How to Make a Poster Online for Free

Posters are a great way to promote upcoming events and get your brand name out there. Not only is getting posters printed online affordable for businesses of all sizes, but it’s also really easy to make a poster design online for free. 

Here at instantprint, we’ve created tons of free poster templates that you can customise using our online design tool. All of the templates we supply have been designed with print in mind, so you know your custom posters will print perfectly every time. Here’s how to use our free tool and templates to make your own free poster design online.

Choose Your Free Template

First things first, you’ll need to pick a template to start customising. 

We’ve got hundreds of poster templates to choose from, with designs spanning from Christmas opening times to wall planners and event promotion. 

Click here to start browsing our full range of free poster design templates.

Want to create your own poster design online from scratch? Our blank template option allows you to do just that.

Customise Your Template

Once you’ve decided on which free poster template you’d like to use, the next step is to start customising it with your business’s branding and details about your promotion. 

Here’s a checklist with everything we recommend including on your poster design:

• The name of your event
• Your company’s name and logo
• A central image
• The date and time of your event
• The location of your event
• A link or QR code for more information about the event or promotion
• A clear CTA (call to action) that tells viewers exactly what action you want them to take after seeing your poster – for example, ‘Don’t Miss Out’ ‘Shop the Sale’

Here are some more tips on designing the perfect poster print.

Using our free poster maker, you’ll be able to add text, images and icons to your design to make it unique to your brand. Here’s a quick guide on the different features our design tool uses to help you create professional poster designs online for free every time.

Approve Your Poster Design for Print

Once you’ve finished your design, it’s time to get it printed. Click the ‘Continue’ button to generate an artwork proof – this will show you what the poster design will look like when it’s printed. It’ll also give you one last chance to proofread any copy you’ve included in your design – double check dates and times for events and that the correct address has been included.

Tick to confirm that you’ve checked and approved the design to get to the next step.

Choose Your Poster Specifications

After you’ve approved your design, you’ll then choose what kind of poster you want. This will largely depend on where you’re planning on placing your advertisement.

For indoor posters, we recommend choosing a classic silk stock. This is a paper-based stock with a silk coating that gives your design a slight shine. As well as being sourced from sustainable, FSC-certified suppliers, this option is also the easiest to recycle. 

If you want to advertise outdoors or want a longer-lasting poster, we also offer two PVC options. 

As well as quantity, you’ll also be able to choose your turnaround option at this time. We offer two turnaround options for posters – 2 working day and 3-4 working day. The longer turnaround option you choose, the cheaper the price of your order. If you’re trying to stick to a budget, we recommend choosing the longer turnaround option where possible.

Once you’ve chosen your product options, add your selection to the basket to place your order.

What Happens Next?

Once you’ve placed your order, your poster design comes through to our Studio team. Here, a real person checks your artwork using our famous 10 point artwork check before sending it down to print!

Here’s what we check your artwork for.

Then, your poster design enters our state-of-the-art print facility based in South Yorkshire, where our expert production team meticulously bring your print to life. We print posters on one of two machines. Larger poster sizes are printed on our HP Scitex, whereas smaller posters go through our Indigo printing presses.

All orders are then hand-packed with care ready to be delivered.

Start Designing Your Own Poster Online for Free

Ready to start designing? Whether you’re hosting a sale, promoting your store opening or informing customers of your opening hours, posters are a great way to achieve your marketing objectives – and with the option to design posters online for free, you’re sure to get a stellar return on investment. Choose your template to design your own poster for free online today.