PowerPoint has a simple, user-friendly interface, which is why many prefer to use it over other design software to create posters. Using PowerPoint also allows you to create a poster quickly.
In this guide, I will create an example of a poster advertising a music festival. I will use a generic template that will work for most academic or marketing purposes.
First, prepare your poster materials and save them in a folder. These materials can be images, charts, or other graphics. Then, follow these steps:
Step 1: Set your poster’s dimensions
- Open a new PowerPoint document and go to the Design menu. Select Slide Size, then click Custom Slide Size…
Select Custom Slide Size. - A Slide Size dialogue box will appear. It will help you set the orientation and dimensions for your poster. Enter the poster dimensions in the Width and Height options.
Set your poster size. Here are some dimensions you can use depending on the purpose of your poster:
- Large ( 26″ by 36″ ): Also known as Super A1. Use this size for movie and celebrity posters, sales promotions, office decor, products, and coming soon advertisements.
- Medium ( 18″ by 24″ ): Also called Architectural C size. BEST for Promoting concerts, sporting events, and sales promotions on store windows.
- Small ( 11″ by 17″ ): Also called ANSI B. This size is a popular choice for posters intended to be used in areas with limited space, such as streetlights.
- Letter ( 8.5″ by 11″ ): Same size as an A4 paper. The best option for flyers and handouts.
Step 2: Add a theme to your presentation
- Go to the Design tab. In the Themes section, you can select a template you like for your poster. Clicking the arrow on the bottom brings up more options.
Select the arrow. - Choose a template from the options displayed.
Select a template design. - After choosing a specific template, you can also change its color scheme. Choose the color you prefer in the Variants section.
Select a color palette for your chosen theme. - Here’s an example of how your poster will appear depending on the theme selected.
PowerPoint will apply the theme for you.
Step 3: Add text and images
- Next, we’ll insert our text. Go to the Insert menu and select Text Box.
Select Text Box. - Draw the text box where you want the text to appear on the poster. You can add as many text boxes as you want.
Click and drag the cursor over the slide to draw the text box. - Next, we will insert graphical objects into the slide. For example, this includes any images or logos you want to be included on your poster. If you want to insert an image, go to the Insert menu and select Pictures.
Select Pictures. - An “Insert Picture” dialogue box will appear. Select the image you want and click Insert.
Click Insert.
Step 4: Rearrange your items and finalize the poster
- Finally, you must reposition and layer objects on your poster. Go to the Home menu. Select Arrange and use the “Order Objects” tools to organize your objects. Drag each image or text box to the location you want, and resize them accordingly.
Rearrange your images and text.
Save the poster as a PDF
PDF documents can be easily distributed online. Follow these steps to convert your PowerPoint poster into a PDF:
- Go to the File menu.
Click File. - Select Export and click Create PDF/XPS.
Click Create PDF/XPS. - Choose where to save your poster, then click Publish.
Click Publish. The poster will be saved as a PDF.
Print your poster
- Go to the File menu.
Click File. - Select Print, then click Print.
Click Print.