Getly
An event poster has one job: tell a stranger walking past what is happening, where and when, in about three seconds. A template saves you the layout, the type and the texture. What it cannot save you from is a file that prints blurry, loses its edges at the trimmer, or turns out to be a flat picture with the sample band name baked in. This guide is about avoiding those three outcomes.
It is written for people who need posters for a gig, a club night, a church fair, a school event, a shop opening or a workshop, and who want something that looks designed without paying a designer. We cover print sizes and the technical specs that matter, how to tell an editable template from a finished image, and a few packs on Getly worth opening.
What the poster shelf contains, measured on 29 October 2026
The Poster Templates category holds 51 active listings. The median price is $4.99, and the middle half costs between $1.99 and $9.99. Formats tell the real story: about 45% of listings deliver a JPG and 29% a PNG, while PDFs and ZIP archives are about 10% each. Most of the JPG and PNG listings are finished art prints, wall posters with fixed artwork, not templates you edit.
Licences matter for events because the poster is used to promote something, and 53% of these listings state no licence at all. Of the rest, 24% are personal, 12% commercial, 8% extended. For editable promo designs, also browse Canva Templates (72 active listings, median $5).
Print sizes and specs you should know
| Size | Millimetres / inches | Pixels at 300 DPI | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 210 x 297 mm | 2480 x 3508 | Noticeboards, shop windows, flyers |
| A3 | 297 x 420 mm | 3508 x 4961 | Cafes, campus boards, venue walls |
| A2 | 420 x 594 mm | 4961 x 7016 | Street posting, venue entrances |
| US Letter | 8.5 x 11 in | 2550 x 3300 | Office and home printers in the US |
| Tabloid | 11 x 17 in | 3300 x 5100 | Classic US gig poster |
| 18 x 24 in | 457 x 610 mm | 5400 x 7200 | Large posters, print shops |
| Instagram Story | 1080 x 1920 px | screen only | The online version of the same poster |
- Bleed: 3 mm on each side (0.125 in in the US). Background art should run into the bleed so the trimmer leaves no white edge.
- Safe zone: keep text at least 3 to 5 mm inside the trim line.
- Resolution: 300 DPI at final size for close viewing; large posters seen from a distance survive 150 DPI, but never scale up a small JPG.
- Colour: CMYK for a print shop, RGB for home printing and screens. A good template says which it uses.
- Scaling: A sizes share one proportion, so an A4 design scales to A3 and A2 cleanly. US Letter and Tabloid are different shapes and need a re-layout.
Editable template or finished picture?
- Check the format. PSD, AI, layered PDF or a Canva link means editable. A flat JPG or PNG means the text is part of the image, and changing the date means painting over it.
- Look for a placeholder. Good event templates say where your photo goes and that text layers stay live.
- Fonts. Free fonts with download links, or Canva fonts, are fine. A premium font that is not included leaves you with a substitute that breaks the design.
- Canva templates arrive as a link. You usually get a PDF with an access link to copy the design into your own Canva account. That is normal, but read the listing to be sure the PDF is the delivery and not the whole product.
- Licence for promotion. If the poster advertises a paid event or a business, look for commercial or extended terms. If the listing states none, ask the seller.
- Avoid famous characters and brands. Posters built around film, anime or sportswear brands are risky to use for a public event, whatever the listing says.
Poster templates on Getly worth a look
- Grunge Revival gig poster template pack ($26). Nine 90s xerox-style gig posters as PSD files: A4 with 3 mm bleed, CMYK, 300 DPI, organised layers, a photo placeholder that takes on the photocopy treatment, accent colours on their own shape layers, free fonts with links in the included documentation. Extended licence. This is what a print-ready template description should look like.
- Small business promo poster kit ($2.99). Twenty editable Canva posters including Grand Opening, Now Open, New Menu, Flash Sale and Coming Soon, delivered as a PDF with the Canva access link. Extended licence. Practical for shops, cafes and salons that need event and opening posters fast.
- Western wanted poster template pack ($3.99). Nine vertical retro layouts with distressed paper, burned edges and blank portrait frames. Handy for themed parties, game nights and props; the listing does not state a licence, so ask before using it for a paid event.
Buying and printing
Order a single proof before printing a hundred copies; it costs less than a reprint. On Getly you pay by card or in USDT/USDC, no account needed, and the files are available right after a card payment. Every store gives at least 30 days to request a refund, reviewed by the Getly team. If a listing does not say its size, bleed or colour mode, message the seller from the product page: a seller who answers that quickly usually made the file properly.
