Poster design is a challenge for any graphic designer. A poster is put to a thousand uses, from advertising and event promotion, to public-service announcements. The challenge is to use this simple, two-dimensional medium to engage, inform, and motivate people. Easy to say, but not so easy to do.

Certain principles of composition -- unity, balance, and rhythm -- can make your posters stop people in their tracks. This article uses illustrations and examples to help you turn principles into effective posters.

We've posted this excerpt as a PDF file. To open the PDF file in your Web browser, click "Posters." You can also download the PDF to your machine for later viewing.

To open the PDF, you'll need a full version of Adobe Acrobat (5 or higher) or the Adobe Reader, which you can download here:

.

To learn how to configure your browser for viewing PDF files, see the Adobe Reader tech support page.

Pages 196-227 excerpted from "Graphic Design Portfolio-Builder: Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator Projects" by Sessions.edu. Copyright © 2005. Used with the permission of Pearson Education, Inc. and Sessions.edu.