What Is A Poster, And Why Are They Effective?

A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and convey information. Posters may be used for many purposes. They are a frequent tool of advertisers (particularly of events, musicians and films), propagandists, protesters and other groups trying to communicate a message. Posters are also used for reproductions of artwork, particularly famous works, and are generally low-cost compared to original artwork. Another type of poster is the educational poster, which may be about a particular subject for educational purposes.

Many people also collect and sell posters, and some famous posters have become quite valuable. Collectors' posters and vintage posters are usually framed and matted. Posters may be any size.

Posters are seen by the target audience for only a few seconds – usually as the drive or walk past. They should be put up on poles next to busy roads or on walls and windows of shops where passers by can see them. It is important that they are as large and as bold as possible so that they attract attention and can be read easily. Here are some useful tips for producing good posters:

• Make the posters as large as possible - they should not be smaller than A2 (4 x a normal A4 page)
• Keep the writing as big as possible so that people can read it easily from about 10 metres away
• Use as few words as possible - avoid using full sentences. For example "Unite against Child Abuse" instead of "Let us unite in the fight against Child Abuse"
• Use colour if you can afford it – it make your poster stand out and attract more attention
• Do not put too many words and images on your poster – it may be beautiful, but if the design is too busy the most important information may not get through to the audience
• Make sure that the poster is easily recognised as belonging to your organisation by using your logo, colours or the abbreviation of your organisation’s name

Posters are generally very expensive to print but you can make them by hand by using koki pens or paint. If you have access to a silkscreen printer, you can also print posters yourself. A few well made beautiful posters can be much more effective than 100s of small ones that nobody notices. If you want to print posters it will cost you R2 - R4 per poster depending on the size and quality of paper you print it on. If the paper is thin you usually also have to use cardboard to stick the poster onto and this will add at least another R1 to the cost. Posters are best used for advertising events or for popularizing a short slogan that will get support for your cause or organization.