What is a Digital Poster, and How Can You Make One?

8 mins

TLDR Key Takeaways

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What is a Digital Poster?

Digital posters are multimedia displays that replace traditional printed signs with vibrant, dynamic, and easily updatable content. From eye-catching ads in store windows to real-time event schedules in airports, digital posters help businesses communicate smarter and faster.

In this guide, you'll learn:

  • What a digital poster actually is (with examples)
  • The difference between static and dynamic digital posters
  • What tools you need to make one
  • Step-by-step instructions for creating and publishing your own

Why use a Digital Poster instead of a Static Sign?

We cover the main benefits of digital signage at length in some of our other posts, but long-story-short, digital posters provide a significantly higher ROI than a printed poster – and improved engagement across the board that helps to scale your business.

When it comes to digital posters, there are a few key reasons why this technology is so important for your business. We already mentioned it before, but the most obvious reason still remains the fact that digital signage can reach a far wider audience than traditional print media due to the flexibility that is inherent in the digital world.

Digital posters offer key advantages over traditional print:

  • Easier to update: Change content instantly from anywhere.
  • More engaging: Use video, animation, and interactivity to grab attention.
  • Cost-effective: Save on printing and distribution costs over time.
  • Customizable: Tailor messages to different audiences or times of day.

Whether you're promoting daily specials, guiding visitors through a space, or sharing announcements, digital posters provide a flexible and scalable way to communicate.


What Are the Types of Digital Posters? (with Examples)

Now we have talked a lot about the versatility of the creative on digital posters already – but not all digital posters need to be animated. When it comes to creating a digital poster, often static digital posters are just as useful as dynamic graphics when it comes to reaping the benefits of digital signage.

There are two primary types:

Static Digital Posters

These display fixed content—great for:

  • Daily restaurant menus
  • Price lists
  • Event info that rarely changes

Dynamic Digital Posters

These include animations, motion graphics, or video. They're ideal for:

  • Retail promotions
  • Live announcements
  • Real-time updates (like flight schedules)

Choose static for consistency, dynamic for attention-grabbing content.

When to Use a Static Digital Poster

Static digital posters are those that don’t move and can still be updated with new poster content as needed. They are perfect for events or locations where you will have a limited amount of time to make changes and updates, or for sharing information on a display screen, or poster design, that will rarely if ever change.

An example of a static digital poster would be one used in a local electronics store. In this type of setting, it would be very difficult to change the digital poster on a regular basis – so a static option is perfect.

The content might include things like special deals or sales that are happening in the store at that moment, or images and product information about the latest gadgets available.

Some other popular ways of using static digital signage include:

  • Digital menu boards replace physical menus with colorful and easy-to-update digital menus to display the items your restaurant, cafe, or bar serves.
  • Advertising materials: win more customers in a more engaging way using digital posters.
  • Event posters: promote an upcoming event using digital signage to generate more buzz and attract more visitors.
  • Educational & motivational materials: from promoting positive policies within an institution to motivating your target audience to take positive steps towards improving their life, digital signage is perfect for bite-sized pieces of information.
  • Wayfinding: static digital posters can be deployed at crowded areas like shopping malls, supermarkets, railway stations, and airports to help visitors navigate through the building with ease.

Pro Tip: Static digital posters are easy to manage and great for locations with limited internet access or design resources.

When and How to Use a Dynamic Digital Poster

Dynamic digital poster


Dynamic digital posters, as we mentioned before, are digital posters that feature moving images or animations driven by multimedia formats like motion graphics or gif files. Like static digital posters, these also can be swapped and adjusted remotely at any time – but are often used in a more interactive setting or meant to capture the attention of a wider audience.

An example of a dynamic digital poster would be one found in an airport terminal that displays flight information for all the flights currently boarding at that time or public service announcements that need to be updated based on rapidly changing news or events.

Because dynamic digital posters are so versatile and can be changed to reflect any additional details, messaging, or branding – they are perfect for businesses who want to keep their content updated with the latest iterations.

Wallboard has built-in animations allowing you to create dynamic digital posters without the need to use third-party software or have video editing experience.

What Do You Need to Build a Digital poster?

To build a digital poster, you need three things:

1. Hardware

When it comes to the hardware needed to build a digital poster, there are two things you need: a display screen and an interactive device.

This includes:

  • A display screen (LCD or LED) - The most common type of digital poster is one that utilizes LCD screens – but other types like LED displays might work better in certain settings. The important thing when choosing your digital poster display is that you consider both the size of screen needed for your digital poster, as well as the overall brightness levels and high definition capabilities.
  • A media player (built-in or external)
  • Optional: Interactive tools like touchscreens or pens - this hardware is what allows users to engage with digital posters and make them interactive.

2. Software

When it comes to software, you need two main components: a design tool and a playback/publishing tool. The design tool is used to create the digital poster content while the playback/publishing tool will be used to publish your digital poster to the digital poster display.

