F.O.C.U.S. on Posters Tips for Making Successful Posters, Websites, Projects, Book Covers and a Whole Lot More! by Phillip Martin

FF..OO..CC..UU..SS.. on Posters on Posters Tips for Making Tips for Making Successful Posters, Websites, Successful Posters, Websites, Projects, Book Covers and a Projects, Book Covers and a

Whole Lot More!Whole Lot More!

by Phillip Martinby Phillip Martin

FF..OO..CC..UU..SS.. on Posterson Posters

Focus on these five key points for Focus on these five key points for better projects. The first key is . . . better projects. The first key is . . .

FF OO CC UU SS


Focus on these five key points for Focus on these five key points for better projects. The first key is . . . better projects. The first key is . . .

FontsFonts OO CC UU SS

FFontsonts

Font choice is Font choice is important. If important. If you look at ads, you look at ads, they usually use they usually use no more than no more than three fonts. three fonts. Often, they use Often, they use one font but in one font but in 2 or 3 sizes.2 or 3 sizes.

FFontsonts

If an ad uses If an ad uses all capital all capital letters, it is letters, it is usually a usually a simple font. simple font.

FFontsonts

Fonts that are Fonts that are more more complicated complicated are not as easy are not as easy to read if they to read if they are all written are all written with capital with capital letters. letters.

FFontsonts

You will almost You will almost never see ads never see ads with rainbow with rainbow lettering (either lettering (either top to bottom as top to bottom as seen here or left seen here or left to right with to right with different different letters.)letters.)

FFontsonts

It may be It may be

attractive butattractive but

it is harder toit is harder to

read than solidread than solid

colors on words.colors on words.

FFontsonts

You almost You almost never see an ad never see an ad that has every that has every other word (or other word (or every other every other letter) in a letter) in a different color.different color.

FFontsonts

Most Most lettering in lettering in ads goes ads goes left to right; left to right; not in not in spirals, up-spirals, up-and-down, and-down, or or diagonally. diagonally.

FFontsonts

You need to also use these concepts in your posters. What is good with the fonts here? What could have been done better? Find out on the next slide.

FFontsonts

Yes, most important of all, when Yes, most important of all, when you draw your own letters, use a you draw your own letters, use a ruler. If you use only capital ruler. If you use only capital letters, draw two lines. If you also letters, draw two lines. If you also make lower case letters, use three make lower case letters, use three lines. lines.

FFontsonts

Yes, most important of all, when Yes, most important of all, when you draw your own letters, use a you draw your own letters, use a ruler. If you use only capital letters, ruler. If you use only capital letters, draw two lines. If you also make draw two lines. If you also make lower case letters, use three lines. lower case letters, use three lines.

Don’t press hard with the pencil Don’t press hard with the pencil when you draw the lines. You will when you draw the lines. You will later need to erase them.later need to erase them.


For successful projects, you must For successful projects, you must also focus on . . . also focus on . . .

FontsFonts Oops! Watch that Glue!Oops! Watch that Glue! CC UU SS

OOops! Watch that ops! Watch that Glue!Glue!

Use glue sparingly. You want to Use glue sparingly. You want to use enough to properly hold your use enough to properly hold your papers in place. But, you don’t papers in place. But, you don’t want to use so much glue that it want to use so much glue that it leaks out on the front.leaks out on the front.

Wow!Wow!Wow!

Careful GluingCareful Gluing

This poster is so beautiful! Lots of This poster is so beautiful! Lots of cats were individually cut out. cats were individually cut out. However, the text and pictures However, the text and pictures were not secure.were not secure.


Keep your hands clean and glue-Keep your hands clean and glue-free.free.


Keep your hands clean and glue-Keep your hands clean and glue-free.free.

Be careful in placing pieces on the Be careful in placing pieces on the poster so that they aren’t poster so that they aren’t accidentally crooked.accidentally crooked.


This is a great photograph, with excellent emphasis, but just like on some students’ posters, the text is crooked (because I made it that way.)


For successful projects, don’t For successful projects, don’t forget about . . . forget about . . .

FontsFonts Oops! Watch that Glue!Oops! Watch that Glue! Careful CuttingCareful Cutting UU SS

CCareful Cutting!areful Cutting!

If you want If you want things square, things square, measure or use measure or use a cutting a cutting board.board.

Note how the Note how the yellow text yellow text boxes are boxes are crooked.crooked.


Plan ahead. Plan ahead. Straight Straight

corners and corners and edges really edges really make a huge make a huge difference in difference in how your how your project looks.project looks.


When adding a When adding a border, be sure border, be sure all sides are all sides are equal.equal.

