Posters are among the oldest and most reliable forms of marketing collateral, known for effectively grabbing attention for sales, events, fundraisers, and more.
While there isn’t one “correct” way to design a poster, following certain poster design best practices can significantly enhance its impact.
That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive, in-depth poster design guide. Whether you’re starting from scratch or using our professionally designed poster templates, this guide covers everything you need to know to make a stunning, purpose-driven poster.
These practical poster design tips apply to virtually any type of poster you create—so let’s dive in!
How to design a poster from scratch
Creating a poster from scratch can be a fun and enriching experience. Whether you’re crafting a school project to impress your teacher, using one to promote an event or simply presenting information in an engaging way, posters offer a unique opportunity to express yourself visually and share your message effectively.
Creating a poster from scratch is an enjoyable and rewarding process. Whether it’s for a school project to impress, an event promotion, or simply to present information engagingly, posters provide a unique visual format to communicate your message effectively.
This step-by-step guide equips you with essential tools and techniques to design a professional, compelling poster:
- Identify the goal of your poster
- Consider your target audience
- Decide where to share your poster
- Select a professional poster template
- Pick a relevant or branded color scheme
- Include a clear call to action
- Use fonts to create a hierarchy of information
- Use icons to visualize concepts and grab attention
- Add high-quality images & stock photos
- Download & export in the right format
By following these steps, you can design a versatile, high-impact poster for any occasion!
1. Identify the goal of your poster
The first and most crucial step in creating an effective poster is understanding why you’re making it. Defining the poster’s primary goal will inform every design choice, from colors to fonts.
Consider these potential goals:
- Advertising a new product – Create excitement around the product’s unique benefits.
- Promoting an event – Attract attention to concerts, festivals, or community gatherings.
- Highlighting a campaign – Share key details for social or environmental causes.
- Announcing a sale – Drive urgency and showcase the promotion effectively.
Thinking about your main goals upfront allows you to structure your design as a professional would, keeping the message clear and engaging.
For example, if your goal is to invite the community to a fundraising event, design the poster to emphasize key details like event location, time, and purpose. Simplicity is often the best approach in written communication.
Whether your goal is to inform, inspire, or promote, starting with a clear objective helps you create a purpose-driven, custom poster.
Explore these templates:
1. Fundraising Event Poster Template: Customize this poster template to showcase key sponsors for your event.
2. Breast Cancer Awareness Poster Template – Customize this poster template for a clear and impactful information poster.
Whether your goal is to inform, inspire, or promote, starting with a clear objective helps you create a purpose-driven, custom poster.
2. Consider your target audience
Understanding who you’re trying to reach with your poster is key to making design decisions that resonate. Defining your audience will guide you in highlighting the most important details.
Each of these templates targets a different audience, appealing to distinct groups through unique design choices. Determining your target audience before you start creating will ensure your design aligns with their preferences.
Next, you should consider who you are trying to reach with your poster. Answering this question will probably remind you of all the important details you should highlight while you make your poster.
For example, if you’re promoting an event for women’s rights, the approach you take can vary:
Now compare it to this other design below:
The goal and audience on each of these templates are different and both designs will appeal to distinct groups of people. Make sure you have decided exactly who you want to appeal to, before jumping into your online poster creator tool and starting your creation process.
A perk of these eye-catching posters is that we can see inclusive visuals, maximalist elements and bold shapes — which happen to be some of this year’s biggest graphic design trends.
Also, remember that you can make multiple posters that cater to different customer personas. You don’t have to use one for every type of customer!
3. Decide where you want to share your poster
The final step before designing is deciding where you’ll share your poster. Knowing this upfront will help you make smart design choices.
Consider whether you’ll hang it up on a wall or share it on social media for comments and shares. Deciding the platform helps you tailor your design for print, digital, or both.
Optimize your poster for print
If you’re printing your poster, keep in mind a few essential guidelines:
Visualize its placement – If it’s going to be displayed among other posters, opt for a larger size so it stands out. For instance, use our Arrhythmia Poster template for a striking visual impact.
Smaller wall space – If it’s going on a bare wall, consider printing smaller posters and pinning multiple copies to increase visibility. Try a minimalist template like the Blue Gradient Engineering Poster
For more custom poster ideas, browse through our collection of templates designed for effective presentations.
