Poster as Outdoor Medium of Communication

Dr. Ashok Kumar, Assistant professor Institute of Mass Communication & Media TechnologyKurukshetra University, Kurukshetralectashok@gmail.com

Travel Posters

Event posters

Advertisement Posters

Film posters

Educational posters

Concerts & Music posters

Poster : Meaning & Importance

• According to Wikipedia -A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface.

• Free Dictionary- A large, usually printed placard, bill, or announcement, often illustrated, that is posted to advertise or publicize something.

• An artistic work, often a reproduction of an original painting or photograph, printed on a large sheet of paper.

• Dictionary. COM -Poster definition, a placard or bill posted or intended for posting in a public place, as for advertising. See more.Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements,

• Although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text.

• Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be used for many purposes. They are a frequent tool of advertisers (particularly of events, musicians and films), propagandists, protestors and other groups trying to communicate a message.

• Posters are also used for reproductions of artwork, particularly famous works, and are generally low-cost compared to original artwork.

Growth & Development

• According to the French historian Max Gallo, "for over two hundred years, posters have been displayed in public places all over the world.

• Visually striking, they have been designed to attract the attention of passers-by, making us aware of a political viewpoint, enticing us to attend specific events, or encouraging us to purchase a particular product or service."

• The modern poster, as we know it, however, dates back to 1870 when the printing industry perfected colour lithography and made mass production possible.

• During world war 1 the poster was an important medium of communication as the radio and other electronic means of public communication had not yet come into prominence.

• In many situation posters with their powerful use of graphic & Message have helped bring about incredible change in the social, political, cultural & economic aspects of the human condition.

Type of Posters

• Propaganda and political posters

• Movie posters

• Travel posters

• Railway posters

• Event posters

• Concert posters

• Band/music posters

• Educational posters

Area of Posters

• Government sector- Government sponsored programmes such as family planning, helth care, adult education, save water, pollution control use posters in some form or others.( Directorate of advertising & visual publicity)

• Private sector-City roads & street always wear a festival look with variety of posters

• Current scenario-Trade & industry into hard completion

Strengths of Poster Medium

• Poster Requires minimum effort on the part of the viewer to understand mesage.

• Mass Scale production-low unit cost production • Versatility- Size can be range 5X9 to 12x9 printed in

thousands & lakhs• Unlimited scope for creativity• Posters can create right ambience• Poster have strong reach, delivers its message travel,

shop & visit friends• 24x7 exposure• Real life feeling• Market coverage

Weaknesses

• Non selectivity

• Limitation of message content

• Limited visibility & life

• High absolute cost

• Effect on the natural environment

Quality of a Good poster

•Clarity

•Relevance

•Appeal

•Readability

How to Design a poster

• Poster is a Visual form of expression

• It is seen, read & Understood within few seconds

• So designing a poster Select a few design elements

• Restrict the number of words

• Try to create maximum impact through visuals

• Never think of the visual & caption separately

• Select all the elements of design as a unit

• Make use of the full value of color

Elements of poster Designing

• Content

• Text

• Visuals

• Graphics

• Colour

• Style & Type

• Space

Steps in poster designing

• Idea

• What is overall message you intend to present

• Define your audience.

• What should audience remember

• Gather content

• Think sequence.

Preparation

• List some probable captions

• Translate ideas into visual form

• Prepare a working rough

• Make the actual size finished

• Handel the artwork based on the selected printing process

Action

• Choose your Layout.

• Choose your Image.

• Choose your Fonts.

• Choose to Improve.

Thanks