Poster Maker

Design printable posters with text, images, shapes, and backgrounds at standard poster dimensions.

Tested tool guide Tested browser tools Checked August 16, 2026

What Poster Maker does, with a checked example

This tool builds a poster on a real print sheet: you pick a standard poster size, compose text, images, shapes, and a background on that canvas, and export a print-ready file whose pixel count matches the physical dimensions. The surprise for most users is that on-screen appearance and print quality are decided by two separate settings: the sheet size and the export resolution. A poster that looks crisp on screen can still print soft, because the screen shows the design while the resolution decides the print. Choose the sheet size first, then work out the resolution.

Worked example

A concrete input and expected output from the current implementation.

Input

24 x 36 inches at 300 DPI

Expected output

Canvas of 7200 x 10800 pixels, a 2:3 aspect ratio, which prints at exactly 24 x 36 inches at 300 DPI

Pixels equal inches times DPI: 24 x 300 = 7200 wide and 36 x 300 = 10800 tall, so the canvas keeps the 2:3 ratio of the sheet. At 150 DPI the same poster would be 3600 x 5400 pixels.

How the result is produced

Sheet size and resolution

The tool works in physical dimensions, not pixels: standard presets like 18 x 24 and 24 x 36 inches, plus ISO A-series sheets (A1 to A3), set the canvas, and an export resolution in dots per inch converts that sheet to pixels. At 300 DPI a 24 x 36 inch poster becomes 7200 x 10800 pixels; at 150 DPI the same sheet is 3600 x 5400 pixels.

Layers on a fixed canvas

Text, images, shapes, and the background are separate elements you place on the canvas, so a headline can sit over a photo with a shape behind it. The background fills the whole sheet; everything else is positioned on top of it. The export is the full sheet, not a cropped view, so the arrangement on screen is what the printed poster shows edge to edge.

Good uses

Announcing an event, a gig, a class, or a sale at a size that works taped to a wall or shop window, typically 18 x 24 or 24 x 36 inches.
Making a conference or project display poster at the A1 or A2 size that the venue specifies, with the headline readable from a few meters away.
Building a framed photo poster with an image background, a headline, and a caption, sized to a standard frame so the print fits without trimming.

Limits and checks

Low export resolution is the classic failure: the file prints soft because the pixels are spread across a large sheet. Export at 300 DPI for anything viewed up close; 150 DPI can pass for wall display from a distance.
Colors are chosen on an RGB screen, but commercial offset printing converts to CMYK, so saturated blues and greens can print noticeably darker or duller. Ask the print shop about their expectations before relying on exact color matching.
Changing the sheet size after composing can crop placed content or leave empty margins, because text and images do not reflow. Set the size and aspect ratio before building the layout, not after.

Common questions

What DPI should I export at for a 24 x 36 inch poster?

150 DPI is generally acceptable for a poster read from a few feet away; 300 DPI is the safe default and what most print shops expect. That is 3600 x 5400 pixels at 150 DPI and 7200 x 10800 at 300 DPI. Going above 300 rarely helps, because most printers cannot use the extra detail and the file grows quickly.

Can I print this on a home printer?

Only with a wide-format printer. Standard poster sheets (18 x 24, 24 x 36 inches, A1 to A3) do not fit letter or A4 paper, so a home inkjet would need to tile the design across several sheets with visible seams. For most people the realistic route is a print shop or an online poster service that accepts the exported file.

References and verification

The example and behavioral notes were checked against the browser implementation. Standards and primary references below define the relevant format, formula, or platform behavior.