Select a standard paper size
For print posters, using standard paper sizes, such as ISO A1-A5, is ideal. You can also resize our templates to Letter, A3, A4, A5, or custom dimensions with just a few clicks on Venngage’s editor.
Simply select the page size tab to adjust your poster’s dimensions easily, or update manually by setting the size in pixels, inches, or centimeters.
The page resize option will also reformat your poster content to fit the new size you select — if you want it to. This simple feature will save you a TON of time in the long run, so be sure to try it out.
You’re more than welcome to manually resize your poster the old-fashioned way, by updating the page size:
You can also set the size of your poster background in Pixels, Inches, or Centimeters as well.
That said, for most of the posters that you’re going to print out, it’s best to use the preset sizes. This will ensure that your printer can actually print out a beautiful poster.
Optimize your poster for social media
Designing for the web offers more flexibility in creativity, but platform-specific sizing still applies:
- Facebook: 1200 x 630 pixels for landscape images.
- X (Twitter): 1200 x 675 pixels (landscape), 900 x 900 pixels (square), 506 x 253 pixels (2:1 ratio).
- Instagram: 1080 x 1080 pixels at 1:1 ratio; for landscape, use 1080 x 566 pixels.
- Pinterest: Stick to a 2:3 to 1:3.5 ratio for optimal visibility.
Social media sizes vary, so creating multiple versions can enhance your reach. For instance, the Earth Day Poster Design Template is great for awareness campaigns on platforms like Facebook or Pinterest.
Consider creating a version specifically for Pinterest boards with eye-catching visuals, such as the HIV Awareness Poster.
4. Start with a professional poster template
Creating a professional-looking poster doesn’t require hiring a designer. With Venngage’s free poster maker, you can design engaging posters for business, virtual events, scientific displays, and more—all online.
Using a poster template provides a solid foundation and helps you start with a structure that’s easy to customize.
Tips for choosing the right poster template
When selecting a poster template, consider these factors to make your design process smooth and effective:
- Match Your Goal – Choose a template that aligns with your poster’s purpose, whether it’s for a job fair, sale, or awareness campaign.
- Select the Right Layout – Look for templates that reflect your theme and include a layout with header placements, image placeholders, icons, and more.
- Consider Dimensions – Ensure the template’s dimensions suit the platform, like print, social media, or email.
You can always adjust templates to better fit your specific needs. Here are some examples:
- Job Fair Event Poster Design Template – Customize this poster template to highlight location, date, and available roles at your event.
- Native American Awareness Poster – Customize this poster template to promote awareness around significant cultural events or holidays.
- Modern Sale Poster Design Template – Customize this poster template to emphasize discount details and dates, capturing viewer attention quickly.
Each of these templates serves a unique goal, helping you save time and achieve a polished, purpose-driven design. For more in-depth guidance on creating event posters, sales posters, or business posters, check out the final section of this guide.
5. Pick a relevant or branded color scheme
One of the first things that someone will probably notice about your poster is the color scheme.
In most cases, the appropriate color scheme will be obvious. So try not to overthink it!
For example, if you’re creating a poster for a winter event, then a color scheme of warm green, red, and white will evoke the feeling of the holidays.
If your company has strict brand guidelines you need to follow, then you can incorporate your brand colors into your custom posters.
Now if you want to use your brand colors on any of our poster templates, just click the My Brand Kit tab on the left side of the screen:
Then click one of your branded colors to add them to any poster template:
Click the palette again to change where the branded colors are used:
With a few clicks, you can create a ton of variations of your poster, like so:
However, if you’re still struggling to come up with a relevant color scheme, take a look at the meanings and emotions of each color.
The color blue is usually associated with wisdom, trust, and loyalty. Use this color palette on a business, event, or marketing poster to make it feel very professional:
Green is associated with energy, the environment, and tranquility. It would make sense to use a green color combination on a nonprofit or fundraising poster, like below:
Red is associated with strength, courage, and joy. It also is super eye-catching, which you can see in the minimalist but stunning poster below:
As you can see, color theory should help you pick the right color palette in no time. Now if you’re not sure where to start when it comes to pairing colors, a color scheme generator tool like Coolors can be helpful.
