# Poster design: backgrounds that carry the headline

[Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/poster-design)

A poster gets a glance from someone walking past. The background decides whether that glance lands on the headline or slides off the wall.

## The short version

- Poster design is about being understood at a distance in a few seconds, so every poster needs one dominant headline and a background that points to it.
- A strong poster has three levels of information: the headline, the key facts such as date and place, and the details.
- At 300 dpi, an A4 poster is 2480 by 3508 pixels, A3 is 3508 by 4961, and an 18 by 24 inch poster is 5400 by 7200.
- Print designs need bleed, extra background beyond the trim edge, usually 3 mm in Europe or 0.125 inches in the US.
- Bold, simple backgrounds with a clear light area behind the headline read far better at distance than detailed images.

Good **poster design** works at a distance and at a glance: one dominant headline, a few key facts, and a background that guides the eye straight to the words. The background matters more than people expect. A bold field of colour with a clear, calm area behind the headline reads from across a room; a detailed photo or busy pattern makes people stop and search, and most won't. Build the background to carry the headline, then add the facts in a clear order.

This guide covers hierarchy, print sizes, bleed and backgrounds that work in print. For printing gradients without stripes or mud, see [printing gradients](https://gradiently.design/guide/print-gradients); for the broader event look, see [event branding](https://gradiently.design/guide/event-branding).

## Poster hierarchy: three levels of information

Most posters fail by giving everything equal weight. Decide the three levels before you design, and make each clearly bigger or bolder than the next. The headline should be readable from the furthest point someone will see the poster; the key facts from a few steps closer; the details only up close.

| Level | What it holds | How it looks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. Headline | The name or the promise, in a few words | The largest element by far |
| 2. Key facts | Date, time, place, price if relevant, or the one action | Clearly smaller, still bold |
| 3. Details | Line-up, address, website, sponsors, small print | Small, grouped, out of the way |

Three levels, clearly separated. If you are unsure what is level one, the poster isn't ready to design.

An A4 portrait poster for an open air cinema with a large title and short details on a deep gradient

A4 event poster: one headline, one line of key facts, the details below.

An A3 portrait poster announcing a shop move with a bold headline over the lightest part of a gradient

A3 announcement poster: the background's light sits behind the headline.

## Poster sizes and pixels at 300 dpi

Print needs far more pixels than screens. Design at 300 dots per inch at the final size, or as vector artwork, so type and edges stay crisp. These are the common sizes and their pixel dimensions at 300 dpi.

- A5 flyer: 1748 × 2480
- A4 poster: 2480 × 3508
- A3 poster: 3508 × 4961
- US Letter: 2550 × 3300
- 18×24 in poster: 5400 × 7200

Common poster shapes to scale. The A sizes share one ratio, so an A4 design scales cleanly to A3 or A5; US Letter and 18 by 24 inches do not.

| Size | Pixels at 300 dpi | Typical use |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A5 | 1748 × 2480 | Flyers, handouts, counter cards |
| A4 | 2480 × 3508 | Noticeboards, windows, office walls |
| A3 | 3508 × 4961 | Shop windows, cafés, event venues |
| US Letter | 2550 × 3300 | Noticeboards and flyers in North America |
| 18 × 24 in | 5400 × 7200 | Street posters, gig posters, larger walls |

Add bleed on top of these sizes if your printer asks for it.

> **Add bleed and a safe margin** Printers trim posters after printing, and the cut is never perfect. Extend the background beyond the trim edge, usually 3 mm on each side in Europe or 0.125 inches in the US, and keep words at least as far inside the edge. Ask your printer for their exact figures.

## Designing a poster background that carries the headline

The background's job is to point. Put its lightest, calmest area (or darkest, for light type) behind the headline, and let colour and detail build towards the edges. The eye goes to the strongest contrast first, so make sure that is the headline, not a glow in the corner or a busy patch of photo.

- Top glow for dark type: `radial-gradient(ellipse at 50% 30%, #ffe8c7 0%, #ff9f6e 40%, #b83a5b 80%, #3d1238 100%)`
- Deep field for light type: `radial-gradient(ellipse at 50% 35%, #1c2b5a 0%, #0f173a 55%, #070b1c 100%)`
- Horizon: headline top: `linear-gradient(180deg, #0e3b43 0%, #1f7a72 55%, #f2c14e 100%)`
- Paper with falloff: `linear-gradient(160deg, #f3ecdf 0%, #e8d9bf 50%, #c9a57a 100%)`

Four poster grounds. Each has a calm zone at the top third where the headline goes, with colour building away from it.

### Avoid

- A detailed photo behind the headline
- The brightest point of the background in a corner
- Five things at the same size
- Thin type on a mid-tone background

### Do

- A bold, simple field with a calm zone
- The strongest contrast behind the headline
- One headline, clearly dominant
- Heavy type with strong light-dark contrast

## Testing a poster for distance

You can't judge a poster at 100 percent zoom on a laptop. Zoom out until the poster is about the size it will look from across the room, or print it small and pin it on a wall, then step back. If you can't read the headline and tell what it is about in a few seconds, simplify: fewer words, a bigger headline, a calmer background.

1. **Write the three levels** Headline, key facts, details. Cut anything that fits none of them.
2. **Choose the size first** Set the canvas at the final size at 300 dpi, plus bleed.
3. **Build the background** Bold colour, a calm zone for the headline, contrast building to the edges.
4. **Set the headline big** Larger than feels comfortable. A strong [display font](https://gradiently.design/guide/display-fonts) helps.
5. **Test at distance** Zoom out or print small, step back, and read it in three seconds.
6. **Prepare for print** Check colours in CMYK, export as PDF or high-quality image with bleed, and ask for a proof.

Gradiently includes the print sizes above at 300 dpi, from A5 flyers to 18 by 24 inch posters, and a Mark moves its calmest region behind your headline automatically. Copy to sizes turns a finished poster into matching social posts and stories for the same event.

## FAQ

### What size should a poster be in pixels?

At 300 dpi, A4 is 2480 by 3508 pixels, A3 is 3508 by 4961, US Letter is 2550 by 3300, and an 18 by 24 inch poster is 5400 by 7200.

### What makes a good poster design?

One dominant headline, a clear order of information, and a bold, simple background that directs attention to the words, readable in a few seconds from a distance.

### What is bleed on a poster?

Extra background beyond the trim edge, usually 3 mm per side in Europe or 0.125 inches in the US, so no white edge appears when the poster is cut.

### Can I use a gradient background on a printed poster?

Yes. Check how the colours convert to CMYK, avoid very subtle dark blends that can band, and ask the printer for a proof.