Designing and Ordering Unique Informational Posters Online

What is an informational poster?

According to Washington State University, a single poster tells the audience something they probably do not already know. They are typically simple but interesting facts that are presented in an attractive manner.

Human brains process visual data better than text

Informational posters are a creative and effective way of educating people because the human brain processes images better and faster than text. That is why data visualization has become so popular. Graphic design and infographic design services are on demand because statistics have proven their effectiveness.

According to the Massachusetts Institution of Technology (MIT), 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual. They further revealed that the human brain can process an image in a super-fast, impressive 13 milliseconds.

The University of Minnesota once published that a human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than it does text. To top it all up, Piktochart said that 50% of the brain is active in visual processing.

There are different types of posters and informational posters are just one type among several others.

An informational poster intends to educate people

Types of posters

1. Motivational- The sole purpose of these posters is to inspire and motivate. People design them by adding motivational quotes, or inspirational backgrounds that resonate with the emotions of the target audience. They are usually one-pagers that feature prominently in offices, homes, auditoriums, schools, and other places.

2. Event- They raise awareness about an event that is due to happen in the future. You need to include vital details such as event name, time, venue, method of registration and enrollment, and a concise call-to-action.

3. Travel- The aim of a travel poster is to inspire an audience to travel to various destinations. They are mainly used by agencies and airlines to promote their packages.

4. Informative- They are also known as informational posters and contain meaningful information targeted at educating an audience.

5. Advertising- They are famously known as ad posters. Brands use them in varying sizes for marketing and promotional purposes. There are companies that also use ad posters to champion a cause.

6. Movie- They are used to promote and advertise a movie or film. Movie posters are used to cover all other promotional materials for that particular film.

7. Research- A research poster is used to display data or research findings at conferences. Piktochart says that these posters are usually text and data-heavy and also leverage infographics. They use charts, graphs, and other data visualizations.

Your audience determines the final outlook of your poster

Consider your target audience first

There are various important determinants that you should consider while coming up with an informational poster. The most important one is the target audience. Your audience should be the womb from which you birth your poster.

Define your audience

These are indicators that help you define your audience:

• Who is your target viewer?

• What content resonates with them the best?

• What language do they speak?

• What challenges do they face and what do they need?

• What are their pain points?

• What is their age range?

• What can my business/company do to meet their needs?

Designing your poster

When you decide to work on your informational posters, here are a couple of nuggets that will help you come up with a compelling design.

The font you choose should be visible from 6ft away

Fonts

When it comes to fonts, the sans serif styles without all the curlicues or fancy swirls are much easier to read. Skip italics but use bold highlighting, underlining, and strategic colors to show emphasis.

Choose one font for the entire poster and then increase its size from the smallest details to the title which should be legible from 15–20 feet away. Poster printing should be double-spaced with a left justification and a text size of about 24–28, which is discernable from 6 feet.

Informational posters can also be fun

Use a template to guide you

Online printing companies such as 4OVER4 have free templates for you to use. I love templates because they are a good place to start for people who are not professional graphic designers.

The other benefit of a free template is the ability to experiment with arranging texts and graphics. Once done, you are able to preview your final product and determine if it pleases you.

Use contrasting colors on your poster

Colors

Both large format printing and business printing can really be impressive with artistic color choices.

Generally, it’s best to use soft, neutral colors such as grey or pastels for the backgrounds and one or two other colors for contrast. Too many color choices can become very distracting. Certain color combinations will not do justice to poster printing and should be avoided:

• Both blue text on a red background and red text on blue background become visually blurry.

• Yellow disappears on a white background and strains the eyes overall.

• A white background will reduce the impact of color photos.

If you are displaying photos on your business printing project, consider a light background for dark photos and dark background to enhance lighter pictures. You might also want to incorporate your corporate colors into your informational poster.

Unused space makes the poster look decluttered

The distribution of space

Whether you opt for small or large format printing, the distribution of space matters. The general rule is 20%–25% text and 40%-45% graphics. The remaining 30%-40% unused space keeps the poster from becoming too cluttered and distracting.

Your graphics should be self-explanatory and large enough to be seen from at least 6 feet/2 meters away.

Love your life poster with a gold glossy finishing

Choose the best materials

Finally, choosing the right materials for your informational posters depends on the number of posters you plan to order and how you want to display them. Bulk posters are available in both glossy and matte paper or card stock and in huge quantities. Large format posters are usually printed on a 100 lb. semi-gloss cover or high gloss finish.

The softer sheen of the semi-gloss is less reflective, while the high gloss treatment makes colors vibrant and alive. Mounted posters are usually printed on 1/8-inch PVC board for durability and stability.

When you choose an online printing company like 4OVER4, ask about all these features and let us help you design an informational poster you can be proud of.

In conclusion

Informational posters can be ordered through online printing services. In order to achieve success, you need to know what you want to achieve with your poster. It needs planning, creativity, and a sense of balance. The font that you choose, the color combinations you pick, where you place your graphics, and even the materials you select differentiate a well-designed from a poorly planned project.

Let your goals and needs help you pick just the right design for your informational poster. There is a lot of information that 4OVER4 has provided to let you know everything there is to know about posters and other large format print products. Scroll through to the bottom of the large format print page and add to your knowledge.

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