Poster Design. Getting Attention. Design Guidelines 00-2

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1 00-2 Poster Design Getting Attention An effective poster draws attention. Holding attention makes a good poster as easy as 1, 2, and 3. A stop sign is universal; no other highway sign looks like it. The color is red with large white lettering that reads STOP. Even the shape says it is unique. The stop sign is easy for us to understand, because it has an effective message, caption, or title. The title is short and catchy and has one idea that suggests action. The stop sign draws attention because it reinforces the main idea. In this case, the stop sign serves to warn us to stop and look in all directions. The stop sign s red color and shape draw interest. There is no other highway sign with eight sides. The 4-H clover is also universal, because there is no other logo with the white H on each green cloverleaf. The stop sign tells one idea with a consistent message. The sign s shape and lettering are easy to follow. A good poster is like a stop sign because it has an effective message with one idea, it draws attention, and it holds attention. The stop sign uses good color contrast and one word, one idea, or one message that is easy to understand. Design Guidelines Elements of poster design include the illustration, the message, and open space. Good poster design has either the lettering or the illustration dominant, but not both. The design elements of a good poster are arranged to create a sense of balance and unity. A good design illustrates or symbolizes the message. To achieve excellent results, a good poster includes a big idea that attracts attention, well-related shapes, lettering, coloring, and creativity. Good design requires practice, but the basics are balance, contrast, a dominant element, movement, simplicity, unity, and use of white space. White space is the area containing no words or design. Open space avoids a crowded look. The open space should vary in amount and location to provide attention. Balance the elements in the poster. A good design groups the illustration and the words in a complete overall design. A large object on one side will need two or three smaller objects on the other side to have a balanced look. Posters are original work. No cartoon characters or work that is under copyright laws are permitted.

2 Appearance but change or vary the idea. Do not cut pictures from magazines to use. Workmanship Keep it neat. A well-done poster is attractive. A poster board with a smooth, hard finish is easiest to use. A less absorbent poster board does not produce sharp, crisp lines. The main goal of a clearly labeled poster is legibility. The poster s message should be readable. The viewer seldom looks at a poster if it requires much effort to read. Words supplement the illustration. A poster with too many words will not be read. Do not try to tell the whole story. Complete sentences are not necessary. Good posters need a clear message with an uncomplicated illustration. When we look at the Smokey Bear posters, the message is crisp, legible, and readable. We understand the message. As an example, think of a Smokey Bear poster. The poster has a picture of Smokey and the words Remember or Think. What would you say next? Many of us say, Don t play with matches, or Only you can prevent forest fires. This is an example of a message that is clearly labeled with only one word. Letters and designs can be drawn with ink or paint, or cut from paper and glued to the poster board. Cutout letters or designs allow for varying the position before final placement. Mistakes can be changed easily. Commercially prepared letters are more expensive. Draw a Plan Getting Started To get started, use newspapers, magazine advertisements, billboards, and even t-shirts for examples of professional designs. Notice the lettering and design of the professional advertisements. Look around. Adapt the professional ideas to make a personalized poster. Do not copy,

3 The best posters are planned and are not done in the last hour before they are due. Blue-ribbon posters begin with starting early. Remember the 4-H motto To Make the Best Better. Ideas are important lots of ideas but it is important to make a number of rough drawings or sketches to determine what your final product will look like. Does the design look better on the horizontal position (landscape layout) or the vertical position (portrait layout)? New or budding artists should limit their designs to basic shapes or colors or a combination of the two. Choose a Subject Choose a color that represents the emotional message you want to achieve. Reds, oranges, and yellow create a warm response. These more intense colors are used to emphasize certain areas. Greens, blues, and violets are cooler and will tend to move to the background. Use no more than two or three colors in the poster and repeat them. Use the color wheel to find opposites to create contrasts. Having one idea or message is effective. Too many ideas are confusing and may conflict with one another. A bold, clear message is an attention-getter. A viewer can instantly understand the significance of the poster. A good poster expresses the one idea clearly, simply, and precisely. Choose Colors Color is important, because it helps set the mood of your poster. Certain colors express a warm or cool emotional response. The 4-H clover color symbolizes moods. The green stands for nature and the white stands for purity.

