What comes to mind when you think about what makes a great poster? Maybe it’s images of your favorite artists that took up all the space on your bedroom wall. Or a bold idea that stopped you in your tracks and was the inspiration for you to attend an event in your community.
If this sounds like a challenge you’re not sure how to conquer when putting together your own poster design, we’re here to help.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to come up with your own poster design ideas. Then, we’ll walk you through the process of bringing your idea to life.
3 Primary Poster Design Ideas
To create an effective poster, you need to decide what design type best suits your purpose or event. These are some of the most popular options to consider to help you kick-start the creative process and execute poster ideas that are Pinterest-worthy.
1. Aesthetic Design
The first is the creative aesthetic design, which will usually consist of what’s trending in the world of graphic design.
Posters have played a role in promoting new graphic design trends for decades, making them perfect assets to try out new ideas on.
2. Minimalist Design
These designs tend to focus on one main image or idea, making them ideal for events where complex graphics aren’t needed.
This is a case where less really is more and your typography choices become very important with this poster type.
3. Colorful and Memorable Design
Finally, there are posters that combine attention-grabbing elements to make the design something that sticks with the audience.
Graphic design poster ideas are unique because they place more focus on art.
Use Cases for Your Poster Design Ideas
How do you apply your poster design skills and create something that’s useful? These are some of the different ways that people use posters to promote their ideas or boost attendance on a specific date.
1. Event Posters
Using poster design ideas for events is a smart way to let people know about what’s going on and spread the word.
Your design could feature images of what will be happening at your event or illustrations that reflect its theme.
2. Fashion Posters
Fashion poster designs are a clever way to advertise your clothing line, brand, or event. They can be used as part of an overall marketing campaign or as standalone pieces.
The best fashion posters will have both high visual impact and social media appeal.
3. Birthday Posters
Birthdays are all about celebrating with family and friends, so why not make things extra special with an awesome birthday poster?
Be sure to include colors and elements that reflect the interests of the person celebrating.
4. Business Posters
The goal of a business poster is to promote a brand and its products. The poster should be designed in a way that attracts customers and conveys its message clearly.
You can also include your logo and other branding elements.
5. Advertising Posters
To advertise effectively, you need to understand the needs of your audience, as well as their demographic.
For example, if you’re designing a poster for a seasonal craft fair, then the color scheme you choose should reflect that.
6. School Posters
Posters can help you to communicate with the school community and even parents. You can use them to advertise an event or to promote a certain cause, like the start of the year or an upcoming dance.
7. Christmas Poster
Once you choose a theme for your poster, you can use design elements associated with it to inspire a new poster design.
For example, you can feature holiday icons, like ornaments or a Christmas tree.
8. 3D Poster
3D elements can make an impact, but take your time when working through these designs. Think about how it will be viewed from different angles.
When designing any kind of poster or advert, it’s important that it looks good from all sides—not just straight on.
9. For Pinterest
If you’re feeling confident in your design skills, give others poster ideas a try on Pinterest. Create a design that others can take inspiration from, share, and make their own. That way, you can help others design even faster.
How to Design a Poster with Shutterstock Create
Making your own poster in Shutterstock Create is simple. In just minutes, you can customize your design and have it ready to save, print, and share. No design experience required.
Here’s how it works:
Get Your Canvas Ready
In Shutterstock Create, select Custom Size and enter the dimensions you’d like to have for your poster. For large poster designs, you’re going to want to have 200 to 300 pixels for every inch of the final product size.
For example, when creating a 11×17 poster design, set your canvas to be at least 2,200 x 3,400 pixels. Once you enter that in the custom size box, click Use This Size to move to the next step.
Determine Your Starting Point
From here, search templates or continue on with a blank canvas. You’ll have access to thousands of fonts, graphics, textures, effects, and color combinations to pick from.
If you decide you want to start with a template, simply click Templates and search for ones that meet your needs. No matter what you choose, you’ll have access to the same customization options.
Don’t be afraid to try different options to see what works best for you.
Make It Your Own
Click on any element to make your adjustments and see what options are available to you in the toolbar on the left side of the editor.
Add or Swap Visuals
Update images or graphics to meet your needs by clicking Images or Graphics. You can decide whether to upload, browse through the photo library, or select from your catalog.
Download Your Design
Finalize your poster by ensuring everything is in the right place. When you’re ready to download, click the Download button in the top-right corner and select your preferred format.
All you need to do from there is print to bring your poster format idea to life.
Now, it’s time to take your knowledge and these poster ideas to craft a design of your own. Use this post as inspiration to put together your own poster that will quickly capture people’s attention.
Looking for more poster design ideas? Make this post your next read.
Learn more about poster and flyer design with these articles:
- The Most Common Poster Sizes and Dimensions for Print and Online
- The Guide to Flyer Sizes and Dimensions
- How to Create a Highly Informative Poster
- Event Planning: Effective Tips for Designing a Flyer
- How to Make an Effective Flyer Design
- The Guide to Modern Poster Design
Cover image via Nicetoseeya, Anna Violet, and Nicetoseeya.
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As an expert and enthusiast, I don't have personal experiences or opinions, but I can provide you with information on the concepts mentioned in the article.
Poster Design Ideas
The article discusses different types of poster design ideas. Here's a summary of the concepts mentioned:
- Aesthetic Design: This design type focuses on what's trending in the world of graphic design and allows you to try out new ideas.
- Minimalist Design: These designs focus on one main image or idea and are ideal for events where complex graphics aren't needed.
- Colorful and Memorable Design: These posters combine attention-grabbing elements to create a design that sticks with the audience.
Use Cases for Poster Design Ideas
The article also provides examples of how posters can be used to promote different ideas or events. Here are some of the use cases mentioned:
- Event Posters: These posters are used to inform people about upcoming events and can feature images or illustrations related to the event.
- Fashion Posters: Fashion posters are used to advertise clothing lines, brands, or events. They should have high visual impact and social media appeal.
- Birthday Posters: Birthday posters are designed to make birthdays extra special by reflecting the interests of the person celebrating.
- Business Posters: Business posters are used to promote a brand and its products. They should attract customers and convey the brand's message clearly.
- Advertising Posters: Advertising posters should be designed based on the needs and demographics of the target audience. For example, a seasonal craft fair poster should reflect the event's color scheme.
- School Posters: Posters can be used in schools to communicate with the community, advertise events, or promote causes.
- Christmas Posters: Christmas posters can feature holiday icons and elements associated with the theme.
- 3D Posters: 3D elements can make an impact in poster design, but it's important to consider how they will be viewed from different angles.
- Pinterest: If you're confident in your design skills, you can share your poster ideas on Pinterest to inspire others.
Designing a Poster with Shutterstock Create
The article also mentions how to design a poster using Shutterstock Create. Here's a summary of the process:
- Get Your Canvas Ready: In Shutterstock Create, select a custom size for your poster and enter the dimensions. For large posters, it's recommended to have 200 to 300 pixels for every inch of the final product size.
- Determine Your Starting Point: Choose whether to start with a template or a blank canvas. There are thousands of fonts, graphics, textures, effects, and color combinations to choose from .
- Make It Your Own: Customize your design by adjusting elements and exploring the available options in the toolbar on the left side of the editor.
- Add or Swap Visuals: Update images or graphics by browsing through the photo library, uploading your own, or selecting from your catalog.
- Download Your Design: Finalize your poster by ensuring everything is in the right place. When you're ready to download, select your preferred format and print to bring your poster idea to life.
I hope this information helps you in understanding the concepts mentioned in the article. Let me know if there's anything else I can assist you with!
