• Special events in your personal life or in an organization to which you belong often call for a poster to be made. These can be hand drawn or digitally designed. A computer-generated poster can be created with software that is free and easy to use. The final image can be printed on glossy poster paper, typically at a local copy shop. A poster created by hand requires a few basic designing tools to assist you in creating a finished design and a professional appearance.
  
  

Board or Paper

• The first of the poster designing tools to be gathered is the type of paper or material for the creation of the poster. Poster board is purchased in a variety of colors, and may be offered by the retailer in a selection of sizes. Styrofoam board, often used for school projects, doubles as a firm board for posters.
  
  Brown kraft paper and white butcher paper are purchased in rolls, and are affordable options for creating multiple posters. Craft stores supply a variety of papers on wide rolls that are cut to size at the time of purchase. Add a paint finish to ultra-thin plywood for very large posters, especially if it is intended for outdoor use.
  
  

Measuring and Straight Lines

• For the poster to appear professionally made, designing tools are necessary that aid in creating straight lines, perfect circles, arches and angles. A yard stick is handy for marking faint perspective lines as you create dimensional images and layouts. Rulers and straight edges are more convenient than a yard stick for making straight lines within the main drawing. A T-square makes it easy to create perfectly square perpendicular lines. A protractor, also called a compass, is a drafting tool "used to measure and draw precise angles and curves," according to Mister Art, a leading online supplier of drafting and drawing tools.
  
  

Main Design

• The heart of the poster is the elements that create the visual statement. Thoughtful planning of the color medium is necessary when selecting designing tools. Initial work may be done with a pencil. Paint, watercolors, markers, crayons and chalk are common choices to add visual impact.
  
  Other options to illustrate the main design of a poster include gluing or adhering photographs or colored paper cut into shapes. A collage cut from magazine images is an effective use of color and imagery. Decals, rub-on lettering or stencils, and pin striping tape are convenient designing tools to further define the message of the poster.
  
  

Graphic Design Software

• Graphic design software is one of the best poster designing tools. Working electronically eliminates wasted poster board and other supplies from error or changes in design. Digitally created posters appear professionally designed, with the files easily transferred for digital or screen printing of the poster. Fading transitions between photographic images are easy to achieve, while a wide variety of fonts offer choices to better convey a specific mood through the poster text.