The trim could The trim could be more be more evenlyevenly

cut, but whatcut, but what

a great poster! a great poster!


If the object is not square, take If the object is not square, take time to carefully cut.time to carefully cut.

Oops! Oops!

A roundA round

border aroundborder around

the graph is the graph is

very clever, very clever,

but alsobut also

very hard tovery hard to

cut evenly.cut evenly.

Wow! Wow!

However, However, a compass a compass can solve can solve this this problem problem easily.easily.


For successful posters, you must For successful posters, you must also consider the . . . also consider the . . .

FontsFonts Oops! Watch that Glue!Oops! Watch that Glue! Careful CuttingCareful Cutting Use of ColorUse of Color SS

UUse of Colorse of Color

Many kids’ Many kids’ posters and posters and websites use too websites use too many colors with many colors with the lettering. As the lettering. As a rule, use no a rule, use no more than three more than three colors. Two is colors. Two is even better. even better.

UUse of Colorse of Color It’s hard to It’s hard to

get better get better than this than this poster. poster. Only two Only two colors colors were used were used for all of for all of the the lettering.lettering.


Don’t use dark Don’t use dark letters on dark letters on dark paper or light paper or light letters on light letters on light paper. paper. Contrast is Contrast is important. important.


Don’t use dark Don’t use dark letters on dark letters on dark paper or light paper or light letters on light letters on light paper. paper. Contrast is Contrast is important. important.

The art needs The art needs emphasis to be emphasis to be easily read. easily read.


For successful projects, finally, you For successful projects, finally, you must . . . must . . .

FontsFonts Oops! Watch that Glue!Oops! Watch that Glue! Careful CuttingCareful Cutting Use of Color Use of Color Stress for SuccessStress for Success

SStress for Successtress for Success

Some posters look like Some posters look like Where’s WaldoWhere’s Waldo ads with ads with so much clutter you so much clutter you don’t know where to don’t know where to look. Your projects need look. Your projects need something emphasized, something emphasized, something stressed. It something stressed. It is usually the title and / is usually the title and / or a piece of art.or a piece of art.


Science fair posters need to have Science fair posters need to have a lot of information. There is no a lot of information. There is no way around that. But, for other way around that. But, for other posters, less is more. Less posters, less is more. Less wording and information makes wording and information makes for a more attractive poster.for a more attractive poster.

SStress for Successtress for Success There is so There is so

much much informationinformation! But, the ! But, the stressed stressed title is very title is very attractive. attractive.


The people The people behind this behind this ad ad campaign campaign understood understood the concept the concept that “less is that “less is more”.more”.


Some Some ads ads stress stress the title. the title. It’s the It’s the first first thing thing you see. you see.


Some ads Some ads stress the stress the art to art to capture capture your your attention. attention.


Other ads balance between the two.Other ads balance between the two.


Almost no ads focus on the written Almost no ads focus on the written text. It’s important, but when it text. It’s important, but when it comes to writing on a poster, comes to writing on a poster, remember less is more. remember less is more.


This poster has a lot of good information, but most people will not take the time to read all of it.

FF..OO..CC..UU..SS.. ReviewReview

Now that you have “F.O.C.U.S.ed” Now that you have “F.O.C.U.S.ed” on steps for making a good on steps for making a good project, look at these examples project, look at these examples made by students -- and people made by students -- and people who should have been AIS who should have been AIS students. What have they done students. What have they done well? What could they have well? What could they have improved upon? improved upon?

Example 1Example 1

Example 1Example 1

Okay. Good choice of color for Okay. Good choice of color for fonts.fonts.

Example 1Example 1


Okay. Large center photo.Okay. Large center photo.

Example 1Example 1


Okay. Large center photo.Okay. Large center photo. Okay. Good contrast.Okay. Good contrast.

Example 1Example 1


Okay. Large center photo.Okay. Large center photo. Okay. Good contrast.Okay. Good contrast. Oops! Too much clutter on the Oops! Too much clutter on the

page.page.

Example 1Example 1


Okay. Large center photo.Okay. Large center photo. Okay. Good contrast.Okay. Good contrast. Oops! Too much clutter on the Oops! Too much clutter on the

page.page. Oops! Two fonts works better than Oops! Two fonts works better than

two fonts plus two fonts plus italicsitalics..

Example 1Example 1

Okay. Good choice of color for fonts.Okay. Good choice of color for fonts. Okay. Large center photo.Okay. Large center photo. Okay. Good contrast.Okay. Good contrast. Oops! Too much clutter on the page.Oops! Too much clutter on the page. Oops! Two fonts works better than Oops! Two fonts works better than

two fonts plus two fonts plus italicsitalics.. Oops! Wrong choice of photos.Oops! Wrong choice of photos.