You’ll need:

  • A design tool (like Canva, PowerPoint, Adobe, or Wallboard)
  • A CMS or publishing tool to push content to your screens

3. Connectivity

The final piece of the puzzle when it comes to building digital posters is connectivity – making sure your hardware can talk to each other and work together seamlessly. This could be done through a number of ways: a digital poster playback device that connects directly to the digital poster display, wi-fi, or Bluetooth connectivity built into your digital poster hardware.

There are pros and cons for each type of connectivity – so depending on what you’re looking for in digital posters, different options might be better suited than others. For example, if you want to be able to move your digital poster around or use it in multiple locations, a playback device that connects directly to the digital poster display might be best. If you’re looking for something more portable and wireless, wi-fi or Bluetooth connectivity would be better options.

Choose how you’ll connect everything:

  • Wi-Fi or Bluetooth (for wireless flexibility)
  • Wired connections (for reliability)
  • Cloud-based control (for remote updates)



How Do You Design a Digital Poster That Works?

Start with these key design tips:

  • Use bold visuals and high-contrast text
  • Keep content bite-sized and scannable
  • Choose templates that match your brand
  • Optimize layout for screen orientation (landscape or portrait)
  • Avoid clutter—white space is your friend

Dynamic content like animated icons or transitions can boost engagement, especially in high-traffic areas.

How Do You Publish and Manage a Digital Poster?

Most digital posters are published through a CMS (Content Management System). Here's how it works:

  1. Create your content using your design tool.
  2. Upload it to your CMS (like Wallboard or another digital signage platform).
  3. Schedule or publish instantly to any screen.
  4. Monitor performance and update as needed.

Some platforms let you manage everything from a mobile device or browser—no IT team required.

Can You Track the Performance of a Digital Poster?

Yes! Many digital signage platforms offer built-in analytics so you can track:

  • Impressions
  • Engagement rates
  • Dwell time (how long people view your content)

Use this data to:

  • Test different poster designs
  • Optimize content based on audience behavior
  • Prove ROI to stakeholders


How to make a Digital Poster - a step-by-step guide

Now that you understand the basics of digital poster types, and what you need to create them – let’s review the steps to actually bringing your digital poster to life most effectively.

Step 1: Understand Your Audience & Intention

The first step to making digital posters is understanding your audience and why you’re creating digital posters in the first place. Are digital posters being displayed in a public space for passers-by? Or are they intended to be used by one or two people at a time, where interactivity is important?

Once you understand why digital posters are being created, it’s easier to identify the best type of digital poster for your needs. For example, if digital posters will be displayed in a public area where anyone can interact with them – an interactive digital poster display would be most suitable since passers-by could leave notes and feedback on what they see.

Step 2: Create Your Content

Once you understand the intent behind your content, it falls on your creative team to actually make it. But digital posters come with a few more considerations beyond traditional print posters – things like font size and legibility, or ensuring that videos and animations are properly formatted for digital playback.

When creating digital posters, always consider what’s important to your audience and how best to display that content in a digital format. For example, if you have a lot of text to include on your digital poster, using bullet points or digital poster templates with customizable text boxes can help make digital posters easier to read and understand.

Step 3: Upload to CMS & Push Live

With the audience and content in hand, now comes time to bring your digital poster to your audience, this is where your publishing platform comes into play. Publishing digital posters can be done directly from your digital poster hardware, or you might need to use a playback device that’s compatible with the digital poster display.

In most cases, digital posters are published through CMS platforms like WordPress and Wallboard – making it easy for anyone with basic computer skills to publish their own digital posters in an intuitive interface without having to learn coding or design.

Once your digital poster is live, it’s easy to share through social media and other online channels – letting your audience know that they can engage with your content in a new and exciting way.

Step 4: Check Analytics and Optimize as Needed

Once digital posters are live, it’s time to track the success of your digital poster content. Digital signage analytics help you understand who is engaging with digital posters and what they think about them – giving you insight into how well digital kiosks perform across different demographics.

Digital infographic tools like Canva can also be used to measure each digital poster campaign and see which ones are resonating with your audience the most. This data can then be used to optimize digital poster content for better results in the future.

Now that you understand how digital posters work, it’s easy to create your own and bring your content to life in a new and exciting way. By following these simple steps, you’ll be on your way to creating digital posters that engage and inform your audience.

Ready to create digital posters that get noticed? Try Wallboard for free and start designing impactful displays in minutes.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a digital poster and digital signage?

Digital posters are a type of digital signage focused on specific messages or promotions. Digital signage is a broader category including menus, kiosks, video walls, etc.

Can I make a digital poster without design experience?

Yes. Platforms like Wallboard, Canva, and PowerPoint offer templates and drag-and-drop tools that make it easy.

What size should a digital poster be?

It depends on your display. Common formats include 1920x1080 (landscape) or 1080x1920 (portrait).

How do I update a digital poster remotely?

Use a cloud-based CMS like Wallboard to publish and schedule updates in real time.

Are digital posters expensive?

Not necessarily. Costs vary based on screen size and software, but long-term savings on printing and labor make digital posters more cost-effective.