14 creative poster ideas for design inspirations.
Explore some of our favorite poster designs to ignite your imagination for your next poster project.
1. Create synergy with graphic and text design.
This poster design is undeniably eye-catching. An epic photograph with dynamic lines and colors that catch your attention. What ultimately makes this design feel complete is the way the text plays off the photo. The font echoes the blurred image’s sentiment by layering several text lines on top of each other. Think about the relationship between imagery and type styles as you build your next photo to provide a complete, well-rounded visual experience.
2. Use icons in new, imaginative ways.
If you don’t have professional photos at your disposal, don’t sweat them. The graphic imagery seen here is simply a saxophone icon (available to you on Adobe Express) enlarged to fill the background. Think about the ways an icon can serve the visual needs of your poster. Can you arrange icons to make a shape or pattern on your poster? What about blowing up your text to create a shape or design using the letters and negative space? Challenge yourself to think outside of the box.
3. Use vibrant, eye-catching colors.
Do you know your primary colors? Secondary colors? What about complementary colors? Explore color themes provided by Adobe Express to make your design communicate the right message and let your message pop. In this case, bright colors build excitement for the colorful Day of the Dead holiday. Consider what colors best tell your story and explore with different pairings to achieve that.
4. Rethink an object’s potential.
This is a compelling poster that is succeeding with creativity alone. If you don’t have professional photos at your disposal, don’t sweat them. The graphic imagery seen here is simply an icon (available to you on Adobe Express) blown up to fit the poster. Can an icon serve your visual needs for your poster? Can you arrange icons to make a shape or pattern on your poster? What about blowing up your text to create a design using the letters and negative space? Challenge yourself to think outside of the box.
5. Play with symmetry.
The photo seen here includes the astronaut’s reflection in the water, but you can achieve that type of symmetry by exploring layout options with images. Try a split layout – upload a photo to one side, then the same photo to the other side. Use the flip tool to mirror the image and then adjust the two pictures to line up as a mirror image.
6. Use layers to transform your design.
Drop-in an image to your poster design. Add a filter. Place a graphic image or icon on top of it. Adjust the transparency and add a filter to it. Throw in some shape blocks and then overlay text. Layers create depth and can transform something ordinary into something extraordinary. Let go of preconceived notions and experiment a little with layering different elements.
7. Lots of solutions for lots of text.
Sometimes, we have to communicate a lot of information on posters. Avoid filling up the entire page with words, and use design elements such as shape, color, and negative space to turn your text into part of the design. We love this example for how it fits Wednesday’s Open Mic into the square and echoes the shape. Then, color, size, and placement are used to create a hierarchy with the information.
8. Play with outstanding font combinations.
When it comes to font pairings, a good rule of thumb is that opposites attract. Generally, you’ll want a primary font, used for eye-catching headlines and reflecting the design’s tone, and a secondary font that is easy to read that can be used for paragraphs. For example, if you pick a curvy, handwritten primary font, opt for a more neutral serif or san serif secondary font. We love this poster example because it takes font pairing to the next level. Since this is a poster ad for a type workshop, it only fits to use all the typefaces. Notice that the secondary copy below follows our rule of thumb for being something less attention-grabbing.
9. Finding the perfect placement.
Own a small business or brand? Use Adobe Express to create artistic, professional advertising without spending a fortune. Use image content you have already, even if it’s just photos from your smartphone, and add filters and text effects in your Adobe Express workspace. Explore opportunities to make posters of all different sizes to share online or in your community.
10. Showcase facts with infographics.
Posters are a fantastic canvas for infographics because they can offer plenty of real estate. Maybe you’re a teacher, a workout coach, or a chef and need an infographic to hang in the kitchen for new hires to reference, like in this example. Create an infographic poster to make your information easy to read and remember. Use design elements like icons, imagery, collaging, or even just color-coded text to break up your info and make it fun to read.
11. Get creative with collaging.
Collaging is a great approach for poster design. If you have multiple images you’d like to feature in your design, using a grid layout is a graphically interesting way to showcase them. As seen in this example, collages can be symmetrical or more playful and asymmetrical, as found in our layout options. You can collage with photos, icons, or even text boxes, all depending on the aesthetic you’re going for.
12. Create artful advertising.
Own a small business or brand? Use Adobe Express to create artistic, professional advertising without spending a fortune. Use image content you have already, even if it’s just photos from your smartphone, and spice it up with filters and text effects in your Adobe Express workspace. Explore the opportunities to make posters of all different sizes to share online or in your community to get your brand out there.
13. Explore with daring, artful design choices.
Posters are an excellent opportunity for trying out something bold and creative. Test out unconventional text arrangements, such as stacking seen here or overlaying text on top of color-blocked shapes and lines. Avoid doing too much at once – make one or two bold choices and let them be the focal point of your poster.
14. Make a poster, just because.
Did you take an epic photo on your last family vacation? Maybe there’s a quote or mantra that’s been resonating with you recently? Perhaps there’s a holiday coming up, and you need some decorations. You don’t need to have a specific purpose for making a poster. Turn your on-the-fly photos or inspirational quotes into art using our editing tools.
