Artists in the 1960s and ‘70s created psychedelic posters to fit the rock music and drug use of the era. The artwork is supposed to express images produced by a brain on psychedelic drugs like LSD. And no matter what you think about drugs, no one can help but admit that the artwork is vibrant, intricate, and creative. Using psychedelic designs (without the drugs, of course) can attract attention and generate interest in your concert, making it an event everyone wants to attend. Here are some great design tips:

Look at Psychedelic Posters

Before designing your own psychedelic poster printing, look at lots of posters for inspiration. You can find plenty of examples online. Notice common colors and themes that you find interesting or appealing.

Sketch Your Design

Before trying to create a poster design with design software, pull out a sketch pad and draw some rough drafts. You will have more flexibility in developing your design if you start with a pencil and paper.

Use Signature Elements

To get a psychedelic look when poster printing, use lots of wide curvy lines. Integrate the text into the design by drawing distorted letters that fit into the curves. The end result should be intricate and look a bit surreal.

Use Contrasting Colors

Use colors that have a lot of contrast: blue with orange and yellow, green with red and purple. Choose bright colors rather than muted tones or neutrals. Although, if you want to do a play-on psychedelic design, you could use more modern colors like black and red and still use the above design techniques.

Using Software

When putting your design into the computer, first set the size that you need the poster to be and then set the resolution at 300ppi so you will end up with a quality poster printing. Create your design in layers by doing all of one color at a time. If you want to have one color merge into the next, use your program’s gradient tool.

Have Your Design Professionally Printed

To get the best quality poster, have it professionally printed. A poster printing company will produce an attractive poster with durable paper that will last and look great. If you plan on hanging posters outside, get a protective UV coating to keep it from fading.