Elements of poster design

Elements of poster design

Poster printing is a marketing tool used by businesses and organizations to capture a moving audience’s attention. In a short period of time, a poster can tell a story, relay a message and encourage your audience to make a purchase. In order to do all of this in such a short period of time, a poster must be visually appealing and have all of the essential information listed in a limited amount of space.

Before designing your promotional poster, you must know what your intended audience is, where the poster will be placed and what message you want to send. Keep your posters concise and to the point, while still being able to get all of the important details out to your audience. Here are some key elements every poster should contain:

• Font: Should be easy to read and large enough to be viewed from a distance. It should be readable from up to five feet away. If at all possible, avoid using all capital letters.
• Headline: Create a dominant headline or use an image to attract your audience’s eye.
• Message: Emphasize the important message with a large size and added color.
• Layout: Make it simple and clear so the audience knows where to find information, including date, time, location and contact information. Use a layout design that is both logical and in a functional sequence.
• Color: Use bold and intense colors to enhance your message. A little color goes a long way in the marketing world.
• Content: You do not need to rewrite your entire marketing campaign on a single poster. Hit the highlights of your message and once you have captured your audience’s attention you can pass along more information in the form of a catalog or brochure.
• Images: Use images that are designed to be clearly enlarged. Avoid using images that become blurry or pixilated when enlarged.
• Posters should be readable using language that is grammatically correct and easy to understand. Remember, you have an average of ten seconds to grab your audiences attention. Keep the overall message clear and focused on what is important.