How Do I Make a Poster?

There are several ways to make a poster, depending on the type and style you want. Posters range from standard letter size to several feet in length and width. You can make a poster with objects, computer editing software, or enlarged photos.

If you want to make a poster that reflects your own personal style, make a collage. A collage is a collection of photos, objects, and decorative pieces arranged in one space. Typically, a collage has a color or theme to give it cohesion. You can choose anything that interests you, like your favorite type of music, a vacation you took, or your group of friends to be your theme.

To make a collage poster, purchase a piece of poster board in a complimentary color and attach items with staples, hot glue, or thumb tacks. You may wish to gather all of your objects before creating your collage, or you may start your collage and build it over time. If you are having trouble creating a pleasing aesthetic, choose an accent color and add it to your collage. You can spray paint objects you already have or find new ones.

For a clean, professional poster, you can use word processing software. Decide on three or four phrases that convey the purpose of your poster, including contact information if you are advertising a product, service, or event. Type these phrases on a blank word processing sheet. Add one or two images and center the wording so that it appears in the middle of the page.

You can adjust the formatting to be more aesthetically pleasing. It should be symmetric and clear. You can make the header sentence larger than the other words or use a boldface font to draw attention to your contact information. Do not use color for the text, as it may make the wording appear childish or difficult to read.

Although it's cheaper to produce and easier to make a poster that does not include images or photographs, such posters are less appealing and generally less effective. When you choose an image or photo, make sure it relates to the topic of the poster. It should also be high quality, not grainy or blurry.

If you enjoy taking photographs, you may wish to make a poster from one of your favorite photos. Many office supply and photocopier stores have a photo enlargement service. You supply the photo or digital file of the photo and they process it to the size you want. Make sure that the resolution is very high, since the larger the photograph, the larger the pixels will be.