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How to design a gig poster
By BandManager · 1 min read ·
A poster has two seconds to say who plays, where and when. If people have to squint to understand it, it has already failed.
What it must include
- The band name, readable from a distance.
- The venue and city, with the address if it is not well known.
- Date, and doors and show times.
- Ticket price or where to get it, with a link or a QR code.
- Venue or sponsor logos, if any.
How to order the information
- Decide what you want read first: usually the band and the date.
- Use two typefaces at most and two or three sizes.
- Leave white space: a crowded poster does not get read.
- Watch the contrast between text and background, especially over a photo.
- Add a QR code that goes to the show page or the tickets.
Formats worth having
- Vertical (4:5) for Instagram and most socials.
- Square for posts and messages.
- Landscape for screens, websites and press.
- A printable size (A3 or A4, or the local equivalent) with bleed if it is going to a printer.
Mistakes that ruin it
Text that is too small, ambiguous dates ("Saturday" with no day number), backgrounds that swallow the letters and forgetting the time. Before publishing, show it to someone for five seconds and ask what they understood.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a designer?
Not necessarily. With a good photo, little type and a clear order you can make a decent poster yourself. A designer helps when you want a visual identity for the band.
What size is a gig poster?
For print, A3 or A4 (or tabloid and letter in the US) are the most common. For socials, 1080 by 1350 pixels in vertical works on most platforms.
Do I put the price on the poster?
Yes, if the price is fixed. If tickets are sold in several places, put where to get them with a QR code.
Poster and show page
BandManager creates the poster and the public page for each gig, with short links so you can see which channel brings the most people.
Keep reading
- How to promote a gigA week-by-week promotion plan for a gig: poster, socials, trackable links, local press and how to fill the room.
- How to choose a band nameCriteria for picking a good band name: memorable, easy to spell, easy to find online and available. With a checklist to run before you decide.
- How to get local press coverage for your bandHow to reach local media, blogs and radio: what to send, how to write a short press note and how to follow up without nagging.
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