Most posters fail in the first two seconds. People walking past a notice board or scrolling WhatsApp Status decide almost instantly whether to stop. These seven rules help your poster win those two seconds.
1. Say one thing
A poster is not a letter. Decide the one message you want people to remember, for example "Admissions open for 2027" or "Thanksgiving service, Sunday 14th". Everything else supports that message.
2. Make the headline big
The headline should be readable from across a room. A good test: print your design at A4, stick it on a wall, and walk three or four metres back. If you cannot read the headline easily, make it bigger.
3. Use strong contrast
Dark text on a light background, or light text on a dark background. Avoid red text on green, yellow on white, or text placed over a busy photo. If you must use a photo behind text, darken it or add a solid strip behind the words.
4. Limit your fonts and colours
Use one font for headings and one for the rest. Pick two or three colours, ideally from your school, church or business logo. Too many styles make a poster look noisy and cheap.
5. Give the details people need
Before printing, check that your poster answers: What? When? Where? Who to contact? Write the day and the date ("Saturday, 21 November"), the time, and the venue with a landmark people know. A phone number or WhatsApp number should be easy to find.
6. Leave space
Empty space is not wasted space. It gives the eye a rest and makes the important parts stand out. If your poster feels crowded, remove something rather than making everything smaller.
7. Design for the right size
A poster shared on WhatsApp Status is seen on a phone screen, so a tall format (1080×1920 pixels) works best. For printing, common sizes are A3 (297×420 mm), A2 (420×594 mm) and A1 (594×841 mm). Use high‑quality images, about 300 dpi at the printed size, so photos do not look blurry.
Quick checklist before you print
- Spelling of names and titles checked by two people
- Date, day and time correct
- Phone numbers tested
- Logo clear, not stretched
- Readable from three metres
Need a poster designed? Send us your details on WhatsApp and we will prepare a draft for you.