Next in line, after business cards, leaflets, and booklets – all of which we’ve covered in previous articles – is posters. And specifically poster design templates.
Before we look at them, however, let’s spend a little time thinking about posters in general – their history, their effectiveness, and try and understand why they make such an impact.
The history of the poster
The poster was one of the earliest forms of advertising, and began to flourish as a medium in the early nineteenth century. In addition to the often striking images, they played an important role in the development of typography since they were meant to be read from a distance and therefore required larger and bolder type.
It all began with Cheret’s three stone lithographic process, the significant breakthrough in that it allowed artists to achieve every colour in the rainbow with as little as three stones (usually red, yellow and blue) printed in careful registration.
The process was difficult, but the posters were sublime, achieving unrivalled subtleties of texture and a truly sublime intensity of colour. The fact that the technique was economical as well, coupled with emerging creative genius, led to a poster “craze” in the “Belle Epoque” in Paris in the 1890’s.
The love affair with the poster blossomed and spread around the world, and in each country the designs reflected their own cultures. So in France it represented the café, in Italy the opera, in Spain the bullfight, and so on. The fact that they were so representative gives them a hugely valuable historical importance.
Arguably the most important poster exhibition ever held took place in Reims in 1896, when an astonishing 1,690 posters were on display.
So why are posters so effective?
Well, you’ve all seen them. Some are clearly more effective than others aren’t they? But the very best ones – like the images above – seem to connect with us in a very powerful way. It’s a unique combination of exactly the right words with exactly the right images. And – we should add – placed in exactly the right place!
So can I get posters that good?
The short answer is “yes”. And the great news is that the vast bulk of the design work has already been done for you, by innovative and creative experts, leaving you to focus on the content and on the main messages that you want to promote.
What do I have to do?
It’s really simple. Select the template, the quantity, the size, the type of paper, add your own details to the design … and leave everything else to us!
How do I order?
Click here to access our extensive range of poster design templates and ordering details, follow the instructions, and wait to be delighted.
Or feel free to give us a call any time on 0115 895 0131 … and as always we’ll help you to get the perfect posters!