Faux-inspirational posters

[embrodak]

Here's a pretty cool technique for making an inspirational poster using Inkscape. This can be done in the Gimp or Photoshop, but Inkscape works better for a reason I won't go into right now.

Here's the before image:



And here's the after image:



The process:

1. Take a snazzy picture and come up with a sardonic subtitle
2. Add a white border
3. Add a large black border
4. Write the main word under the picture in large letters, usually taking a color from the poster (use the dropper tool)
5. Write the subtitle in white

Really detailed Inkscape instructions:

1. Go to File --> Import... to import your image
2. Make the white border:
(a) Use the rectangle tool (F4) to draw a white rectangle behind your image (use PgDn to move it behind the image, and use the palette on the bottom of the screen to turn it white)
(b) Use the alignment function Object --> Align and Distribute (or Ctrl-Shift-A) to center the white square behind the image. If it's too big or small, click on it to resize.
(c) It might be useful to group the white border with the image, by selecting both and typing Ctrl-G
3. Add a black border: follow the exact same process, but with a much larger black square.
4. Use the text tool to add the text
(a) The main word (here "Scholarship") should be written in three different segments, "cholarshi", "S", and "P". so that the S and P can be larger.
(b) Use the dropper tool to pick a color from the image for the word
(c) Use the text tool again to add the white line below scholarship
(d) Use the align tool again (Ctrl-Shift-A) to center the text with the image
5. Go to File --> Export bitmap to export the image (natively in png form, although jpeg is possible).

Tell me what you think!!

[mdpix]

I like the composition and the saying. Did you do this for something in particular? Very creative. Thanks for sharing

[southernbelle]

Very cool idea! Thanks for sharing the steps!

[embrodak]

Thanks! I did it just for fun... I've made a few other posters as well, and have started hanging them up in inappropriate places.

[wingedphoto]

There's also a quick-and-dirty online method over at FD's Flickr Toys.

[Mstee4eva]

Lol, great tut! ';0)...

[mswebb]

Love the idea. Great photo and the text goes so well.

I threw one together to see how easy it was to do in my word processor and it's really a breeze. The shot was a quick shot to test the macro mode of my kids point&shoot camera. Couldn't come up with much better in my sleep deprived state...

[Father Bob]

Originally Posted by embrodak

Thanks! I did it just for fun... I've made a few other posters as well, and have started hanging them up in inappropriate places.

Great idea! I'm going to try it out and post them (the inappropriate ones, of course) around my office.

[Mandy73]

I like it!

The borders set the photo off really well, I've tried something similar before now but with out the witty sub title. I'll have to give it a go.

Why does it work better in Inkscape?

[mswebb]

Originally Posted by Mandy73

Why does it work better in Inkscape?

I don't know anything about Inkskape other than it's a vector program so it easily supports sizable shape objects.

I did min in Pages on a Mac.

Make black box
Make the a white box
Drag a picture into white box (box becomes a mask)
Resize as necessary
Use text boxes to create text objects (first and last letters in their own box, all boxes unchecked to cause wrap)
Since this was just for online I used shift-cmd-4 to screen capture just the poster.