The ideal poster should not only be eye-catching and captivating, it should also provide important information to your target audience. However, the effectiveness of a beautiful poster is also measured by its ability to stimulate the reader and encourage them to take action. In this article we’re going to see some tips that will help you to prepare your new poster. 

1. General poster design tips: 

The image file you send to a printer does not have to be in the final format, but its dimensions must be proportional to the final format: file provided 30x40cm for printing in 60x80cm for example. 

Image resolution for illustrations: Use a resolution of 300 to 600 dpi for colour images, 1200 to 2400 dpi in black and white 

Images with a lower resolution are to be prescribed because the printing of a poster always requires high enlargement rates; in the case of using low resolution images (less than 300 dpi), the result will be pixelated. 

2. Recommended file format for printing: 

PDF, TIFF, jpg in maximum quality. Same reasoning as before: if files are supplied that are too compressed (for example jpeg quality 2 or 3 out of 12), zoning or chopped gradients will be visible in particular on the parts of the images that are solid or without content (sky for example). 

Always respect a “Quiet Area” all around your model over a width of at least 3 mm, ideally 5 mm; In this quiet area, do not leave any important element (text, part of important images, etc.) 

3. Poster Creation Software 

If you are making your model yourself, here are some tips: 

 For the standardized formats A0, A1 or A2, download the Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign templates 

a. Illustrator template instructions: 

 The frames in the Illustrator file indicate the different areas to be observed when creating your files for printing. They are locked and not printable. Do not unlock them for use. 

 When saving in EPS or PDF, they will not appear: if you reactivate them, COREP cannot be held responsible. 

Outer frame: bleed zone, all the elements to be cut must be registered in this zone. 

Middle frame: finished format, this frame is the one that defines the dimensions of your card after cutting with a guillotine. 

Interior frame: quiet zone, this frame defines the interior safety margins; all the elements which must not be cut during the passage with the guillotine must be registered in this zone. Despite the precision of the cutter, the cut can be slightly offset, these 3 mm are used as safety margins. 

b. Photoshop template instructions: 

 All you have to do is work on the quadri layer, use the visual cues for the frames, and once your model is finalized, hide or remove the guide layers so that they do not appear on the final file: there should just be the cutting lines, and your visual. 

c. Make a poster with word 

If you are working with Office software to create your artwork for large format printing: 

- Once you have finished your Office mock-up (word, PowerPoint, Publisher…), (don’t forget the quiet zone), generate a PDF file of your Office file and visually check this PDF before sending. 

 Compare the 2 Word and PDF versions and track down all the visible differences: reread all the texts looking for any changes to the text, fonts, check the placement of the images, the location of the titles, etc…. Only send for printing if this PDF file after verification is as desired.