Effective Poster Design and Printing

Effective Poster Design and Printing

Effective Poster Design and Printing

A poster is a visual presentation of information and more often than not, it should be used to communicate a fairly simple idea or to attract attention. Anything too complex doesn't work in this medium - so if your message is particularly complicated then it may be best to step away now and consider an alternative method of reaching your target audience.

Staring at a blank page can be both an exhilarating and yet daunting experience but even before you start to sketch out a design, it is crucial to select the correct paper size. Make sure you know the exact dimensions of the space available and if possible visit the site where the poster will be visible to get a feel for the competition. Secondly, consider how far away the reader/viewer will be when they are looking at the poster - will your poster be on the back of a toilet door perhaps in which case you have a fairly captive audience! On the other hand, if it needs to attract attention from the far side of a doctor's waiting room or on a notice board in a busy corridor you need give greater consideration to the layout and font sizes.

Next consider your message. Are you simply trying to communicate information, stimulate further conversation, advertise your services or demonstrate your capabilities. Don't try and do too much - pick one theme and stick to it.

The best posters are often those that really engage with the audience, capture a moment of their life and thereby instigate a reaction. You could do this by posing a question, using emotions to either make them laugh, smile, empathise or sympathise, or create something so shocking they look back twice. Another clever tactic is to use a suite of posters that tell a story over time. If they are replaced regularly you can start to build a relationship with your audience.

Getting the headline right is one of the most important parts of the poster. Don't go for anything too long otherwise it won't be memorable - in fact one word headlines can be the most dramatic.

Consider the imagery - you might not even need a headline if you have really strong graphics. As the old saying goes - a picture paints a thousand words. If you are using images rather than photographs it can be better to be selective on colour rather than opting for a rainbow approach. You could also consider using different saturations of the same colour - this can be really impactful. Make sure you think about colour combinations too - red on blue doesn't work well and red and green in close proximity could cause problems for people with colour blindness. Make sure your fonts are clearly legible on the background colour from a distance. Remember no one is really looking for your poster or the information it contains so you need to go out of your way to make it eye-catching and obvious.

Don't feel you have to cram the entire poster full of information - less is definitely more: background space is as much part of the poster design as the content itself.

Try to prioritise the information on the poster so the most important information makes the most impact either by font, size or colour and then work your way down in order of importance. Consider using arrows or other symbols to direct the eye to the next piece of information.

If you want to include website details then make sure the URL is simple and memorable and similarly with any telephone numbers, it could be wise to buy a new number and redirect calls rather than rely on your audience remembering a long and complex sequence of numbers.

Check your poster is balanced - usually the posters that are most aesthetically pleasing have roughly the same amount of information on each side.

Finally, if you are feeling confident and really want to get spotted, break all of the rules. You need to be sure that this avant-garde approach will also appeal to your target audience and is appropriate to your messages but by taking a different approach you'll be sure to stand out from the crowd.

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