Picture Perfect: How to Make the Ultimate Poster

Creativity manifests itself in various forms. Some people have an eye for a good photo, some can paint pictures of great beauty whilst others can craft carefully constructed copy, making their words dance with nothing more than a pen and piece of paper.

Visual design is another creative skill that may have more to do with natural ability than any learned skills, but there are some basic principles of layout and presentation that act as guides for those looking to hone their innate aptitude.

When designing a poster, for example, it's important to remember that it's a visual presentation of a more complex concept and as such, words should be used sparingly. Don't simply replicate a textual brief - it defeats the whole purpose of a poster.

Posters should use visual cues and should be designed with the assumption that the end viewer may only glance at it for a few seconds. Reading words takes time.

So if you're allowed few words, what do you include? Well first of all, you have to think about the purpose of the poster - who are you targeting? Are you advertising a special event? Are you launching a new venture? This is a crucial step - you have to know who you're targeting before you design. If you're advertising an event, for example, don't forget the key text - the name of the event, times, dates, prices etc.

Before you know what to fill your empty canvas with, you need to know what size the final design will be. If you're planning on creating a monster-sized piece of art, there may be serious cost considerations for paper and printing. Furthermore, many printers only offer posters in set sizes and will charge more for custom prints. Check with the printers before you design or, alternatively, you can think about one of the many A3 printers on the market, which can produce high quality digital prints at a fraction of the cost.

Colour's crucial too. The scheme you opt for should reflect the audience. If you're designing for a company, then it may reflect the company's brand guidelines, or if you're advertising something relating to summer, then you'll want to use lovely bright colours. You also don't want to use too many colours on a poster, as you run the risk of creating something garish.

Ultimately, you should think of a single message you want to convey in your poster and stick to it. If you try to say too much, there's a chance the poster will become too busy and will confuse the audience. Keep things simple, don't worry if you don't get it right first time and remember...practice makes perfect!

Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.