Using the a0poster package, you can use Latex for designing reserach posters.

Helpful commands

Various programming constructs

Variables

Add variables or new commands using \newcommand. For example \newcommand{\sidel}{6}.

Link: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1211888/is-there-any-way-i-can-define-a-variable-in-latex

Adding a title to your poster

Simply use a separate set of minipage elements and put the title within those.

Changing fonts of the section headings

Use the titlesec package for this purpose.

A typical configuration for titlesec looks like so:

\usepackage{titlesec}

\titleformat*{\section}{\LARGE\bfseries}
\titleformat*{\subsection}{\Large\bfseries}
\titleformat*{\subsubsection}{\large\bfseries}
\titleformat*{\paragraph}{\large\bfseries}
\titleformat*{\subparagraph}{\large\bfseries}

Overlaying text on an image

Use the ‘overpic’ package for this. This this link for details: https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/20792/how-to-superimpose-latex-on-a-picture

Overpic full docs: http://mirrors.ibiblio.org/CTAN/macros/latex/contrib/overpic/overpic.pdf

Drawing boxes filled with colors

Simpy define a command crule from the rule command. Definition and usage:

\newcommand\crule[3][black]{\textcolor{#1}{\rule{#2}{#3}}}

\crule{1cm}{1cm} \crule[blue]{1cm}{1cm} \crule[red!50!white!100]{1cm}{1cm}

Link: https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/106984/how-to-draw-a-square-of-1cm-in-latex-filled-with-color

Splitting into multiple rows and columns

Using minipage for splitting a document into boxes is recommended. The first argument it accepts decides how the alignment of the minipage will be. t is top-aligned and b is bottom-aligned.

Graphics with tikz

LU decomposition diagram

Drawing two boxes with L & U: https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/317230/lu-factorization-of-a-matrix-with-plot?newreg=991a708140a2446882fdd9bd3c445af9

Drawing an arrow between tikzpicture objects: https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/260587/an-arrow-between-two-tikzpictures

Dependency graphs

Inspiration can be taken from this state machine tutorial for drawing dependency graphs. Basically put things inside a tikzpicture block. Use the \node command for defining a node and the \path command for connecting these nodes.

Drawing things on pictures

Using tikz one can annonate pictures with various things.

Link: https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/9559/drawing-on-an-image-with-tikz

Useful links

Getting started PDF: https://www.tug.org/pracjourn/2008-3/morales/morales.pdf
Very good sample template poster: https://www.latextemplates.com/template/a0poster-portrait-poster