Posters

A POSTER HAS 2 JOBS: TO GET YOUR ATTENTION AND TO DELIVER A MESSAGE If it doesn’t do BOTH, it’s no good!

A LAYOUT is a type of SKETCH or rough draft of a graphic design –You don’t need guidelines on the layout –You don’t need to make the letters fancy –Think about what colors and graphics you want, but they don’t show on the layout –It’s OK if parts stick out past the edge of the paper

PUT YOUR FULL NAME AND HOUR ON THE BACK OF THE LAYOUT The layout needs to be handed in with your poster IT IS A REQUIRED PART OF THE GRADE

LAYOUT Decide what goes on –What information needs to be there? Decide where it goes –Will it go at the top, side, middle, bottom…? –Will it go straight across, curved, or at an angle? Decide how big it will be –Most important info should be biggest –Different sizes make it more interesting

Put each piece of information on a separate piece of paper Move the pieces around until you have a design that you like –Try arranging them in different ways to find the best one Horizontal words are easiest to read, but boring Diagonal or curved lines catch more attention Vertical words are VERY hard to read Glue them down after you are happy with your arrangement

REQUIRED INFORMATION WHAT: Family Math Night –“Math on the Fast Track” –Games, activities, prizes –Hot dog dinner WHEN: Tuesday October 13 - Food 5:30 to 6 p.m. -Activities from 6 to 7 p.m. WHERE: CSIC WHO: For students and their families HOW MUCH: Free

MAKE IT SOUND FUN! You want to make people think, “I WILL HAVE FUN IF I GO TO MATH NIGHT!”

FOR YOUR ACTUAL POSTER Start with one piece of light-colored construction paper Put your full name and hour on the back

ADD GRAPHICS Use just one big piece of colored paper BUT You can use one big triangle AND You can use whatever paper you want from the scrap drawers –Use the shapes already there –Or cut out whatever shapes you want

ADD GRAPHICS BEFORE LETTERING Glue on the biggest shapes first Lettering goes ON TOP of the graphics

LIMIT YOUR COLORS Use black and white, and ONLY 2 or 3 bright colors Too many colors takes people’s attention away from the message

Add LETTERING or TEXT

DRAW LIGHTLY WITH PENCIL FIRST! Make guidelines!

MAKE SURE YOUR WORDS FIT! Use sizes that match your layout - that’s why you made a layout first!

MAKE IT NEAT and EASY TO READ USE the guidelines – have your letters actually touch the top and bottom of the lines Draw lightly in pencil first If it doesn’t fit, ERASE it and make it fit!

MAKE YOUR LETTERING SHOW UP Have good contrast between the letters and the background Example: Blue on blue doesn’t show up, and light colors on light colors don’t show well. But dark on light shows well. Very different colors, like red on light green, show up well against each other.

LETTERING Letters must be easy to read –Not too fancy –No tiny letters or thin lines You can choose what kind of lettering you want to use –Bubble letters –Colored paper cut-out letters –Stencils

MEDIA You choose which dry media you want –Colored paper –Markers –Colored pencils –Construction paper or regular crayons You can use more than one!