A sale poster is read on the move. People glance at it while walking, often through glass, often in poor light. Designing for that glance is different from designing a flyer someone holds in their hand.
Decide the hierarchy first
Every readable sale poster has a clear order: the discount figure, then the headline, then one line of supporting detail. Decide those three things before opening any design tool. If you find yourself adding a fourth or fifth element at the same size, something should move to a smaller sign.
Short headline, large figure
"Black Friday Sale" or simply "Black Friday" is enough for the headline. Make the discount number the largest thing on the page. A big "40%" is read before any words are.
Contrast and typography
Use a strong contrast between text and background: dark on light or light on dark, with one accent colour at most. Choose a bold, simple typeface for the headline and figure. Thin, decorative or script fonts lose their shape at a distance.
Avoid placing text over detailed photographs. If you want an image, keep it behind a solid block of colour where the text sits.
Keep terms off the main message
Conditions such as dates, exclusions or "selected lines only" are important, but they should not compete with the headline. Put them in a small line at the bottom, or on a counter sign where customers can read them properly.
Designing in Canva, Adobe or similar
Set up your design at an A-series shape from the start; every size from A5 to A1 shares the same ratio of about 1 to 1.41, so one portrait A-size layout scales to all of them. Keep important text away from the edges. If your design ended up a different shape, the Poster Resizer shows how it will crop or fit.
Export as a high-quality PNG or JPG at the largest size the tool allows. Our artwork help page covers formats and colour.
Check resolution before ordering
What matters is the file's width and height in pixels. Higher effective DPI helps when a poster is seen up close, while large window posters viewed from further back can still print well at lower DPI. The Poster Print Quality Checker tells you which sizes your file suits, and the Poster DPI Calculator gives the effective DPI at each size. Both run on your device.
Upload and print
Once the file passes, upload your finished design and choose a size. If you would rather add your own wording to a ready-made layout, our Black Friday print studio has a personalised sale poster.