How To Create A Print Ad In Microsoft Word

Posters are a fantastic way to advertise your business, from a grand opening to your big January sales or an upcoming event. Designing your own means you get to choose exactly what information you include and what it looks like! If Microsoft Word is your weapon of choice, here's exactly how to make a poster on Word and set it up correctly for printing.

1. Setting Up Your Poster

If you're wondering how to make a poster on Word, you'll need to set up a blank poster canvas – by getting the size right at this point, you won't need to tweak your design to fit the right poster size later.

Open up Microsoft Word and create a new blank document
Go to Layout > Page Set Up

How to get to page layout in Word

Under 'Paper', change the size – if your size is unavailable, click 'Custom size'

>> You can find all of our poster sizes right here! <<

You might notice that on our website we ask you to add bleed to your artwork, which is where you extend your design out by roughly 3mm to avoid an unwanted border after printing. However, we'll also do this for you automatically when you upload your artwork to your basket, so there's no need to add it at this stage!

2. Using a Poster Template on Word

If designing a poster from scratch isn't really for you, why not try customising one of the free poster templates available on Microsoft Word? Templates are a great option if you want more of a foundation for your design instead of a blank document. To use these:

Open up Microsoft Word
Type 'Posters' into the search bar at the top of the page
Choose from the pre-made templates available and download the one you want

microsoft word poster templates

You'll then be able to fully customise the text, colours and images on your chosen template

3. Adding Text and Images

Now it's time for the fun bit – piecing together all of the content in your design!

The easiest way to add text to your poster design is by using text boxes. To add them:

Go to Insert > Text Box
Select the style you want to use then draw the text box on your design
Type in or copy and paste the text you want to use
Change the font, size and colour under the Home tab
Change the text box under the Format tab

For images:

Go to Insert > Images
Choose a high-resolution image from your computer
Double click the image to insert it into your design
Drag and drop the image to place it
Use the corner handles to change the image size

4. Save Your Design

Before you upload your poster design to be printed, the next step is to save it as a PDF.

Click File > Save As
Choose a folder on your computer to save your design
Name your file and change 'Save as type' to PDF

how to save as PDF in Microsoft Word

Your design is now ready to print. Place your posters in your basket, upload your artwork and place your order. We'll then check this for you to make sure it's print-ready.

Craving More?

If you need any more help with how to make a poster on Word or would like to get more specific advice on choosing the best poster or frame for you, feel free to get in touch with our team today.

Or why not design a poster online using our free templates? Each template is designed by our in-house graphic designers so you can create quality print marketing no matter your skills or experience.