What are Digital Posters and How to Design Them?

How businesses engage with their target audience has rapidly evolved, as we've shifted to more efficient means of communication. Take posters or printed information for example; before, you needed to spend a lot of time designing the content, making sure the message was just right, and then you'd spend money printing and distributing them.

And if there's a typo, mistake or other issue after you've printed it all off. Well... You just had to live with it (or get it printed AGAIN).

Digital posters are making all that unnecessary. With a few clicks, you can distribute stunning designs with an impactful message across dozens of screens, instantly reaching your desired audience. Not to mention opening up new levels of customer engagement.

If your business hasn't started using digital posters, you're missing out on a lot of potential. But we're going to show you just how much these digital posters can do for your communication campaigns.

If your business already uses digital posters, consider this a prompt to double your efforts and start reaping the benefits.

What is a digital poster?

A digital poster is a kind of electronic display that features dynamic and interactive content on large screens. Digital posters are also often called digital signage displays, and their job is to convey information in a way that draws attention and spurs engagement. Think of them as the evolution of the static poster.

With a regular printed poster, you design and put up the poster, and that’s about it. Digital posters let you do so much more. You can use fun and attention grabbing illustrations and information, such as dynamic graphics, video, integrated social media content and even interactive elements to make the message pop.

Digital posters can be especially useful in various settings such as:

• Retail stores or shopping malls
• Transportation hubs
• Corporate offices
• Events
• Educational institutions
• Theaters and cinemas
• Public spaces

Let's take a closer look at how digital posters can be useful in each of these situations.

Best uses for digital posters

Wherever you might include a normal printed wall poster or sign, you can replace it with a digital poster instead. The applications and uses are almost endless, but as an example of digital poster options, these are a useful starting point.

Retail promotions

Digital displays can be very effective for grabbing the attention of passing traffic. They're also very useful within your retail space, making them excellent for improving the in-store experience.

Use digital displays to push promotions, and showcase product offers, discounts, or new arrivals with visually appealing content. A great thing about using digital vs printed posters is that you can quickly and easily update them without needing to physically change the printed display.

Need to run a last minute special offer? Or perhaps you're out of stock? Quickly and easily update your digital poster from your software hub.

You can also check out our post on digital wayfinding signage in retail for more info.

Corporate communications

Digital signage in a corporate environment has great potential. One of these is digital posters that can be used to share important updates, company news, and policies with employees. Arguably the best part is that the posters are going to be engaging, easily accessible and simple to update.

Check out our post on how to create better corporate communications for more info.

Event promotion

Whether it's a conference, trade show, or exhibition, digital posters can be used to create excitement about upcoming events. They can easily display event schedules, speaker profiles, and interactive elements for attendees. Even better, they can help improve specific speaker sessions and make them more engaging.

Read more in our post on Trade show signage.

Wayfinding and navigation

Digital posters equipped with interactive maps and directions can guide visitors through complex buildings or public spaces. Or they can be used to highlight a specific location, or add more information and detail to a space.

Another of the main benefits of digital poster wayfinding signs is that you can use the screen for other things, such as updating people on what to expect at their destination or promoting product recommendations.

Get the lowdown in our article about the benefits of digital wayfinding signage in retail.

Schools

Schools, universities, and other educational institutions can use digital posters for a wide range of reasons. Whether that's to raise excitement levels about up and coming events, display announcements or reminders, updates to class information or deadlines, or to highlight menu items in the lunch hall.

Check out our post on digital signage checklists for schools for more info.

Restaurants

Perhaps one of the most popular and visible forms of digital signage has been the menu board - a form of digital poster. Using menu boards can have a number of benefits, from presenting up-to-date menu items, accompanied by vibrant, mouth-watering visuals of food and drinks; to increasing the opportunities for upselling items or generally improving sales.

You can even add additional details such as calories in specific dishes, allergy information, options for upgrades or even link to social media accounts.

Find out more in our post on digital signage for restaurants.

Public transportation

Bus stops and train stations are an obvious location for digital posters, with a number of useful applications. While they can be used as a display board for departures and arrivals, or for updating travellers with details of delays or disruption, they can also serve as a more down-to-earth medium for advertising.

Entertainment venues

In entertainment venues like cinemas and concert halls, digital posters can be used to promote upcoming shows, movie trailers, or ticket availability. Another option is simply use them to display wall art, highlighting the artistic pedigree of your venue.

Art galleries can also use the digital poster template to advertise upcoming exhibitions, highlight certain artists or even as part of the exhibition itself.

And while you can use standard screen display sizes, you can also use tablets and iPads or extra large displays such as video walls for your wall art.

Different types of digital posters

Even though they do basically the same thing, digital posters come in various formats and designs. This variety can allow your business to choose the style that suits its needs and objectives.

Some of the most commonly used types of digital posters include:

1. Static posters

These are digital posters that display static images and text. They are simple and straightforward, providing a clean and clear visual representation of the message.

You may favour static posters because they are pretty simple to create and deploy. And if your business needs to change the displayed info often, it's a no hassle process which could be done without any technical knowhow.

2. Video posters

Video posters are more fun and engaging because they use motion graphics and animations to convey the message. They are particularly effective for showcasing products and events, or creating immersive experiences and you may find them in public spaces displaying ads or in waiting rooms.

Incorporating video is one of the big benefits of using digital signage for your poster technology. And if you want to take your promotional content or wall art up a notch, this is an effective method.

