With modern, high-quality printing technology available, it has never been easier to create and print posters to hang in your home or business! In this guide, you’ll learn how to design a poster to print in the highest quality and how to go about printing your design onto durable material. Let’s get started!
Why Posters?
Posters are considered one of two types of prints: art prints and commercial prints. Both have their place in print design, but posters are something special. They are designed to grab your attention from across a room, and they do it well.
How to Print a Poster
While many printers can print posters, some may not have poster printing capabilities. So, it is important to find out if your printer prints and cuts posters. Some will automatically cut your poster for you, while others may require that you purchase separate materials and submit your own finished design file (if it is under-sized). If you have any doubts about whether or not your current printer can handle your project properly, visit their website or give them a call before placing an order.
What Are My Options?
You have two options when it comes to poster printing in London. You can print your own posters at home or you can take them somewhere and have them professionally printed. If you go through a professional service, be prepared for some sticker shock. Even small-sized prints will cost you several hundred dollars or more if they use archival paper and ink.
What Type of Paper is Best?
When it comes to printing posters, there are lots of different paper types. Choosing between silk and uncoated can seem like quite a task at first. But once you get an idea of what each type is used for. It becomes much simpler. For example, if you know that your poster will be handled frequently and will be exposed to sunlight over time, choosing an uncoated poster printing paper is best. For full details on all types of paper check out our guide here.
Selecting Digital Color Process
After deciding on your paper, it’s time to think about colors. More often than not, you can choose from at least 4 different color options for your poster: digital printing, digital poster printing, offset printing and offset poster printing. Digital colors are printed directly from a computer file onto paper using an inkjet printer and toner. This process is excellent if you want black-and-white copies of your design or if you need quick turnaround time and low cost.
Setting Resolution, Size, and Orientation
Before beginning your design, decide on a few basic specifications. Decide whether you want to print in colour or in black and white. This can greatly affect your image resolution. Full-colour printing requires a higher resolution, so it is generally best for large posters or photos when you plan on having them printed professionally. Black and white, however, is more efficient for business cards and postcards.
Setting Bleed and Trim
When printing posters, there are three standard sizes: 18×24, 24×36 and 36×48. When designing your poster in Photoshop or Illustrator, it is important to remember that most printers cannot print an image that covers all four edges of a poster. This means it is up to you as a designer to create bleed and trim so that you can safely put your design on any size paper without any white borders showing through.
Spellcheck and Font Check
It might be surprising, but spellcheck and font check are often overlooked when designing posters. We all make silly mistakes, so it’s very important that you get these two basic steps right from the start. Spellcheck is essential for making sure you have not made any silly spelling errors on your poster design, as even one typo can make you look unprofessional.
Tips for Printing at Home
As you begin designing posters for clients, it can be difficult knowing where and how to get prints. There are three main options for printing in-house: using an inkjet printer, using a commercial printer and printing with digital print-on-demand services. Each option comes with advantages and disadvantages. It is important to know what those are before choosing which way works best for your needs.
How Do I Send Files Correctly?
Once you have your design all finalized, print-ready and in-tact. It is time to start considering how you are going to send these files over for printing. There are many ways you can do so, so make sure that you read up on our comprehensive guide (see link below) on how to send files correctly.
What are the Costs Involved?
The biggest determinant of how much it will cost you to print your poster is, unsurprisingly, how big it is. The bigger your design, the more expensive your printing job. But there are other factors at play here too—for example, if you need help with designing and preparing files for printing. Or if you want an expert to check over your job before delivery. Let’s take a look at some of these variables in more detail
Where Can I get Help With Designing my Poster?
If you don’t have any experience designing posters. Try asking your local college art students if they want extra money to help you out with creating one. They will be more than happy to design it for you and provide insight into how other similar posters are created.
