Retro Poster
Make a poster in a 60s, 70s or 80s style with your own words. Pick one of six layouts (rounded corner stripes, a rounded screen filled with stripes, target rings with bars, a starburst badge, scattered 80s shapes and squiggles, or big type with two drop shadows) and one of six colourways, from orange, mustard and brown to pink and teal on navy. Your headline, second line and details are set in a bold sans, centred, in a text area at the bottom or top that the shapes never cross. The scattered-shapes layout is drawn from a seed: press New scatter for another arrangement, or type a seed to get the same poster again. Pick a poster size from A5 to A1 or US Letter to 24 × 36 in, then download a PDF at the real size, a proof on US Letter or A4, a PNG or an SVG. Nothing is uploaded.
100% private — everything runs in your browser. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
The poster-size PDF is the real size you pick (print it at 100% on that paper, or send it to a print shop). The proof fits the whole poster on one US Letter or A4 page with a 2 cm check bar. PNG at 72, 150 or 300 DPI; SVG in millimetres.
Retro-style poster
Your text
Poster size
Proof PDF
Runs in your browser with our own code: nothing you type is uploaded or saved. The stripes, rings, starbursts and shapes are geometry we draw ourselves, and every word on the poster is yours. You may use what you make here, including commercially, with no credit needed.
How to make a retro-style poster
- Pick a preset, or a layout and colours.
- Type your headline, a second line and up to six lines of details.
- Put the text area at the bottom or the top; for the scattered-shapes layout press New scatter until you like it.
- Pick the poster size and orientation; the type is sized to fit its area.
- Download the PDF at poster size, a Letter / A4 proof, the PNG or the SVG.
What you can use it for
- Party, disco-night and roller-rink posters
- Record fairs, flea markets and garage sales
- Movie nights and club notices
- Birthday and anniversary invitations in a decade theme
- Wall prints
- Social posts from the PNG
The 14 presets
| Preset | Layout | Colours | Size | Text area | Default headline | Headline size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corner stripes, 70s colours, A3 | Rounded corner stripes (70s) | Orange, mustard, brown and olive | A3 (297 × 420 mm) | Bottom | Saturday Night Social | 79.6 pt |
| Corner stripes, earth tones, A2 | Rounded corner stripes (70s) | Rust, ochre and sage | A2 (420 × 594 mm) | Bottom | Vinyl Fair | 192.6 pt |
| Rounded screen, A3 | Rounded screen with stripes (70s) | Orange, mustard, brown and olive | A3 (297 × 420 mm) | Bottom | Movie Night | 111.3 pt |
| Rounded screen on plum, 18 × 24 in | Rounded screen with stripes (70s) | Coral and peach on plum | 18 × 24 in | Bottom | Saturday Night Social | 114.7 pt |
| Target rings, 60s colours, A3 | Target rings and bars (60s) | Red, turquoise and yellow on white | A3 (297 × 420 mm) | Bottom | Garage Sale | 101.6 pt |
| Target rings, text on top, Tabloid | Target rings and bars (60s) | Red, turquoise and yellow on white | Tabloid (11 × 17 in) | Top | Saturday Night Social | 82.1 pt |
| Starburst badge, A3 | Starburst badge (60s) | Red, turquoise and yellow on white | A3 (297 × 420 mm) | Bottom | Grand Opening | 87.2 pt |
| Starburst, pastel, A4 | Starburst badge (60s) | Soft pink, sky and lilac | A4 (210 × 297 mm) | Bottom | Saturday Night Social | 55.2 pt |
| Shapes and squiggles, 80s, A3 | Scattered shapes and squiggles (80s, seeded) | Pink, teal and yellow on navy | A3 (297 × 420 mm) | Bottom | Roller Disco | 98.5 pt |
| Shapes and squiggles, pastel, US Letter | Scattered shapes and squiggles (80s, seeded) | Soft pink, sky and lilac | US Letter (8.5 × 11 in) | Bottom | Saturday Night Social | 52 pt |
| Big type with shadows, A3 | Big type with two drop shadows (70s) | Orange, mustard, brown and olive | A3 (297 × 420 mm) | Bottom | Far Out Fest | 137.7 pt |
| Shadowed type, 80s, A2 | Big type with two drop shadows (70s) | Pink, teal and yellow on navy | A2 (420 × 594 mm) | Bottom | Saturday Night Social | 142 pt |
| Corner stripes, landscape A3 | Rounded corner stripes (70s) | Coral and peach on plum | A3 (297 × 420 mm), landscape | Bottom | Saturday Night Social | 84.6 pt |
| Target rings, A1 | Target rings and bars (60s) | Rust, ochre and sage | A1 (594 × 841 mm) | Bottom | Saturday Night Social | 155.6 pt |
Presets change the layout, colours, text area, seed and size; your own text stays as you typed it.
