This wikiHow teaches you how to create a poster-sized document in Microsoft Word on a Windows or MacOS computer. Before creating a poster, make sure that your printer can print large sizes and that you have paper of the size you want. If you can't (or don't want to) print your poster at home, send or take the poster file to a professional printing service.
Step
Step 1. Open Microsoft Word
If not, launch Microsoft Word from the “Start” menu (Windows) or the “Applications” folder (macOS). The " New " page will be displayed in the Word window.
Step 2. Click the Blank Document option
This option is the first option in the list of new file types.
Step 3. Click the Layout tab or Page Layouts.
The tab names may vary depending on the version of Microsoft Word you're using, but you can usually find them at the top of the program window.
Step 4. Click the Size button on the toolbar
It's in the upper-left corner of the program window. Various document size options will be displayed.
Step 5. Choose a poster size
Keep in mind that if you are using a home printer, it may not support larger paper sizes. To determine your own size, click More Paper Sizes ” at the bottom of the menu and select the desired size.
- If you need to print a larger poster, create a poster file, save the file to a fast drive, and print the file at the nearest professional printing center.
- The poster size generally supported by most home printers is 28 x 43 centimeters (11 x 17 inches). You can find 28 x 43 centimeters of paper at stores that usually sell stationery and paper.
Step 6. Select the orientation of the poster
If you want to print the poster horizontally (horizontally or in Landscape mode), click the “ Orientation " on tabs " Page Layout " and select " Landscape " If you don't mind printing the poster vertically (vertical or Portrait mode), skip this step.
Step 7. Create a poster title
Most posters have large title text at the top. If you want to create a poster header or title, follow these steps:
- Click the tab " Insert ” at the top of the Word window.
- Click " Text Box ” in the upper-right corner of the Word window.
- Choose " Simple Text Box ” to enter a text field.
- Type in a few words that you want the large funds to appear on the poster.
- Mark the text in the title.
- Click the tab " Home ” to return to the font options, then select a large, easy-to-read font. You can also choose a text color if you want to print a color poster.
- Drag the corners of the text field until the column is the size you want. You can also move a column of text to another position by hovering over one side of the column and then dragging it where you want it.
- Another way to add a poster header or title is to click the “ Word Art " on tabs " Insert ”, then select the desired design. Search and read articles on how to create Word Art text to learn more about this feature.
Step 8. Insert an image or visual element into the poster
If you have a specific photo or illustration that you want to add to the poster, insert the content by clicking the “tab Insert " and choose " Pictures " If the photo needs to appear below the title, drag the title bar over the photo.
You can also insert shapes and customize them. To add a shape, click the tab “ Insert " and select " Shapes " After that, you can select the shape and use the mouse to draw it in the desired position. You can also type text on a shape by double-clicking the shape to activate the typing cursor.
Step 9. Add plain text
To insert text into the poster, add another text field as when you created the title (on the “” tab) Insert ”), then type the desired text. You can format it with the appropriate font and orientation on the “ Home ”.
- If you want to add text to multiple sections of the poster, place each paragraph or text in its own column. This way, you can easily format each column of text and easily move its position if necessary.
- To change the text orientation, click one of the orientation options in the " Paragraph " section of the “tab. Home ”.
- To learn how to format and shape text around an image, read the article on how to package and shape text in Microsoft Word.
- For tips on setting text orientation, see the article on how to change text orientation in Microsoft Word.
Step 10. Save the final poster
Click the menu File ” in the upper-left corner of the Word window, select “ Save As ”, and save the file to the desired directory.
Step 11. Print the poster
If you want to print your own poster at home, follow these steps:
- Load paper of the appropriate size into the printer. Make sure the size matches the size selected for the poster document.
- Click the menu " File ” in the upper-left corner of the Word window.
- Click " Print ”.
- Select the printer you want to use, color preference, and other settings.
- Click " Print ”.
