Typography Tips for Movie Posters

Movies are a classic summer pastime leading to increased movie advertising, and poster printing is a popular way to advertise new features. Many people looking casually at movie posters miss the important design elements. One of those elements is the font, so here we will discuss some typography tips for movie posters.

Tone
The typography used for a movie poster should reflect the mood of the movie in terms of the theme (scary, adventurous, romantic, etc) and also the era or setting of the story. It can be a challenge to find fonts already in use to achieve the look one wants for a particular movie poster, so many times new fonts are designed for the project. Choosing a font that matches the movie in these key areas can make all the difference in the success of poster printing campaigns for movies.
 

Consistency
Once the font is chosen, it should be used consistently in the marketing materials and even in the movie titles. Mixing various fonts for a title sequence and on an advertisement is unadvisable. The distinctive font chosen for the title should become part of the brand, making movie paraphernalia recognizable at a glance. You can use a different font for the body text to create contrast, but always stick to the same use for each font, although you may just want to use a different size, rather than a different style of font. And the font used for the headline of posters should be the same as feature credits.
 

Size
Size does matter when it comes to the font for poster printing. The font needs to be quickly, easily read both for the title and a subheading or two. Over-sizing the font can be detrimental, crowding all the elements of the poster as it fights for space.
 

Attractive
Of course poster ads are intended to attract attention and the type and size of the font that you choose will help you accomplish that goal. Focus on either the font or the poster image to draw attention of passersby. Make sure the spacing around the title font is sufficient to set off the text.
 

Simplicity
Keep the total poster design simple. Simplicity allows the various elements to stand out and make an impact on viewers.  For the final touch on any poster printing project, including movie posters, you will need to find a good printer who will be able to render your poster in high quality with a variety of stocks, sizes, and finishes to add durability and effect.