Designing a Poster

Course details

A stylish poster both attracts attention and speaks well to the event or idea being advertised. After all, if a poster is clever, professional, and cool, onlookers will likely think the same of the event. In this project-based course, designer and educator Nigel French demonstrates how to use Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign to create eye-catching posters. As Nigel shows how to approach several poster concepts—including a gig poster for a band, a public information poster, and a poster advertising a bike-to-work event—he covers key aspects of the design process. He explains how to set up a document, generate ideas, format text, prepare your document for printing, and more.

Learning objectives
Setting up a document in Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop
Adding images from Adobe Stock
Choosing and manipulating imagery
Adding type
Cleaning up an Adobe Stock image
Adding texture in Photoshop
Preparing for print
Editing an image in Photoshop

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - What you should know
03 - Exercise files

1. Gig Poster

04 - Setting up the document in Illustrator
05 - Adding type to the gig poster
06 - Adding images from Adobe Stock
07 - Adding texture in Photoshop

2. Public Information Poster

08 - Setting up the document in Illustrator
09 - Choosing and manipulating imagery
10 - Adding type
11 - Adding texture in Photoshop

3. Scrabble Tile Poster

12 - Setting up the document in InDesign
13 - Adding the tiles and effects
14 - Preparing for print

4. Newspaper Blackout Poster

15 - Setting up the document in Photoshop
16 - Adding type
17 - Blacking out the newspaper text
18 - Finessing and printing

5. Bike to Work Posters

19 - Setting up the document in Illustrator
20 - Adding type
21 - Adding the tread effects with Adobe Stock
22 - Preparing for print
23 - Creating tread with the pattern brush
24 - Incorporating Adobe Stock images with the type
25 - Cleaning up the Adobe Stock image
26 - Placing bike images with the type
27 - Adding texture in Photoshop

6. Fashion Show Poster

28 - Setting up the type
29 - Warping the type
30 - Using a displacement map on the type

7. Text Message Poster

31 - Editing the image in Photoshop
32 - Using InDesign to add the frame and preparing for print

Conclusion

33 - Goodbye