Example 2Example 2

Example 2Example 2

Wow! Excellent use of fonts!Wow! Excellent use of fonts!

Example 2Example 2

Wow! Excellent use of fonts!Wow! Excellent use of fonts! Wow! Careful trim around the Wow! Careful trim around the

text. text.

Example 2Example 2


text. text. Wow! Neatly glued together and Wow! Neatly glued together and

nothing is crooked.nothing is crooked.

Example 2Example 2


text. text. Wow! Neatly glued together and Wow! Neatly glued together and

nothing is crooked.nothing is crooked. Wow! Good use of photographs Wow! Good use of photographs

and three dimensional information.and three dimensional information.

Example 2Example 2

Wow! Excellent use of fonts!Wow! Excellent use of fonts! Wow! Careful trim around the text. Wow! Careful trim around the text. Wow! Neatly glued together and Wow! Neatly glued together and

nothing is crooked.nothing is crooked. Wow! Good use of photographs and Wow! Good use of photographs and

three dimensional information.three dimensional information. Oops! Fewer colors for text Oops! Fewer colors for text

background would have looked background would have looked better.better.

Example 3Example 3

Example 3Example 3

Okay. Good choice of fonts.Okay. Good choice of fonts.

Example 3Example 3

Okay. Good choice of fonts.Okay. Good choice of fonts. Okay. Good globe art.Okay. Good globe art.

Example 3Example 3

Okay. Good choice of fonts.Okay. Good choice of fonts. Okay. Good globe art.Okay. Good globe art. Oops! Logos should Oops! Logos should NEVERNEVER be the be the

main attraction in a poster. main attraction in a poster. NEVERNEVER!!

Example 3Example 3

This poster This poster shows how shows how logos are logos are supposed to supposed to be used in be used in advertising.advertising.

Example 3Example 3


main attraction in a poster. main attraction in a poster. NEVERNEVER!!

Oops! Too much information.Oops! Too much information.

Example 3Example 3


main attraction in a poster. main attraction in a poster. NEVERNEVER!! Oops! Too much information.Oops! Too much information. Oops! Bland colors make this a Oops! Bland colors make this a

poster that you would walk past and poster that you would walk past and never read.never read.

Example 4Example 4

Example 4Example 4

Wow! Beautiful color and contrastWow! Beautiful color and contrast

Example 4Example 4

Wow! Beautiful color and contrastWow! Beautiful color and contrast Wow! One object is obviously the Wow! One object is obviously the

central focus.central focus.

Example 4Example 4


central focus.central focus. Wow! Careful attention to detail.Wow! Careful attention to detail.

Example 4Example 4


central focus.central focus. Wow! Careful attention to detail.Wow! Careful attention to detail. Oops! A title would be useful.Oops! A title would be useful.

Example 4Example 4


central focus.central focus. Wow! Careful attention to detail.Wow! Careful attention to detail. Oops! A title would be useful.Oops! A title would be useful. Oops! White text boxes were not Oops! White text boxes were not

cut evenly.cut evenly.


Now that you know how to Now that you know how to F.O.C.U.S. on good project tips, you F.O.C.U.S. on good project tips, you can have much more attractive can have much more attractive displays. displays.


Now that you know how to F.O.C.U.S. Now that you know how to F.O.C.U.S. on good poster-making tips, you can on good poster-making tips, you can have much more attractive displays. have much more attractive displays.

And remember, these suggestions are And remember, these suggestions are also good for ads, brochures, book also good for ads, brochures, book covers, bulletin boards, report cover covers, bulletin boards, report cover pages, menus, programs, post cards, pages, menus, programs, post cards, banners, and a whole lot more! banners, and a whole lot more!

Special thanks!Special thanks!

Thanks to the students at the Thanks to the students at the Antwerp International School in Antwerp International School in Antwerp, Belgium. The student art Antwerp, Belgium. The student art was taken from their posters and was taken from their posters and science fair projects. science fair projects.

Special thanks!Special thanks!

Thanks to the students at the Thanks to the students at the Antwerp International School in Antwerp International School in Antwerp, Belgium. The student art Antwerp, Belgium. The student art was taken from their posters and was taken from their posters and science fair projects. science fair projects.

And, since then, their projects And, since then, their projects have gotten much better. have gotten much better.

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F.O.C.U.S. on Posters Tips for Making Successful Posters, Websites, Projects, Book Covers and a Whole Lot More! by Phillip Martin