • Website
  • Video
  • Box Folder
• Social media handles

Visuals 

Use visuals to support and strengthen your project story. Clear, well-labeled visuals help viewers quickly understand your work and its impact.

Photos

Include captions for all images. Captions should:

• Describe what the image shows
• Highlight key details
• Explain how the image connects to your project

Maps, charts, graphs

Ensure all data visuals include:

• Clear titles
• Labeled axes or key elements
• Context that explains what the viewer is looking at and why it matters

Logo Use and Style Guide

Use the UC Master Gardener logo and Visual Style Guide to ensure your work reflects the professionalism and credibility of our statewide program. 

Logo Use

The official statewide logo for the UC Master Gardener Program is the key building block of the program’s identity and the primary visual element that communicates who we are and what we do. The logo should never be color enhanced, outlined or altered in any way. 

Text Size Recommendations

Recommended text sizes to ensure readability and accessibility.

• Main title: 72 point (minimum) - 158 point (ideal)
• Section headings: 42 point (minimum) - 56 point (ideal)
• Body text: 24 point (minimum) - 36 point (ideal)
• Captions: 18 point (minimum) - 24 point (ideal)

Poster Size

Although digital all posters should adhere to the following size

Landscape 

• 48 x 36 inches
• 14,400 x 10,800 pixels

Portrait 

• 36 x 48 inches
• 10,800 x 14,400 pixels
• Note: For posters, 300 DPI is standard for high-quality print, and it also works well for digital export.
• Tip: Set your slide size to inches in PowerPoint or Canva before designing to ensure proper scaling.

What to Submit 

Required

The following must be included with your poster submission. 

• Poster file (PDF)-Submit your final poster as a PDF (.pdf). Make your PDF as accessible as possible before submitting. This includes using readable text, proper heading structure, sufficient color contrast, and meaningful alternative text for images.

  Learn how to create accessible PDFs with this University of California Office of the President resource: Create Accessible PDF’s 

• Visual Description of poster (Word Document)- A visual description of a poster is a short explanation of what the poster looks like and how information is arranged on it. It describes the layout, main sections, images, charts, colors, and other visual elements so someone can understand the structure and key features of the poster without seeing it. Visual descriptions are a part of accessibility, helping people who use screen readers or who cannot easily view the poster understand how the information is organized.

Accessibility Responsibility

As part of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, the UC Master Gardener Program is responsible for meeting federal accessibility law in all digital communications.

Accessibility Remediation after Submission

Posters submitted by the deadline will be reviewed as part of a digital accessibility remediation process. This may include adjustments to improve readability, color contrast, document structure, and overall accessibility. This will be done at no cost to the submitter and handled by a third party. Submitting materials on time helps ensure there is adequate opportunity to review and address accessibility needs prior to digitally displaying the posters. 

Note: No poster or supporting documents will be displayed or shared that is not digitally accessible. 

How to Submit 

Final poster submissions and supporting materials are due August 3, 2026.
Upload your poster and supporting materials. You do not need a Box account to upload files. All submissions will be securely collected in a centralized folder for review and accessibility remediation. 

If you experience issues with uploading or need confirmation your submission was received, please contact: mgsfe@ucanr.edu

Questions? Contact: 

Search for Excellence Chair
Email: mgsfe@ucanr.edu 
Include county name in subject line for all email communications