A good poster will not only grab someone’s attention, but will also create action. It can be difficult however to grasp the fact that just because a poster design looks great on your computer that it won’t always translate well when printing.
Knowing the proper way to design and format your poster is crucial to creating a professional looking poster design.
Here are our tips for poster printing and design.
Matte Not Glossy When Poster Printing
You might want to print in semigloss but that isn’t always a good idea.
The gloss will end up reflecting any light making your poster hard to read, especially from a distance or in outdoor advertising.
Printing in matte will give you a professional look that presents well.
The Best Resolution
Your graphics will need to be at a resolution of 300dpi or higher.
This includes all:
- Illustrations
- Graphs
- Photos
- Charts
When it comes time to print the poster, this will create the best possible quality and resolution.
Know Your Color Models
When printing paper posters, you will have to use the CMYK color model. This stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black.
You will not be able to use RBG (Red, Green, Blue) even if this is what you are currently using for any online posters.
You should be able to easily switch color models if you aren’t in CMYK originally.
Choose the Right Format
When you are working on creating images for online use, bitmap format is preferred. Unfortunately, that won’t be the best choice for printing out posters.
If you intend to print out your poster, you will need to use vector format. This will give you the clean and crisp look you want and this format will be much easier to resize.
You will notice if you use bitmap format that it will come out looking fuzzy and the lines will appear not straight.
Handling the Poster
After you get your poster, make sure that you don’t handle it too much.
Keep the poster in the best condition by rolling it and placing it in a tube.
Another good way to keep the poster looking great is to place the poster in-between two layers of cardboard.
Use PDF
The best way to save and send your poster is by saving it in PDF. This is what we call “print-ready.”
PDF format will more than likely be the only way whoever is printing your poster will accept it.
What Else You Need To Send
When giving your PDF to the printing company, it doesn’t hurt to also include the design program file that you finished the poster on as well just in case.
Also, send any supporting documents like text fonts and separate images to them.
Make sure to keep duplicates of these files for yourself just in case the printer loses your work.
The Best Quality
When these steps are taken before you take the final PDF to the printer, poster printing has the best quality.
AZ Banners has been offering affordable quality printing since 1996.
Take a look at more printing tips and tricks on our blog.
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Searching for a “poster printer near me?” We’ve got you covered. The experts at AZ Banners can help you create a professional-looking poster that gets results. We offer affordable services and fast turnaround anywhere in the country! Call us today at 480-718-0544 to get started.
