The printing method known as lithography was invented in the late 1700s as a way to publish theatrical works. It was often used to print text or artwork onto paper or similar substrates to visually showcase local happenings, often in the theater space. At the time, this printing process was too slow and expensive to be a successful way to produce what we now recognize as posters, and new tools have appeared since. It’s fascinating to see how posters have evolved from the rich history of lithography, and how designers are still implementing similar design techniques to share happenings and ideas.
In our modern days of computers and accessible digital printing, posters make up a significant part of the design world. They’re an effective design tool, whether they exist to share events, visualize marketing campaigns, or created solely to showcase imaginative thinking. Below, you’ll find five designers who utilize the poster format in innovative, visually clever ways and share the commonality of sharing their stunning designs through Instagram.
Mirza Talovic | @mirzatalovic
Give graphic designer Mirza Talovic’s Instagram feed one glance and you’ll find stunning, yet simple posters. His background in computer graphics and motion design makes sense, as the various shapes and forms on his feed highlight a clear expertise for typography and layouts. Each poster that Talovic shares is wildly different from the last, proving his creative talents and willingness to push himself outside his creative comfort zone.
Le Futur | lefutur2000
Le Futur is a studio based in Strasbourg, France that specializes in graphics, photography, web design, and typography. They have a range of skills, and the Instagram account highlights them all, but the poster designs seem to reign over the feed. Each poster quickly grasps the viewer’s attention through poppy colors, punchy typography, and photography, often edited into a collage style.
nicolavanacker | @studio.koevoet
If you love vivid uses of color, you’ll instantly be attracted to Nicola van Acker’s Instagram feed. His bright, lively work is often inspired by daily life, balancing type and imagery throughout each design. And while his pieces share upbeat color palettes, he has a way of fusing a grungy feel into his works through their subject matter and design concepts. It’s difficult to illustrate the duality between highs and lows in life’s inevitable rollercoaster, but van Acker does a fantastic job at displaying a wide range of emotions.
Vratislav Pecka | @posterlad
Czech designer Vratislav Pecka— better known as PosterLad— creates art and posters with one thing in mind: aesthetics. He believes that a poster can exist solely as a piece of art, and not necessarily to sell a product or event. Because of this belief, the artist’s works are emotional, bright, full of patterns, and clearly an extension of Pecka’s most creative self.
Silvia Borio | @silvi.pdf
Silvia Borio is a graphic designer and illustrator who shares lovely poster designs on her Instagram feed. The works have a nostalgic style that highlights sweet, cartoon-inspired illustrations happily strutting through life. While the typography in her designs almost always sticks to a Swiss-inspired design style, the overlaid drawings are more contemporary and playful. This contrast creates an engaging design aesthetic, revealing a balance of techniques.