Completing Your Exhibit
Before mounting your exhibit elements on the structure permanently, lay them out temporarily. (You will probably want to move them around several times to get the best position.) You can then pencil in your title, text, and caption blocks in actual size. Use separate sheets of paper for each, and try out various locations around the materials they explain.
Use of too many letter styles will detract from the attractiveness of your exhibit. Headings can be all in capital letters, and subheads in smaller “caps”, or in initial caps and “lower case” letters. Statements and other text should use caps and lower case. Do not use all caps for a paragraph of descriptive material—a mass of capitals is harder to read.
Before completing the lettering, you should try out your layout and text on classmates, family, and perhaps your English teacher. Science fair exhibits should be understandable to intelligent laymen as well as to trained specialists. Technical jargon, pompous adjectives, and stilted sentence structure are not scientific. In scientific writing, as in any good writing, the simple, direct approach is usually best. Try to use short sentences, familiar words, and a minimum of technical terms and formulae.
Are your present photographs too small? You can experiment with desirable sizes of photos by clipping from old magazines any illustrations that appear about the right size, and trying them on your layout. You can then have your photos enlarged to the ideal sizes that you find most pleasing. Matte-finish photo prints are preferable since glossy prints produce “glare”. Before mounting photographs, trim off the white border, which detracts from the impact of your pictures and the simple unity of your exhibit.
When fully satisfied with your layout, begin the final lettering of your text. For hand-lettering, sketch with a soft pencil first, using a ruler and eraser freely. A lettering guide, borrowed from your school’s graphic arts department, will prove very helpful. Unless you are experienced you can save yourself trouble by not lettering directly upon the background. Instead, letter each copy block on a separate piece of art paper which can be glued into position later. Have a friend or teacher double-check your lettering for typographical errors.
With illustrations and copy blocks complete and trimmed to size, you are ready to start mounting. For paper products use “rubber cement”, obtainable at stationery stores. Coat both surfaces completely, but do not press them together until each is dry. To avoid air bubbles, first separate the coated surfaces with a “slip sheet” of waxed paper or aluminum foil, which can be slipped out when the materials are positioned exactly. Then press into place with a soft cloth or rubber roller. (Excess cement will rub off when dry, without damage.) Also consider using double-coated adhesive tape for mounting. It is obtainable at art-supply stores.
Assemble your structure, mount your lighting fixtures, and plug them in. Install whatever equipment needs to be displayed. Put your project notebook, project report, and handout brochure in place. Your science fair exhibit is finished and you are ready to compete!
Typical arrival day activities at the 14th National Science Fair-International, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1963.