1. 5 Quick Ways to Create an Eye-Catching Poster

    A great poster communicates its message in seconds — before the viewer has consciously decided to stop and read it. Whether you're promoting an event, a sale, a service or a campaign, these five principles will help you design a poster that grabs attention and gets results. Apply them to any size, from A3 noticeboards to A0 exhibition displays.

    1. Keep It Simple and Focused

    The single most common mistake in poster design is trying to say too much. A poster is not a brochure — it has seconds, not minutes, to communicate. Strip your content back to the one thing you most need the viewer to know or do, and build the design around that.

    • One headline — bold, large and immediately readable
    • One key visual — an image or graphic that supports the headline
    • One call-to-action — telling the viewer exactly what to do next
    • Supporting details (date, time, location, price) — smaller, but clearly visible

    If you find yourself shrinking text to fit more information onto the poster, that's a sign you're trying to say too much. Cut rather than shrink.

    2. Use High-Quality Images

    A blurry or pixelated image on a printed poster is immediately noticeable and immediately undermines confidence in your brand or event. A few non-negotiable rules for poster imagery:

    • 300dpi minimum at the final printed size — images from websites are typically 72dpi and will print blurry regardless of how they look on screen. See our guide: Understanding DPI for Print
    • Use vector files for logos and graphics — AI, EPS, PDF or SVG files scale to any size without losing quality
    • Choose images that support your message — every visual element should earn its place. An image that looks great but is unrelated to the poster's purpose creates confusion rather than impact
    • For large format (A0 and above) — 150dpi at final size is acceptable as these posters are viewed from a greater distance. See our large format poster printing

    3. Choose Your Colour Palette Deliberately

    Colour is the fastest way to communicate mood, energy and brand identity — and the fastest way to make a poster unreadable if used carelessly. Key principles:

    • Contrast is essential — text must stand out clearly from its background. Dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background. Avoid placing text over busy, patterned images without a solid contrasting panel behind it
    • Limit your palette — two or three colours is almost always enough. More than that and the design starts to look chaotic
    • Use colour psychology deliberately — red and orange communicate urgency and energy; blue communicates trust and calm; green communicates nature and health; black communicates luxury and sophistication. Choose colours that reinforce your message, not just colours you like
    • Always design in CMYK — screen colours (RGB) shift when converted to print (CMYK). Vivid digital blues and oranges in particular can look very different when printed. See our guide: What is CMYK and Why Does it Matter?

    4. Choose Fonts That Work at Distance

    Typography on a poster has one job above all others — to be read quickly, from the distance at which the poster will be viewed. This is different to typography in a booklet or on a business card, where the reader is close and engaged. Poster typography principles:

    • One headline font, one body font — maximum two typefaces. More than that looks unplanned
    • Size for viewing distance — headline text on an A1 poster needs to be legible from several metres away. Test your design by standing back from your monitor, or print an A3 version and view it from across the room
    • Bold and weight over decoration — a bold weight of a clean sans-serif font is almost always more impactful on a poster than a decorative or script font
    • Outline or embed fonts before printing — to prevent font substitution issues at print stage. See our proof checking guide

    See our full typography guide: Typography and Fonts: Essential Tips for Effective Print Materials

    5. Include a Clear Call-to-Action

    A poster without a call-to-action is a missed opportunity. Every poster should tell the viewer exactly what to do next — and make that action as easy as possible to take. Examples:

    • "Book your tickets at [URL]" — with a QR code linking directly to the booking page
    • "Visit us at [address]" — with a simple map or directions if the location is hard to find
    • "Call [phone number] to find out more"
    • "Scan the QR code to shop now"

    Place your CTA where the eye naturally lands after reading the headline — typically the lower third of the poster. Make it bold and large enough to act on without squinting. If you're including a URL, keep it short and memorable or use a QR code.

    Before You Print: Get Your Artwork Right

    Once your design is finished, make sure your artwork is set up correctly before submitting:

    • 3mm bleed all round. See our guide: What is Bleed and Safe Zone?
    • 3mm safe zone — keep all content inside the trim line
    • 300dpi resolution for all images (150dpi for large format)
    • CMYK colour mode
    • PDF format with fonts outlined or embedded

    Print Your Posters in Brighton & Hove

    Dipol Print produces posters in sizes from A3 to A0 and beyond, on silk, gloss, uncoated and waterproof PVC stocks for businesses across Brighton & Hove and the wider UK. Collect from our print shop at 97 St James's Street, Brighton BN2 1TP or order online for UK-wide delivery.

    Need help with your artwork? Get in touch with our team — we're happy to advise before you place your order.