6. Include a clear call-to-action
Once you have someone’s attention, you need to make it very clear what their next steps are to help. This is commonly known as a Call-To-Action (CTA).
Every poster, no matter the topic or type, should have a CTA. Otherwise, what is the point of creating a poster in the first place?
In this marketing poster template, the CTA is the “Register Online” at the bottom:
The designer made sure this CTA would stand out from the rest of the poster by highlighting it in blue and using a unique font.
Additionally, they made the CTA very simple to follow. You don’t want to make your CTA a chore, especially if your poster wants them to visit a website.
The same can be said about this fitness poster template:
But in this example, the creator of this poster made the CTA stand out even more!
As you can see these CTAs are both near the bottom of the poster. This is on purpose and allows the reader to get more information before taking action:
Can you imagine if the first thing you read on a poster was CTA? It would be very confusing and probably make you ignore the rest of the poster.
Not all CTAs require the reader to visit a website, call a business or make a purchase immediately.
That action may be as simple as telling their friends about what they learned on the poster. Or about when a garage sale happens to be:
The call to action on this poster is actually the entire black section of the poster. The top section informs the reader and the bottom helps them take an action.
In this case, the action is visiting the garage sale, but it still is a CTA. Without it, no one would know what this poster was trying to get them to do.
7. Use fonts to create a hierarchy of information
What information you choose to include on your poster will depend on the goal of your poster.
But if you’re creating a fairly standard poster, it’s best practice to follow a hierarchy of information.
For example, if you are creating an event poster the information on your eye-catching posters should be read in this order:
- The name of your event.
- The date and time of your event.
- A short description of the event or a catchy tagline.
- The location of your event (if you choose to include it).
- A simple call to action like a website, social media page or contact number.
- The name of your company, department, organization, etc.
As you can see in this event poster design, the designer used a handful of different fonts to organize the information:
The title of the event obviously uses the largest font, because it will hopefully catch someone’s attention. It also will give the reader context for the other information on the poster.
But if they aren’t interested in learning more, they can quickly move on with their day after reading the title.
If they are interested in the event, they can move on to the next piece of information, the date.
The designer used a bright yellow to catch your eye directly after reading the title of the event. If they would have used a simple white, the information would have been easily overlooked.
The tagline of the event is italicized below the title, giving the reader a little more context about the event. Again, if this sounds interesting to the reader, they can move on to the next piece of information, and so on.
This process will help eliminate people who don’t really need to see the CTA at the end of your poster.
And finally, after moving through all the information, the CTA at the bottom uses another bold font and color so that people will not miss it.
Can you imagine how hard it would be to navigate this poster if they would have used the same font throughout? It would look like a term paper that no one wants to read.
Now if you’re struggling to decide what the hierarchy of your poster should look like, think about the most important info you want the reader to walk away with.
In this example, the title of the event, the location and the CTA seem to be the most important.
Additionally, the font color used in this design contrasts exceptionally well with the poster background color. If you choose a font that doesn’t contrast, it will be very difficult to read your poster.
As you can see below, a good rule of thumb is to use a light font color on a dark background:
Or a dark font on a light background:
Even if you use a single font on your poster, you can quickly create a hierarchy of information just by changing the font’s color, size or weight. So again, don’t overthink it!
8. Use icons to visualize concepts and grab attention
Icons are symbols used in design to represent concepts. Icons are the perfect way to enhance your custom posters. You can use icons to embellish points and, in certain cases, replace text.
They’re also great for illustrating ideas quickly. Or you could make icons the main focal point of your design, like the template below:
Keep these best practices in mind when using icons in your poster design:
- Pick icons with a consistent style (line thickness, flat or illustrated, line art or filled).
- Use icons sparingly and allow for plenty of whitespaces to let your design breathe.
- Add a simple border or background shape to your icons.
- If you do replace the text with icons, make sure that the meaning is very obvious.
Let’s take a look at some of those best practices in action, starting with keeping your icons consistent.
As you probably know, there are a few different kinds of icons that you can use. Some are flat, and can be changed to match the color of your poster very easily:
While others are illustrated, and the colors can’t be changed:
Whatever icons you choose to use while designing a poster, just make sure the styles are consistent, like in the examples above.
So if you use a flat icon in one section, use flat icons throughout your poster and vice versa.
