How to make a poster from text

Most posters fail for one of two reasons: too much text, or text that isn’t organised. PosterGen sidesteps both by giving your content a fixed, readable structure — a title, an optional subtitle, a set of bullet points, and a contact line. Once you understand that structure, making a good poster takes about a minute.

Step 1 — Prepare your text

Start by writing your content as plain lines. Each line becomes one bullet point on the poster. If you want a section heading, end the line with a colon — for example Responsibilities: — and everything after it is numbered under that heading.

• Title: 2–6 words that say what the poster is about.
• Subtitle: optional; a short clarifier like a team name or a date.
• Bullets: aim for 4–8 lines. Short, parallel phrasing reads best.
• Footer: your call to action — an email, a link or a phone number.

Step 2 — Choose a template

Each template sets the colour scheme and the small label at the top of the poster:

• Recruitment — indigo/purple, labelled “WE ARE HIRING”. Great for job ads.
• Event — blue/teal, labelled “EVENT”. For meetups, talks and courses.
• Notice — amber/red, labelled “NOTICE”. High contrast for announcements.
• Generic — slate, labelled “SHARE”. A neutral option for anything else.

You can switch templates at any time; the content stays the same and only the styling changes.

Step 3 — Customise the details

Add up to a handful of tags (comma separated) to create the pill-shaped chips near the title — things like “Remote-friendly”, “5+ yrs” or a date. Keep tags to two or three words each so they stay on one line.

Then set the footer line. This is the most important part of a poster because it tells people what to do next: apply, register, call, or visit. Put a clear action in it.

Step 4 — Export and share

Click Download PNG to export a 2× resolution image. The file is named after your title and is ready to post on social media, in a chat group, or in a printed handout. If your browser blocks the download, use Save as PDF / Print and choose “Save as PDF” instead.

Ten tips for a better poster

1. Lead with the single most important word in the title.
2. Keep the whole poster to one idea; don’t advertise two things at once.
3. Use consistent verb forms — all starting with a verb, or all noun phrases.
4. Numbers catch the eye: dates, prices and quantities.
5. Put the deadline near the top, not buried in the footer.
6. Don’t fill every line to the edge; whitespace helps readability.
7. Match the template to the mood — red for urgency, blue for calm information.
8. Proofread names and dates twice; they’re what people copy first.
9. Export the PNG rather than screenshotting, so it stays crisp.
10. Test how it looks small — if the title is unreadable at thumbnail size, shorten it.

Common questions