4 Simple Illustrations Simple illustrations tell a story without using details. The illustrations on the previous page show a variety of subjects: animals, apple, bicycle, bird, car, flower, and star. An illustration must carry the message in a single, simple idea. Too many details cause confusion. high. A 14 x 18-inch poster should have letters 1 1 / 2 to 3 inches high. Illustrations can be cut out of colored paper with the correct size and shape to achieve just the right look. You can use dishes, cups, a ruler, or other shapes to achieve the look you want. Rule of Thirds Letter thickness is another consideration. A 3-inch letter that is 1 / 16 -inch thick is not visible from a distance, but a 3-inch letter that is 1 / 2 -inch thick is visible from 80 to 90 feet. ALL CAPITAL LETTERS ARE DIFFICULT TO READ. Capital and Lowercase Letters Are Easier to Read. An effective poster has a strong center of interest. Using the rule of thirds, place the main design element in a spot where the lines cross. Centered designs are formal, but uninspiring. Avoid designs that appear to fall off the edge. Legible Lettering Legible lettering considers size, contrast, and style. The size of the letter is important because the letters must be easily seen and recognized. A 22 x 28-inch poster should have letters that are approximately 2 to 4 inches Contrast Contrast refers to darkness or lightness of the elements (illustration, lettering, background). Using black letters on a light yellow background provides a high contrast. The contrast of multicolor letters is difficult to read. Letters should be one color for legibility. Here is a list of color combinations that highlight and show best at a distance: 1. black on yellow 2. green on white 3. blue on white 4. red on white 5. white on blue 6. black on white 7. yellow on black 8. white on red 9. white on green 10. white on black

5 Can you find these color arrangements on billboards and other business signs? Contrasts will catch your eye so you will get the message: stop, shop, buy, or eat here! High Contrast Black on white or white on black provides great contrast, but it can be monotonous. Black on yellow or yellow on navy blue gives interest and contrast. Centered words tend to be boring because they are rigid and do not motivate attention, like look at this poster! 4-H is... for boys and girls Avoid breaking words at the end of the line: Learning by doing Horizontal lettering is easier to read, but the illustrations need vertical or angular lines to provide added character. Remember, there are no hard and fast rules for making posters. Learn to experiment and try your creativity. Getting a Professional Look Stenciled letters are useful because they are easy to use. They come in a variety of sizes. The stenciled letters in the top row below look unfinished. These letters break the design rule for workmanship and neatness. Style The style of lettering can reflect the main idea of the poster, such as scary letters or romantic letters. The theme of the poster suggests the style of the letters and the design. Avoid ornate or overly fancy styles that are hard to read. Symmetrical designs tend to be boring; informal or asymmetrical designs provide eye appeal. Evenly spaced objects look repetitive and uninteresting. In the middle row, the stencils have been filled in but the felt tip pen does not give a neat and clean appearance. In the bottom row, a stencil was used to trace on construction paper. The letters were cut out and pasted on the poster board, using rubber cement. This gives the letters a crisp and legible look. You can round off Arranging Words Easy-to-read posters arrange the words so that each phrase is together such as: 4-H is... for boys and girls The phrases should be lined up on the left side of the poster.

6 the corners of stenciled letters to give them a more soft or homemade appearance. You may wish to use computer software to create individual letters or use commercial stick on letters. Cut out letters are fun and easy. They require practice, but the results are great. Freehand Lettering keep your eyeball straight for even letters. It does take practice. For freehand letters, felt tip markers or permanent inks may tend to bleed or the ink may produce a transparent look. On inexpensive poster paper, the letters may not hold a crisp, sharp line. With your thoughts and planning completed, you are now ready to use your training to create your poster. Remember to take pride in your work. Good luck. Lettering is easier to read if it is horizontal. It is best to keep it strong and simple. Separate the words from the design. Avoid too many words because the viewer does not want to read them. Remember the basic rule: Stop, read, and remember. Vertical and diagonal letters are difficult to read. Always try to use the same style of lettering in your poster artwork. When making freehand letters, draw guidelines for upper-and lowercase letters. Making terrific freehand letters requires lots of practice. You will need a ruler and pencil to Developed by Frank J. O Hara, former Mineral County Extension agent; Programs and activities offered by the West Virginia University Extension Service are available to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, political beliefs, sexual orientation, national origin, and marital or family status. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Director, Cooperative Extension Service, West Virginia University. ES