Next, let’s talk about using whitespace correctly when it comes to icons. If you’re not aware, whitespace is the open space around a design element like a block of text, a title or an icon:
Without it, your poster design will feel exactly cramped and unprofessional. It will also make your poster very hard to read or navigate. Check out how odd the poster below looks without adequate whitespace:
It looks like a mess, so be sure to take the time to use whitespace throughout your poster!
One very easy way that you can create this whitespace around your icons is by using a background or border shape. Each icon in the template below uses a background shape:
Using background shapes in this way will not only give your icons some room to breathe, but it will also make them a lot more eye-catching. Without the border shapes in the example above, the icons would have just faded into the background.
Plus, if you’re using illustrated icons it will make the design feel much more consistent across the poster:
And the finally best practice, be sure that if you replace text with an icon, the reader will actually understand it. The poster example below illustrates this tactic well in the contact section:
Readers are going to be able to decipher those icons because they are used a lot in the real world already. Others might not be so easy to understand, so you might have to add a label or title to them. Like below:
With Venngage, you can quickly swap any icon on your poster or one of our customizable poster templates, with just a few clicks as well. First, select on any icon on your poster and then click the Replace button:
Then just search for the icon that you want, and click on it to replace:
It’s really that simple and can help you turn any template into your own unique graphic in no time.
9. Use high-quality images & stock photos
If you have been paying attention to the templates and examples in this article you may have noticed that they use a lot of premium images.
Venngage’s free poster maker tool offers free and premium images, icons and graphs to help you edit poster designs with ease — no prior design skills needed. Here are some examples of stock images in the background:
While others make it one of the main focal points of the poster:
But all of them use very high-quality images, no matter the type of poster.
If you plan to print out the poster or enlarge it, using high-quality photos is important. The slight blurriness or pixelation will quickly become a nightmare.
It doesn’t matter if you are using a stock photo or one that you took, all of them should be very crisp and clear. Sometimes it’s better to use a professional stock photo in place of a blurry personal photo as well.
Plus, Venngage’s free poster maker tool is integrated with Pixabay and Pexels to elevate your design. Access stunning, professional photography with just one click.
Just head over to the left sidebar and click the Photos tab to bring up the search bar:
Once you find the perfect stock photo just click the photo to add it to your poster.
Additionally, like with icons, you can swap any photo on your poster using the Replace button:
After you select Replace, you can search for any stock photo in our library and insert it into the poster with one click:
Now if you don’t want to use any of our stock photos, you can upload your own images by dragging it on the screen or by selecting Image Upload in the left sidebar:
As you can see, adding your own photos to your poster is very easy, just make sure you pick the right ones.
10. Download & export your poster in the optimal format
After you have finished your poster, it’s time to share it with the world. On Venngage you can quickly download your poster by clicking the Download button on the right side of your screen:
Then select what type of file you would like your poster downloaded as:
Downloading your poster as a PNG should be fine for emails or social media.
But if you want to print out your poster, download it as a PNG HD. This will make sure your poster is crisp and perfect once it gets back from the printer!
Phew, that was a lot of info! Need a quick recap or want to share this information with your team? We have you covered with this video:
How to design posters for different occasions
The tips we’ve covered can be applied to almost any poster, but in this final section, we’ll focus on creating posters for specific occasions. Here are some popular types of posters and a simple checklist for each to guide your design process.
All of the advice we outlined above can be used on almost any poster. But in this final section, we are going to get a little more specific.
Below are some of the most popular types of posters that you can create.
But instead of waxing poetically on each type of poster, we are going to outline a simple checklist for each type of poster!
So let’s get into it!
How to make an infographic poster
- Pick a Strong Topic – Choose an engaging subject to inform your audience.
- Research & Verify Facts – Ensure information is accurate and relevant.
- Choose an Engaging Template – Use a template that captivates viewers.
- Use Icons & Graphs – Visualize data for clarity and engagement.
- Organize Content Hierarchically – Highlight key points for easy reading.
- Add Branding – Include your logo and brand colors for consistency.
- Download in Various Formats – Prepare for easy sharing across platforms.
Related: What Is an Infographic Poster and How To Make One?
How to make an event poster
- Choose a Bold Background – Use a striking image or color to capture attention.