The six layouts
| Layout | What is in it |
|---|---|
| Rounded corner stripes (70s) | Four stripes that run in from the left, turn a rounded corner and drop to the text area |
| Rounded screen with stripes (70s) | A rounded frame with seven horizontal colour bands inside it |
| Target rings and bars (60s) | Seven rings round one centre, with a bar either side |
| Starburst badge (60s) | A 24-point burst, two rings and an eight-point star in the middle |
| Scattered shapes and squiggles (80s, seeded) | 34 dots, triangles, zigzags, dashes and half rings scattered by the seed |
| Big type with two drop shadows (70s) | Corner stripes and a larger headline with two offset shadow copies |
The colours
| Colours | Ground | Colour 1 | Colour 2 | Colour 3 | Colour 4 | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange, mustard, brown and olive | #f3e7cf | #e2711d | #e9b949 | #7a4419 | #6b7b3a | #3b2314 |
| Red, turquoise and yellow on white | #fbf6ec | #e63946 | #2a9d8f | #f4c430 | #1d3557 | #1d3557 |
| Pink, teal and yellow on navy | #1b1f3b | #ff4f9a | #2ec4b6 | #ffd23f | #8e5bd1 | #fdf6e3 |
| Rust, ochre and sage | #efe3c8 | #b4532a | #d89a3c | #8a9a5b | #4a2c1a | #4a2c1a |
| Soft pink, sky and lilac | #fff3e6 | #ff8fab | #8fd3ff | #ffe066 | #b388eb | #3a2e5c |
| Coral and peach on plum | #2d1b33 | #f25c54 | #f7b267 | #f4845f | #8c5383 | #fbe8d3 |
Poster sizes and safe area
| Size | Poster | Safe area (each edge) | PNG at 150 DPI | PNG at 300 DPI | Proof on US Letter | Proof on A4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A5 | 148 × 210 mm | 7.4 mm | 874 × 1240 px | 1748 × 2480 px | 112.4 % | 120.7 % |
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm | 10.5 mm | 1240 × 1754 px | 2480 × 3508 px | 79.5 % | 85 % |
| A3 | 297 × 420 mm | 14.9 mm | 1754 × 2480 px | use 150 DPI or the PDF | 56.2 % | 60.1 % |
| A2 | 420 × 594 mm | 21 mm | 2480 × 3508 px | use 150 DPI or the PDF | 39.7 % | 42.5 % |
| A1 | 594 × 841 mm | 29.7 mm | 3508 × 4967 px | use 150 DPI or the PDF | 28.1 % | 30.1 % |
| US Letter | 215.9 × 279.4 mm | 10.8 mm | 1275 × 1650 px | 2550 × 3300 px | 84.5 % | 82.7 % |
| Tabloid | 279.4 × 431.8 mm | 14 mm | 1650 × 2550 px | use 150 DPI or the PDF | 54.7 % | 58.7 % |
| 18 × 24 in | 457.2 × 609.6 mm | 22.9 mm | 2700 × 3600 px | use 150 DPI or the PDF | 38.7 % | 39.1 % |
| 24 × 36 in | 609.6 × 914.4 mm | 30.5 mm | 3600 × 5400 px | use 150 DPI or the PDF | 25.8 % | 27.7 % |
Browsers cap a picture at about 16.7 million pixels, so the biggest sizes stop at 150 DPI as PNG; the PDF has no such limit and is drawn as vector shapes and text at the real size.
What you can download
| Download | What is in it |
|---|---|
| PDF at poster size | One page the size of the poster (real size), vector shapes and real, selectable text |
| Proof PDF | The whole poster fitted on one US Letter or A4 page, with a thin trim line and a 2 cm check bar |
| PNG | The poster as a picture at 72, 150 or 300 DPI |
| SVG | Vector shapes and text in millimetres, to edit further |
Which tool to use
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| A 60s, 70s or 80s poster with your text | Retro Poster (this page) |
| A full-frame retro background with no text | Retro Background |
| Warped lettering on rings, waves or a swirl | Psychedelic Poster |
| A travel poster with a scene and a place name | Travel Poster |
| Stepped fans and gold lines | Art Deco Poster |
| Any poster from a photo and your text | Poster Maker |
Other tools: the Poster Maker lays out a poster around your own photo, the Color Palette Generator finds colours that go together, and Poster Sizes lists every standard size.
More free tools
Posters, colour and print?
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Frequently asked questions
What does the tool draw?
Only plain geometry we draw ourselves: rounded stripes, a rounded screen, rings, a starburst, dots, triangles, zigzags, dashes and half rings, in flat colours. There is no logo, brand or copied lettering, and every word on the poster is yours.
Can the shapes run into the text?
No. The poster is split into an art area and a text area, and every shape is cut exactly at the edge of the art area. The tests check that the two areas never overlap and that no two lines of type touch.
How do the drop shadows work?
The big-type layout draws two copies of each headline line behind it, each shifted down and to the right by 3.25 % of the type size, in two colours from the palette. The headline is fitted with room left for the shadows, so they stay inside the safe area too.
How is the type sized?
The headline takes the largest size that fits its part of the text area in up to three lines, without breaking a word, and never below 4 % of the poster’s short side. If the second line and details then do not fit, the headline gives up some room. If it still does not fit, the tool asks you to shorten the text instead of cutting it.
What does the seed do?
Only the scattered-shapes layout uses it: the shapes, sizes, colours and places come from a seeded random sequence, so the same seed always gives the same poster. The other five layouts are fixed compositions.
What is the safe area?
A border of 5 % of the poster’s short side. No letter comes closer to the edge than that, so trimming never cuts into the type. Shapes may run to the edge and are cut exactly at the trim.
Which sizes can I print?
A5, A4, A3, A2 and A1, US Letter, Tabloid (11 × 17 in), 18 × 24 in and 24 × 36 in, portrait or landscape. The PDF page is the poster at its real size.
Why is the PNG off at 300 DPI for big posters?
Browsers cap a picture at about 16.7 million pixels. Use 150 DPI for the PNG, or the PDF, which is vector and prints sharp at any size.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit; the note under the tool says how you may use what you make.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The poster is drawn by JavaScript in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved when you close the page.