Creating your own art designs on posters is relatively simple, and can add a personal touch to your home or office. If you are an artist who wants to display your art in a public space, an art poster is a great way to show off your work. You can also add other designs such as vintage photos or paintings to posters, as long as you have a right to reproduce the image.
Instructions
1. Search for a printing company that prints on poster boards. There are many companies online that offer this service. Some of the best known are Cafepress, Shutterfly, Finerworks and Zazzle (see Resources below). A number of these companies offer the option of printing on either poster board or canvas. Also, consider that Staples or Kinkos, or a similar company near you, probably has the ability to print poster boards.
2. Compare pricing and quality. Find out which file format you will need to save your work. Although one company might be able to use Photoshop files directly, others might require another format such as jpeg or png. Also, find out what resolution the image should be.
3. Create a design. You can use a program such as Photoshop or Corel Painter to create anything from abstract to realistic designs. You can also rework photos that you took. Make sure to use layers when working in these programs, since it makes it easier to make changes and correct mistakes. Alternatively, you can use a high-resolution scanner to scan in art you have created in other media.
4. Save your images in the format and resolution that the printer will need to reproduce your image to poster board. This is very important, because what looks good on your computer might become blurry or pixilated once it's on a 3-by-5 poster hanging on your wall.
5. Send the image through email or, even better, upload it via a form on the printing company's website. With a store like Staples, you will need to drop off the image on a CD. On average, it will take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks after ordering to receive your poster by mail. A local printer can often have it in days.
