Poster design basics for a small business

A good poster is not decorated; it is clear. People spend two seconds on it, so make those seconds count.

One message

Decide the single thing the poster must say: "sale ends Sunday", "we open on the 5th", "admissions open". Everything else supports it. If you have two messages, make two posters.

Size order

The headline, largest.
The offer or the date, in a badge or a strong colour.
The details in two short lines.
The contact, at the bottom, easy to find.

Contrast and colour

Light text on a dark colour, or dark on light, never mid on mid. The tool's palettes are made for strong contrast. Use one palette per poster and keep it for the whole shop so that people recognise you.

Words

Use words people say. "Sale" beats "clearance extravaganza".
Numbers beat adjectives: "50% off" is better than "huge discounts".
Say the end date. Without one, nobody hurries.

Sizes

Square (1080 x 1080) works for chats and feeds, tall (1080 x 1920) suits status and stories, and the A4 size prints on any home printer. Download the image and send it, or print it.

Check before you send

Read it aloud, check every number and the phone number, and look at it at the size of a phone screen. If you cannot read it from an arm's length, make the type larger.

Common questions

Can I use my own photo or logo?

This poster maker draws text and shapes only. To add a photo or logo, save the poster and add them in your phone's picture editor.

Which format is sent best on WhatsApp?

The PNG downloads at full size, which WhatsApp compresses a little. Square images keep the text readable.

Keep going

Everything on this site is made in your browser: nothing you type or upload is sent to us. Barcodes are made by this page's own code: print one sheet and test-scan a few before you print many. Example names, prices and numbers are made up. No tax, numbering-body or legal rule is stated here. Checked 14 November 2026.