Custom Posters
Make a Massive Impact with Custom Posters
Grab attention from across the room with our high-quality large format custom posters. Unlike digital ads that can be scrolled past in a fraction of a second, a physical, large-scale poster commands attention, holds the viewer's gaze, and leaves a lasting psychological impact. Perfect for storefront window displays, indoor event signage, trade shows, academic presentations, and office branding.
High-Quality Finishes for Every Environment
The environment where your poster will be displayed should dictate the finish you choose. We offer two premium options to ensure your artwork looks its absolute best:
- Photo Gloss: Provides a brilliant, highly reflective finish. Gloss paper is coated to maximize color saturation, making dark blacks deeper and vibrant colors pop off the page. This is the ideal choice for high-contrast photography, movie posters, and artwork intended for spaces with controlled, indirect lighting.
- Photo Matte: Offers a smooth, non-reflective finish that completely eliminates glare. If your poster features a large amount of text (like an academic research poster) or will be displayed under harsh fluorescent office lights or direct sunlight, matte is the perfect choice. It ensures your message remains entirely legible from any angle.
Versatile Applications
Our custom posters are incredibly adaptable and serve a massive variety of professional and personal needs:
- Retail & Point of Purchase: Highlight seasonal sales, new product launches, or clearance events with massive 36" x 84" window displays that draw foot traffic into your store.
- Academic & Scientific Research: Print massive, high-resolution informational graphics required for university symposiums and medical conferences.
- Corporate Branding: Decorate breakrooms, lobbies, and conference rooms with mission statements, corporate timelines, or high-resolution team photography.
- Event Promotions: Advertise local concerts, theater productions, charity galas, and community gatherings on community bulletin boards.
Uncompromising Material Quality
We do not print on cheap, thin paper that easily wrinkles or tears the moment you try to unroll it. All of our posters are produced on heavyweight, premium-grade paper stock designed specifically for wide-format plotting. This thickness prevents the paper from bubbling when framed and ensures your poster hangs perfectly flat.
Perfecting Your Poster File for Print
Large format printing is unforgiving to low-quality artwork. Because these prints are massive, any pixelation, compression artifacts, or color profile errors in your original file will be magnified significantly. Please follow these meticulous file preparation guidelines.
Resolution: The Foundation of Large Format
The single most common mistake in poster printing is using images pulled from the web. Web images are optimized for fast loading (usually 72 DPI) and lack the data needed for physical printing.
- Standard Sizes (Up to 24"x36"): Your file must be set to exactly 300 DPI (Dots Per Inch) at its final physical scale.
- Massive Sizes (36"x48" and larger): If your computer hardware struggles to render a 36x84 canvas at 300 DPI, you may safely drop the resolution to 150 DPI for the final export, as these larger posters are typically viewed from several feet away.
CMYK Color Space: Screen vs. Print
Monitors emit light using RGB (Red, Green, Blue), which can display ultra-bright, neon colors that simply cannot be replicated by physical ink. You must design or convert your document to the CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) color space. If you submit an RGB file, our printers will automatically convert it, which often results in your vibrant colors appearing muted or muddy. Designing in CMYK from the start ensures what you see on your screen matches the final print.
Bleeds, Margins, and Safe Zones
To achieve a professional "edge-to-edge" print without any white borders, you must account for the mechanical trimming process:
- The Bleed: Add a 0.125-inch margin around your entire canvas. If your poster is 18"x24", your final digital file should be 18.25"x24.25". Extend your background color or image to cover this extra space; it will be trimmed off after printing.
- The Safe Zone: Do not place any crucial text, phone numbers, or logos within 0.5 inches of the edge of your design. This ensures nothing important is accidentally clipped during trimming or hidden behind the lip of a picture frame.
Typography and Exporting
Before saving your final file, ensure that all text has been "Outlined" (Convert to Curves/Shapes). This prevents font substitution errors if our pre-press system does not have your specific font installed. We highly recommend exporting your final artwork as a flattened, high-quality PDF or TIFF to avoid the compression artifacts common in JPG files.
Turnaround & Delivery Logistics
Production Timeline
Every large format poster is printed on-demand using our state-of-the-art multi-color plotters. Standard production time is 1-3 business days following the approval of your print-ready artwork. This timeline allows our pre-press team to manually review your file for resolution issues, execute the multi-pass printing process, and allow the ink to properly dry before it is sent to the trimming tables. If our team spots a low-resolution image that will ruin your print, we will pause production and contact you for a revised file.
Local Store Pickup in Plano, TX
Are you a local business owner or student facing an urgent presentation deadline? Skip the shipping transit time entirely by selecting the Local Pickup option during checkout. Once your poster is trimmed, rolled, and ready to go, you will receive an automated email notification. You can collect your order directly from the Xpress Shipping and Printing center located at 909 W Spring Creek Pkwy, Ste 210, Plano, TX 75023.
Secure Tube Shipping
Nothing is more frustrating than unrolling a new poster only to find it was crushed or creased during transit. If you require delivery, we employ maximum protection shipping protocols. All posters size 18"x24" and larger are carefully rolled (never folded) and placed inside heavy-duty, crush-resistant corrugated tubes. We utilize triangle tubes or thick-walled cylinder tubes that prevent bending under the weight of other packages on the carrier truck.
Tracking and Rush Orders
Once your poster tube is sealed, a shipping label from one of our authorized carriers (UPS, FedEx, DHL, or USPS) is generated. A live tracking number will automatically populate in your account dashboard and be emailed to you for real-time monitoring.
If you have an absolute emergency—like a trade show tomorrow morning or a conference presentation in a few hours—please call our hotline immediately at 214-440-2130 before placing your order online. Depending on our machine capacity for the day, we can often accommodate same-day rush printing and coordinate expedited overnight shipping to ensure you have your materials exactly when you need them.