- Emphasize the Event Title – Use a large, bold font with embellishments for impact.
- Add Essential Details – Clearly display the event’s date, location, and time.
- Include a Call to Action (CTA) – Prompt actions like “Register Now” or “Save the Date.”
- Provide an Event Description – Briefly explain the event or highlight its appeal.
- Incorporate Branding – Add your logo and brand colors for a cohesive look.
Related: 10 Event Poster Design Ideas [+ Free Templates]
How to make a marketing poster
- Define Your Message – Clarify the poster’s purpose and main message.
- Emphasize the 4 P’s – Highlight Product, Price, Promotion, and Place.
- Know Your Audience – Design with your target audience in mind.
- Pick a Striking Layout – Use a layout that grabs attention.
- Showcase Campaign Details – Make key details stand out.
- Use High-Quality Images – Include clear, professional visuals.
- Add a Clear CTA – Prompt action with phrases like “Shop Now.”
- Incorporate Branding – Add your logo and brand colors for consistency.
If you want to dig deeper into the steps to create a marketing poster and find campaign poster ideas, read this article: How to Design a Marketing Poster (10+ Templates Included).
How to make a sales poster
- Choose a Simple Background – Use a clean color to keep focus on the message.
- Emphasize Savings or Discounts – Make the offer the main focal point.
- Specify Location – Clearly indicate where the sale is happening.
- List Sale Items – Detail products or categories on sale.
- Add Sale Dates – Include start and end dates to create urgency.
- Provide Contact Info – Add a website, phone number, or email.
- Incorporate Branding – Use your logo and brand colors for recognition.
How to make an HR poster
- Summarize Key Information – Highlight essential details relevant to the audience.
- Specify the Department – Clearly indicate the target department or team.
- Focus on Core Details – Include only the most important information.
- Choose an Effective Layout – Select a design that presents information clearly.
- Align with Branding – Use brand colors and style for consistency.
- Optimize for Distribution – Ensure suitability for both digital and print sharing.
- Add a Clear CTA – Encourage actions like “Contact HR” or “Join the Event.”
- Use Positive Language – Frame information in an encouraging, inclusive tone.
Related: 17 Essential Human Resources Poster Templates (Updated).
How to make a conference poster
- Select an Engaging Background – Use textures or colors to draw attention.
- Highlight the Conference Title – Use a large, eye-catching font for impact.
- List Key Details – Include information on speakers, events, or guests.
- Add Date and Time – Clearly display when the conference is happening.
- Specify the Location – Provide the venue for easy reference.
- Include a Call to Action – Encourage sign-ups or ticket purchases with a CTA.
- Explain the Benefits – Briefly state why attendees should join.
- Incorporate Branding – Add logos and brand colors for a cohesive look.
How to make a medical poster
- Choose a Relevant Topic – Select a health theme or important medical information.
- Craft a Catchy Title – Use bold fonts for an eye-catching title.
- Emphasize Key Data and Recommendations – Highlight vital stats and actionable tips.
- Incorporate Images and Icons – Use visuals to enhance understanding and appeal.
- Add Supporting Facts – Provide research-backed data or statistics for credibility.
- Include a Call to Action – Direct viewers to a website or resource for more information.
- Provide Contact Information – Add a contact for further inquiries or support.
- Incorporate Branding – Add logos or affiliations for trust and recognition.
Related: 15 Medical Poster Templates for Patient Education.
How to make a real-estate poster
- Use High-Quality Photos – Include clear, professional images of the property.
- Add an Attention-Grabbing Header – Use a bold “For Sale” or “For Rent” label.
- Display Price or Rent – Clearly show the purchase price or rent amount.
- Provide the Address – Add the property’s address for easy reference.
- Highlight Key Features – List standout features like “spacious backyard.”
- Describe Location or Agency – Briefly mention the neighborhood or agency details.
- Include a Call to Action – Encourage inquiries or viewing appointments.
- Add Contact Information – Provide the agent’s phone number or email.
- Incorporate Branding – Use your agency’s logo and brand colors for a polished look.
With these simple checklists, you’ll be ready to create impactful posters quickly and effectively. Each design choice helps your poster stand out and communicate your message clearly.
For more detailed tips and inspiration, explore these additional resources:
