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Check Out Your Color Files with Separation Preview

Color is a big topic. And there’s a difference between on-screen color and in-print color, which is most important to remember (and troubleshoot) if you’re going to print.

As graphic designers working between multiple platforms and applications, we can sometimes forget which mode we’re working in, or which colors have been applied where. The outcome? We can get results we’re not expecting when we send our files to the printer.

We don’t want that to happen to you. And one way to prevent any unexpected color results is to preview the print output before we send our files out the door (or email box). It’s wise to check the settings for the actual inks and make sure they’re going to interact in a predictable and satisfying way, for both you and your client.

The Separations Preview tool provides you with a visual display of how the various color inks in your document will interact with each other on the printed page. You’ll only need this panel if you’re going to be doing any commercial printing; if you’re sticking to your home printer (laserjet, inkjet, and the like), you won’t need to bother with separations. The Color Separations Preview will help you prep your files when you’re sending your job to a professional print house.

Since both Adobe Illustrator CC and Adobe InDesign CC are popular print layout powerhouses, we’ll focus on the Separations Preview in these applications. This way, you’ll be prepared for how the various process colors will interact with each other when you commercially reproduce an Adobe document.

Launch Separations Preview in Illustrator

Here’s how to launch Separations Preview in Illustrator. Go to Window → Separations Preview to launch the Separations Preview Panel.

If the panel seems to be empty, check to make sure your document is in CMYK color mode. While you don’t have to work in CMYK just because you’re printing a document commercially (especially when using spot colors, which exist independently of the CMYK plates), you won’t be able to use the Separations Preview unless you are.

You can check your color mode by going to File → Document Color Mode. Make sure there’s a check next to “CMYK Color.” If “RGB Color” is checked instead, then change it to CMYK.

Be aware that the saturation of the colors on your screen will become more muted if you make the change to CMYK, since RGB is considered a more “lively” color space than the printed page allows. In fact, if you have a document that only uses spot colors and no process color plates, some designers believe they can see the spot colors better if they leave the document in RGB. It’s your choice; just be aware of the pros and cons of each!

What you should see, once your document is in CMYK color mode, is a list of the four process color inks (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) along with any spot colors which exist in your swatches panel. Spot colors are premixed inks which don’t separate into the process components.

To activate the actual separations preview, you’ll need to check the box next to “Overprint Preview.” Overprinting relates to how the inks interact; because they’re translucent, when each ink is printed on top of the others, you’ll a deeper visual range.

After that, you can decide whether you still want to see all the spot colors that have been defined, or only the spot colors actively in use. If the latter, check the “Show Used Spot Colors Only” box at the bottom of the Separations Preview Panel.

Note that nothing that you change in the panel will affect the actual print job; turning any of these checkboxes on or off simply allows you to see what will visually happen as the various colors interact.

In order to preview any one ink by itself, use the keyboard shortcut Alt + click (PC) or Option + click (Mac) while clicking the eye on the left side of the color indicator. You’ll then see a preview of all of the places in your document where that ink will be printed (where that color plate will be used). Here, we’re previewing the black plate only:

To restore the visibility of all the inks, simply Alt- or Option-click again next to any ink swatch.

You can also toggle inks one by one to see different combinations of interaction. In this image, for example, the interaction of just the cyan and yellow inks are being previewed.

Using the Color Separations Preview in Adobe InDesign

Now that we’ve covered separation previews in Adobe Illustrator, do you want to know how to preview color separations in InDesign, too? We’re not covering how to actually print color separations in InDesign, but the Separations Preview panel will give you good information so that you can make sure your separations are set up correctly before actually going to print.

Assuming you’ve already got an InDesign document open, you’re ready to make sure the right inks will end up in the right places when you print your InDesign file commercially. To launch the Color Separations Preview, go to Window → Output → Separations Preview.

When you first launch the Separations Preview panel, you won’t see much, but if you click the “View” panel menu, you’ll get to choose your display options.

When you choose “Separations” from the dropdown, InDesign will activate “High Quality” display for the entire document (which you could also manually activate by going to View → Display Performance → High Quality Display).

It will also show you a list of all the inks (not color swatches, but the actual inks) used in your file.

Would you like to see how much of each ink is being used in various places throughout your document? Simply move your cursor around your document, and notice that the percentages change in real-time to the right of each ink/plate in the Separations Preview panel.

You get to see exactly how much ink is set to be applied at any and every point in the document.

With this level of feedback from InDesign, you’re really able to make sure your files are set up perfectly before sending them along to the printer. The visual nature of this kind of troubleshooting makes it easy to catch color assignment errors, and your printer will be grateful! Your clients will be grateful, too, when perfectly printed pieces arrive on their doorsteps.

Now, let’s actually look at color separations. We’ll be able to see exactly which colors are applied to exactly which objects on your page, and in which densities.

Click on any color (magenta, in this example) to see what exists on that particular color plate — literally, what that color plate will look like

By turning on and off the various colors (by clicking on the eyeballs on the left), we get what’s called a “color build” — we can see various plates combined, and add more plates gradually to build up the cumulative ink density.

At first glance, this may not seem particularly useful, but a cyan-magenta-yellow color build can help you identify text, for example, that should be black but isn’t. If you have cyan, magenta, and yellow all turned on (but black turned off) in the Separations Preview panel and then go through your document page by page, you’ll immediately see items that should be black but aren’t.

If you have the black plate turned off but still see “black” text, that’s your a red flag! To remedy any non-black text or objects that should be black (and not a combination of the other process colors), first, select them. Then, open the Swatches palette, and click the black process swatch to assign that text or those objects to that plate.

Learn More About RGB and CMYK Color Printing

12 Ways to Make College Brochures Stand Out From the Pack

Direct mail is a popular marketing channel for college recruitment. Starting in the spring, more than a million high school students will be sitting down to take the SATs and PSATs, and most of these tests have a small box that the student can check to receive information on different schools.

For most campuses, that information will come in the form of college recruitment brochures. Any college admissions rep will tell you that a good recruitment flier is worth its weight in gold, which is why Printing for Less prides itself on supplying hundreds of thousands of custom designed fliers and brochures every year. And with an unprecedented number of high school students eagerly awaiting their chance to shine, there is no time to waste in promoting your brand.

Enrollment is expected to continue to grow to 20.5 million between now and 2027. Yet, with the cost of education on the rise, more and more are looking very critically at their college choices. Even with an overall 7% increase in the number of first-time freshman, more than a third are applying to seven or more colleges. While some hail this as an economic coup, many more are lamenting the number of students applying to too many schools.

But how can more choices be a bad thing? With all these potential students applying to multiple schools, the odds of them picking your campus improves too, right? Not necessarily.

You have to stand out, get noticed, and deliver the value your school brings in a clear and concise way. Nothing squeezes all of that information into a mailbox-friendly format like a recruiting brochure. The trick is to make your brand out-shine the other six. For that, here are some ways to make your school stand out from the pack.

I mperial College: London

by Mark Vaile

The Natural Sciences have never looked more appealing. Vibrant, organic, and yet still grounded this brochure for the London campus of England’s Imperial College kicks off our list to a great start. Colorful imagery captures your attention but doesn’t detract from the catalogue of the department’s projects and sponsors.

LaSalle College of the Arts

by Capi VietAhn

Invoking origami, this design’s inspired concept makes the most of a larger space by layered folds of card stock. When it does bloom, you will find nuggets of information tucked into each segment.

North Carolina State University, Engineering

by Jacob Fremderman

The future is now. Or next academic term, to be exact. The retro style 3D font immediately invokes a sense of futurism, while the minimalist layout and blocks of colour keeps the look fresh and uncluttered.

M uhlenberg College

by Misty Bourdess Wilt

Knowledge may be the key, but in this case a great die cut is the gate keeper to a fantastic brochure. Vibrant red detailing on a classic dove gray background updates the look and lures the viewer inside.

Goa College of Art

by Jeanine Soares

A beautiful brochure that showcases the allure a simple die cut and fold can create. The art nouveau style and square shape mirrors the album art of folk records of the 1960’s for a funky, grassroots feel.

CCA Graduate Design

by Martin Venezky

The cover of this brochure appears to honour the Asian wood block printings of the early 20^th century and their influence on the styles of Western artists. Add a piece of delicate, almost architectural line work and you can really see how the blend of landscape and urban development influenced this San Francisco artist.

Boston University College of Fine Arts

by Chandra Wroblewski

Another beautiful example of how die cuts can highlight an already great design. The dynamic exchange between the muted cover illustration and the colourful interior collage, only serves to highlight the finer points of the campus. Take a look inside, it says, and see at all the amazing and beautiful things we can accomplish together.

Virginia Tech College of Science

by Stephanie Strouse and Meaghan Dee

A simply gorgeous combination of Man’s attempts at permanence and the organic beauty of the natural world. The cover image brings to mind the Axe Historique in Paris, reminding the viewer of the precision and dedication required to create something lasting; a perfect maxim for Virginia Tech’s College of Science. And yet, by poking holes in that picturesque facade, they show hints at what is yet to come. A world of achievement lies inside their walls, if the student is dedicated.

Nebraska Independent College

by Tana Kosiyabong

This brochure is especially fun. It successfully imparts the idea that the future is a blank canvas and their students are the building blocks that will add colour and character to the world. The honeycomb design simply enhances the idea that each student is a crucial piece of the larger picture. With Nebraska Independent, you can continue to build upon the success of your predecessors.

Derwentside College

by Mark Coleman

This ode to higher education is sleek and well executed. It isn’t always easy to pull off monochrome, even harder for an ombre gradient. But Derwentside makes it look smart and not a bit overdone. This outer wall and underside of the roof may never grace the cover of an architecture magazine, but they have managed to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Just like their students, I imagine.

Klein College of Media and Communication

by Leonard Benfante

Just when we think that gray scale is done, Klein gives us another homerun. Even the fonts are larger than life. By sequentially spelling out ‘KLEIN’ one page at a time, the over-sized letters lure students further into the packet,. With the bright blue underscoring their message of success and individualized curriculum, their brochure hits it out of the park.

These are just a few ideas to spark your imagination. To find out how to make these looks work for you, give us a call at 800-930-7978. Speak to a live print expert to get started on brochure printing today!

Why Printers Prefer CMYK Versus RGB

Technology is in a constant state of flux. But although the hardware, software, and processes you use will be unique, the basic approach toward managing your color tends to remain the same year over year.

It’s a common misconception that before any type of printing, all images must be converted to print in CMYK (the four process color printing inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black — the key “color”). While it’s been the traditional practice for decades, many consumer inkjet printers now have more than just four process inks, meaning those printers are capable of printing a few hundred or even a few thousand times as many colors as you’d be able to create with just CMYK color printing.

But when you are sending a print design to a professional press, you will still need to convert your color space to CMYK. Otherwise, you risk getting strange, muddy or simply incorrect colors back from the printer.

The Skinny on RGB and CMYK

RGB stands for the independent color channels that make up the digital light display: red, green, and blue.

Think about it: every digital image you’ll encounter has been, at some point, an RGB image. This is true even if an image is currently in the CMYK color space, because the devices that likely captured that image — digital cameras and scanners — operate in RGB. They sense and store red, green, and blue light instead of physical pigments.

While progress in flexibility has been made, CMYK conversion is still required when sending out your artwork and images for commercial printing. And converting everything to CMYK before you send your files to print can also guarantee that the printed results match your expectations.

Why Manage Color?

Some designers completely ignore color management and still get acceptable colors in their printed pieces (with “acceptable” meaning good enough for a school fundraiser flyer or a bulletin about the next company picnic). But if you care about getting precise results consistently and want to make the best possible impression on your audience, then you’ll definitely want to pay attention to color management.

“Color management” is an official-sounding term for changing colors to control the visual consistency of your colors from one display (laptop, smartphone, glossy color brochure, color newspaper) to another. Maybe you need to alter your RGB colors so that your boss’s newly designed presentation looks the same on a large wall monitor as it does on your computer screen. Maybe you’re going to have to convert the RGB colors in your piece to CMYK so that they’ll exactly match your client’s brand standards once their newest printer gets the file.

Converting RGB to CMYK

The “shortcut” that many designers take when they have an RGB image that needs to be in CMYK is to toggle the Document Color Mode or Image Mode to CMYK Color.

But not so fast. If your artwork was originally in RGB color mode, you may notice that the new CMYK values aren’t whole numbers. This is because there’s a wider spectrum of options with RGB color, meaning when you convert to CMYK, there’s a chance your printed colors won’t exactly match your original intentions.

This is why some designers choose to design in CMYK: they can guarantee that the exact colors they’re using will be printable.

It’s a bit like translating from one spoken language to another; you can get the general meaning across, but the exact word-for-word translation often doesn’t correlate. Similarly, the translation of RGB colors on your screen into physical CMYK printing ink combinations that will print may be a “good enough” approximation but won’t be perfect.

Convert to Profile

The best way to convert an RGB image to the CMYK color gamut is with “Convert to Profile.” A profile is a description of the output device that tells your software what the colors mean; it defines what cyan should look like, what magenta should look like, etc. “Convert to Profile” means you’re trying to make things look the same from one profile to another.

To “Convert to Profile” in an Adobe product, go to your Edit menu, scroll down to Convert to Profile or Assign Profile, and then choose the profile for the printing device or display environment. You may notice there are many different RGB and CMYK profiles.

For example, RGB looks different from sRGB, and the appearance of CMYK depends on your exact output conditions. Once you’ve checked your original colors and then set the best destination target, your software can manage your colors correctly.

Any visual change you notice once you’ve converted RGB to CMYK using Convert to Profile might be very subtle, but be aware that sometimes the colors in your image may change significantly. Typically, CMYK makes colors look more dull or desaturated.

Why Would You Keep an Image in RGB?

Staying in RGB can allow you to keep your options open (options which disappear once the wide color range of RGB has been reduced to the much more limited CMYK space).

Because of today’s crossover between digital and print, the same artwork must often do double or even triple duty. Maybe one photo will be both printed on a magazine and posted on a website. Perhaps your image will be printed in a booklet, but the printer hasn’t yet been chosen and you’re still expected to meet the deadline for design. Maybe you’re still waiting on a few outstanding quotes for paper stock before the definite specs will be chosen.

The best way to efficiently manage all this uncertainty may be to keep your artwork in RGB. That way, you’ll be able to repurpose the same artwork with less effort. You’ll be able to target it to multiple outputs using the relevant output profiles.

Another reason to keep your images in RGB is because you’ll often need to go back and make edits (like additional retouching or color correction), and it’s much more preferable to make image edits in RGB, where much more of the original image data still exists.

If you really need to convert your artwork to CMYK, at least wait until you’re sure no more edits will be needed. The reason? Once you’ve converted your artwork to CMYK, you’ll never be able to convert it back to the original color range and intensity. So keep your options open, and let your software program (like Adobe InDesign, for example) do the any conversions to CMYK at the very last possible moment: when it’s time to go to print or export to a PDF.

Need help with your printing? Talk to a live print expert today: 800-930-7978.

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20 Free and Effective Fonts to Use on Your Business Cards

What are the best business card fonts?

Sadly there is no single answer, but we can look at fonts that make a business card do its job: make you memorable.

There are hundreds of websites that are loaded with free business card fonts, so even though you have more choices than ever before, you can be overwhelmed. We see a lot of business cards at Printing for Less – and some certainly leave a bigger impact on us than others. We’ll dig into what makes the best fonts for business cards.

What’s Important About Fonts for Business Cards?

Business cards are small, so we tend to think of them as somewhat innocuous. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Getting your foot in a customer’s door requires A LOT of leg-work and after all of that, no one wants to blow it with a run-of-the-mill business card. You want to make a statement. But all you have is a measly 14 square (front and back) inches to do so.

You should choose a bold font that fills the space of a business card. Of course, in the hands of a master designer, even a small typeface, script font can work for the rest of us, go big with your business card font or go home.

Here are some examples of fonts we love.

Euro cine

Brilliantly dramatic with just a hint of suspense, Eurocine was inspired by Italian movie posters of the 1970’s. Walking the line between glamorous and edgy, it grabs the viewer by the lapels and demands a second look. It’s bold lines can fill the space on a business card very well for a dramatic, in-your-face look that is still classy.

Milkshake

Thick, round, and wholesome, Milkshake’s classic feel invokes gleaming chrome and Sunday afternoons. Vanilla (but never boring), these lines can stand alone or blend well with others. This is a great font for resumes, CVs, and titles and headers in your designs.

Sofia Pro

Lovely, harmonious, and just a little bit spunky. A fantastic multi-use font, Sofia Pro brings a touch of playfulness while retaining its sense of poise. This business card font looks great scaled up to dominate a design or as a the small print. With so many options for line weight, you could do an entire project just using Sofia Pro.

Quicksand

Childhood cartoons were practically PSAs for these jungle hazards. Instead, this Quicksand sucks you in with tidy concise lines reminiscent of a raked desktop Zen garden. Find your business card bliss with this elegant font.

Geometria

As elegant as a modern sky-rise in downtown Tokyo, Geometria embodies a gorgeous minimalism without sacrificing form. With this business card font, your business has no where to go but up!

Acherus Grotesque

Sounds like a Bond villain, but looks like it belongs on Broadway? Don’t let the name fool you, this font is beautiful in its simplicity. Never harsh, Acherus Grotesque is nonetheless sharp and will nicely round out your look.

Neuton

Reminiscent of periodic tables and grade-school alchemy (J+C = 4ever !) Neuton has a playfulness that other serif fonts can lack. And with TWO different italic forms, which is unusual for any business card font. We find this is a very popular font with younger professionals.

Alcubierre

Clean, sweeping lines make Alcubierre a breath of fresh air. And an open spread and smooth form elevates and gives it a distinctly Continental atmosphere.

A ileron

Aileron is a comfortable font that sits well on the page. Round and softly curving, but with a self-possession that asserts an easy maturity. It comes in a wide selection of weights, so it can be used in almost any situation. We trust Aileron and so will your customers.

U buntu

Now you can take the look of your favorite operating system with you anywhere. Not surprisingly, we see this font used by technology companies, coders and developers. The font is surprisingly versatile but we recommend pairing it with other fonts for balance and symmetry.

Ambarella

Now your business cards can have the look of hand lettered calligraphy. Ambarella has an old world charm with a new world sensibility. And we think that it would look positively bewitching foiled on a matte card stock!

Shadows Into Light

Shadows Into Light is a delicate yet practical handwritten style font. Like a beloved kindergarten teacher, it is playful, up-beat, and if given the opportunity, would probably lead the sing-along with a ukulele. If you’re compelled to use Comic Sans (you madman), consider this business card font instead.

F uturacha

Futuracha is far too much fun not to include here! Looking like a print sample from a Martian edition of The Great Gatsby, the design was actually based upon the lengthy antennae of cockroaches. How can something so gross create something to beautiful? It’s a design mystery. Give Futuracha a try and turn any logo into a stunning visual with only the click of a button. This font looks fantastic when it is embossed with a metallic foil.

C heque

This fun font started as a student project but quickly took off. Its antique vibe appeals to the Jules Verne fan and speakeasy moll alike.

Cute Punk

A little bit naughty, a touch playful, and very very cute! This font is for the person that doesn’t take themselves too seriously. This font looks great when it is used in square designs. If you’re doing a square business card, consider this font.

Find some retro funk with these next two 80’s throwbacks

Lot

It’s Game On with this Tetris-esque blocky font. What’s not to love? The ‘C’s even look like PacMan®!

Paralines

With this font, you don’t have to put on the red light. Like a neon sign for your business cards, these letters practically yell ‘Come and Get It!’

Tag Type

Be outstanding in your field. Capture the rebellious spirit of plein air artistry with this free font.

Elixia

Words almost fail the simple beauty of this font. Graceful like crystal field theory yet angled like an empress cut diamond, Elixia speaks for itself. And it can go for days.

Kust or Brux Font

Technically, these are two separate business card fonts but they are way too cool to pass up, so today you’re getting a freebie.

Both Kust (from the Latvian word ‘to melt’. I mean, how rad is that?!) and Brux Font are brush style fonts, but have their own unique markers that just rock my world.

Kust, with its fat Japanese calligraphic notes and Eastern European feel, blurs the line between avant garde impressionism and the rustic aesthetic.

Brux Font on the other hand, is pure business card font. It is an Icelandic birch forest, it is Ansel Adams’ ‘Monolith’, it is Tom Sayer whitewashing a fence. It is poetry.

Either way, you’re good.

So, there you have it! Personally, I can’t pick just one. But I do need a refill. Perhaps a Toasted Marshmallow Sweet Potato Chai latte? (I hear it’s ‘Yam’my!) so here concludes your 20(ish) Free and Effective Fonts to Use on Your Business Cards.

Need help with your print? Talk to a live print expert today: 800-930-7978.

Learn More About Business Card Sizing

5 Steps to Designing a Unique Promotional Calendar

At Printing for Less, we print and ship tons of custom calendars for our customers, and we’ve noticed that themed calendars make the biggest impact as a marketing asset. Picking themes and images for each month of the year can be a challenge, and it is a common question our designers try to answer. Here are tips from those print design pros to help you generate unique calendar themes in a few simple steps.

Step 1: Plan Your Monthly Calendar Themes

There is a holiday for every type of company. Whether you run a restaurant, a dental office, or are a C.P.A, there is a calendar theme relevant to you. First, decide what your goals are. Do you want to reach new customers? Do you want to cement your relationship with existing customers? To increase foot traffic or raise awareness about a new program?

Do you want to sell more cupcakes, raise cavity awareness, or start tax return season early? What do you hope to achieve?

And finally, how do you want this to take effect over the next month, six months, or the next year? If you have multiple goals that need to be achieved during certain months, you can gear your promotional themes for each month of the year.

Step 2: Choose Holidays to Highlight in Your Calendar Theme

Your calendar theme and your goals should be reflected in your holiday or observance selection. For example, if your goal is to increase foot traffic during certain times of the year, choosing to celebrate certain weeks (such as Small Business Saturday) with reward programs or promotional events can generate interest. You can print a discount code right on the calendar, and honor it only during that week or on that day.

Keep in mind that the holiday that you choose doesn’t always have to be directly related to your cause. For example, National Pizza week is January 7-13, even if you aren’t a pizza restaurant, you could offer a coupon to your customers for a free pie from a nearby pizza joint. This generates positive credibility in your community by showing your support other local businesses. You can piggyback on a larger ‘corporate holiday’ too -maybe offer a discount on products related to the corporate holiday.

example of corporate holiday marketing — National Nutella Day is real, and the sort of corporate holiday we need more of.

With that in mind, try to stay constructive. Not every holiday has to be upbeat (looking at you National Return of Daylight Savings day) but you can make it positive for your image and your customers.

With so many to choose from, it can be difficult to limit yourself to just a few calendar ideas for each month. But remember that you want to keep these events memorable and special to your clients. Ultimately, keep your final count to about one or two events (day or week-long observance) per month.

Step 3: Coordinate Your Calendar Theme with Your Business Cycles

Every business has their busy seasons and their slow seasons, and having an idea of your company’s highs and lows will go a long way to maximizing those promotional events. Guaranteed, you will always find at least one time of the year that is known around the office as ‘Hell Week’. And if there is one time of the year that you do not need to increase foot traffic, that is it.

Do you traditionally see a business slump in May? Add some May calendar ideas to your list, like Small Business Week (the first week of May). Call these out on your calendar, or promote your business directly on the calendar pages for these slower months.

If all else fails and you aren’t sure when to schedule your promotions, you can always check out an article like this one on Inc.com. While not specific to a single field, Dan Breeden’s article on the peak times and important sales dates for different industries is a great starting point.

Step 4: Combine Your Themed Calendar with Other Marketing Ideas

Rewards programs, promotional items, giveaways, etc. always make the customer feel valued, appreciated, and above all, special. Studies have shown that relevant and quality branded swag creates an 85% name recall in customers.

Does that mean that you have to drop a lot of money into your promotional items? Not at all. The best items are effective because they are memorable. So make themed swag a part of your promotional program.

For example, January is Slow Cooking Month, Soup Month, and Sunday Supper Month. When sending your promotional calendar to clients, you could include a set of complementary laminate recipe cards. This free gift is inexpensive but a nice way to encourage name recognition every time a client makes dinner.

Step 5: Choose Your Type of Calendar

With so many options, it can be difficult to decide what kind of promotional calendar you want for your clients. But that is where Printing for Less can help. With our talented staff of Customer Advocates, we are ready and willing to help you design the perfect promotional calendar to suit your needs. We can offer a variety of calendar sizes, paper options, as well as inks, foil stamping, embossing, and die cuts.

Need help with your printing? Talk to a live print expert today at 800-930-7978.

5 Best Practices to Safely and Securely Hang Posters on Your Wall

Search for the ‘Best way to hang posters’ and Google will bring back an almost limitless supply of How To’s. How to hang posters, how to put posters on walls, how to pick the best tape for posters, etc. But while it is handy to know the difference between ‘double-sided’ and ‘magic’ tape, or pick up yet another miraculous dorm-room use for toothpaste, you may not want to look as though you actually live in a dorm.

So, here are our recommendations on ‘How To’ elevate your look and showcase those posters in offices, living rooms, and, yes, even dormitories.

How To Pick Your Materials

Beyond your usual pencil and tape measure, there are a number of tools that you can use to efficiently and evenly hang your poster. And for some, you don’t even need a hammer!

Depending on whether you want a more informal look or a classic presentation, you have plenty of options to choose from when hanging posters. Renting has become so common that there are tons of choices for hanging materials that don’t require putting a hole in your wall.

Sticky-backed Velcro® strips, hooks, and even plastic eye-holes are inexpensive and handy alternatives. Just keep those specified weight limits in mind.

Light-weight pieces, like an unadorned poster, can be mounted simply with decorative tacks, poster putty, or flat adhesives like double-sided tape. However, an adhesive that is attached directly to your poster can sometimes cause creasing or wrinkling. It also limits your ability to make adjustments without damaging your piece, and can potentially leave marks on your walls. You can read our suggestions below, but if you are stuck on double-sided tape, always test your adhesive in an inconspicuous area before you use it!

Middle-weight pieces, such as posters with a binder frame or other light frame, can usually be supported with a commercial hanging strip. These strips can be found at most stores and are available in a variety of sizes, styles, and weight-capacities. If you’re unsure as to what type you need, choose a slightly higher capacity for extra stability.

Heavy-weight pieces, such as fully framed posters, may need to be supported with nails or screws.

To avoid unnecessary damage to your wall, be sure to place your nail or screw into a wall stud, or use a sheet rock anchor to provide necessary support.

Start With a Clean Canvas

Before hanging your poster, quickly inspect the wall for unsightly scuffs, dirt, or residues that can inhibit your adhesive materials. Painted or wall-papered surfaces are easily cleaned by gently wiping them down with a soft damp sponge.

Most sticky residues (maybe left over from the last attempt at poster hanging?) may be removed with a little rubbing alcohol. This evaporates quickly and cleanly, but again always test it on a small, inconspicuous spot first. Ensuring that your wall is clean and ‘poster-ready’ will remove any distracting blemishes and make your job easier.

The (Other) Golden Rule

Choosing the right spot for your poster is more of a science than an art. To maximize the visual experience and the comfort of their audience, art galleries are often arranged with the centre of an individual piece at eye level.

For an average American this will be anywhere from 57-63 inches from the floor. This means that in order to put your poster at eye-level, you will have do a little math. But don’t worry! It’s easy.

First measure the length (including any frame) of your poster from top to bottom: that is your total length.
Then, divide your total length in half: that is your mid-point.
Pick a number from 57 to 63: that is your average height.
Subtract your mid-point from the average height that you chose. This new number will tell you where on the wall the bottom edge of your poster will be.
Finally, measure up from the floor and mark that point gently on the wall with your pencil. Do this two more times, on either side of your first mark.
When you are ready to hang your poster, line the bottom edge of it with those three marks. Erase any visible pencil marks and step back to admire your nice and even poster that is at the perfect height.

This technique will work for most individual posters. But don’t limit yourself. A wide-open wall space can seem daunting, but this is your place to play.

Depending upon the size or shape of your posters, you can showcase a single piece or a group to change the feel of your space.

When grouping your pieces, place the largest posters first to avoid over crowding. Larger posters may be placed further apart than smaller ones, but a good rule of thumb is to not space them more than 6 inches apart.

Keep in mind any furniture that will be nearby and allow about 12 – 24 inches between your furniture and the posters.

How to Frame Your Posters

Love that vintage-inspired poster wall? Opt for double-sided tape and layer your posters to maximize the impact. This technique presents each unique aspect of your posters. You can even distress or tear posters to create peek-a-boo panels of eye-catching interest points. Keep it simple to avoid overwhelming your audience and losing the organic effect.

Sometimes the long, clean lines of a pristine poster just beg to be shown off. Avoid the ‘dormitory’ look with a smooth matte and a carefully arranged layout. The extra step of backing your pieces with poster board will make your posters more durable, less prone to curling, and make placement a breeze. To give your posters that extra POP!!, try utilizing an extra thick mounting adhesive to the wall. The floating effect of just a half-inch will have you walking on air.

Do you want a Pinterest worthy space but have just too many posters to choose from? Try mounting decorative bases or painted canvases to your walls and swap out your posters to fit your mood. Or hang your posters on gallery-style wires with clips or a magnetic two-piece binder. Makes it classy, but without the commitment.

Nothing elevates a poster like a well-chosen frame. Encase that ragged poster in a floating glass frame for an instant collector’s piece. Display your black and whites in something vibrant for an instantly modern look, or your monochromes in something understated and allow them to shine. A frame immediately creates a sense of permanency and importance, converting even the most casual poster into something special.

From advert to political statement, the poster is being re-imagined. Give those posters gathering dust a second life with one of our tips and tricks and upgrade your look.

Need help with your poster printing? Talk to a live print expert today: 800-930-7978.