3. Interactive posters

These digital posters engage viewers by allowing them to interact with the content. Some interactive posters often need more than just a screen. They may have touch screens that allow people to swipe and select, or gesture control that help people control the content.

An interactive poster may also simply display QR codes that take people to a web page with digital downloads or more information.

Interactive posters can be a fun addition to events or arts venues, or even as a replacement for menus at restaurant tables or counters.

4. Dynamic content posters

With dynamic digital posters, you have content that’s constantly updated to provide real-time information or personalized messages. These can be a little trickier to manage since you can’t just upload one design and be done with it.

You’ll usually find dynamic content posters displaying news, social media walls, weather updates, or live event information.

How do you make a custom poster?

Creating a custom poster can be pretty straightforward, depending on the kind of poster you need, the app you’re using for design, and the digital signage software you use for content management.

In general you need to identify your message, work out the size and orientation and then get to work with your poster maker of choice. Of course, it's more complicated than that, and you'll need to factor in things such as your brand colors, logo or fonts as well as ensuring your message is clear and easy to read,

That said, let’s look at the processes you might go through while creating a custom poster.

1. Define your objectives

Before getting started designing your poster(s), look at what your poster needs to say, where it will be displayed and who it will be targeting.

This will help you understand things such as design size, fonts, use of images, videos or other content.

By defining the purpose and goals, this step can really help you maximize the effectiveness of your custom poster. Are you looking to promote a product to your target audience, communicate an upcoming event, or share important updates with your audience?

And will your audience be sat waiting, passing traffic, or actively looking for information?

2. Choose the right content

While text is important, the graphic elements are also obviously key to the performance of your digital poster. Choose compelling images, videos, and animations that align with your objectives. You’ll also want to use high-quality visuals that capture attention and convey your message effectively. Deciding between motion graphics and static designs can be challenging, so here are some tips to help:

• A static poster is better for simple messages, while motion graphics can help tell a complicated story
• Motion graphics tend to be more time-consuming but can be more engaging
• If your poster will have a lot of competition, motion graphics, and animations could help it stand out

3. Design the layout

This could potentially be the easiest part of the process. If you’re using ScreenCloud CMS, you already have ready-to-go templates. Simply find the poster design template that works best, slot in your message, and voila! The good news is that many apps also have templates so you can breeze through this section.

Be sure to pay attention to the screen dimensions and resolution, as well as design elements like the color palette, hierarchy, balance, and contrast.

4. Preview and adjust

Naturally, you’ll want to preview your poster design before finalizing it. Here, you’re looking to see how it appears, how easy the text is to read, or if the graphics are too distracting. Do you need to include additional details, and tweak the messaging some, or is it good to go?

You also want to make sure the design matches the screen placement. So for example, the message needs to be simple and bold if it’ll be displayed in high-traffic areas.

5. Save and export

Once you are satisfied with your digital poster design, save it in a format compatible with your digital signage software or directly export it to your digital signage display.

And that’s it; you’ve created your custom poster and are ready for launch!

With ScreenCloud, you can go from inspiration to presentation effortlessly. Our inbuilt free templates make it simple to design eye-catching custom posters and engaging displays. And you can click and share them easily - with no fiddly steps such as changing the format or worrying about image compatibility.

Best apps for making digital posters

Can’t decide which apps to use for your digital poster? There are lots of options for design tools, and some require a little more technical knowhow than others, especially if you aren't that tech savvy or design minded.

Thankfully, it's easier than ever to get your ideas up to presentation standard.

Canva

Canva offers a wide range of customizable templates across popular categories like business and social media. It also has user-friendly editing tools that let you create stunning digital posters, and, possibly the best part, it integrates perfectly with ScreenCloud.

Canvas

Canvas is a ScreenCloud app, and similar to Canva, it makes it easier to create screen content, ranging from digital menus to posters.

Adobe Express

This design tool from Adobe enables users to design their own posters with a professional feel, using pre-made templates, fonts, and a library of royalty-free images.

Piktochart

Piktochart is ideal for creating infographics and visual presentations. It also has features for designing digital posters.

PosterMyWall

PosterMyWall is another tool with ScreenCloud integration, and it offers a vast collection of poster templates and customization options that can help you create high-quality digital posters for various purposes.

Vista Create

This is a digital design tool, including a poster maker that provides a user-friendly interface with a wide range of templates, design elements, and multimedia options for creating engaging digital posters.

Quick Post

If you need an app that takes all the hard work out of creating a digital poster then this might be your best option. With our Quick Post app, you simply add your image and text and then choose your layout and Quick Post does the rest.

Difference between digital signage and digital poster

You may see digital signage and digital posters used interchangeably but they are fundamentally different. Digital signage is the broader concept of using digital displays, while digital posters are designs that you put up on digital signage.

So you could use your digital signage for other things, like employee recognition or communication skills training. But digital posters are just a type of content that you fundamentally need digital signage to display.

Get your digital posters right with ScreenCloud

Digital posters are incredibly useful for grabbing attention, improving your communication efforts, and engaging a wide range of audiences. But they are just a small part of what you can do with digital signage.

In fact, digital signage can greatly elevate your business' ability to not just pass messages but engage employees and customers, keep teams focused, and even improve productivity.

Get started with ScreenCloud for free, or book a demo today to see what your business can do with digital posters and digital signage as a whole.