How to Put up Posters

Clean your hands before handling., Lay the poster flat., Clean the space on the wall where you plan to put the poster., Use a removable adhesive., Attach the removable adhesive to the back of the poster., Put up the poster., Peel to remove., Use a...

8 Steps 4 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Clean your hands before handling.

    Before even removing your poster from the tube, you should wash your hands.

    Even normal amounts of grease and oils on your hands can leave smudges, especially on the darker areas of the print.
  2. Step 2: Lay the poster flat.

    Fresh out of the tube, the poster will naturally want to roll up, which will pull against any adhesive you use and make the poster curl away from the wall at non-adhered spots as well.

    By laying the poster flat with the print side up and weighing it down at each corner, you can straighten the poster before attempting to put it up.

    Posters on a thicker stock that didn’t come in a tube obviously don’t need this step. , Even without us touching them, walls get dirty.

    Humidity, dust from the heating and cooling systems, and even people breathing in a room over time can create slick spots that make it hard for posters to adhere.

    Use a damp towel maybe with a tiny spot of dish soap to clean any oils or grease off the wall.

    Also try to remember how recently the room was painted.

    The putty-like substance you can use to adhere posters will cause the covered spot to oxidize less than the rest of the wall.

    For really fresh paint, that can lead to slight discolorations. , You have a couple of different options when it comes to removable adhesives.

    There are specific types of removable, double-sided tape often marketed as poster tape.

    You can also choose a removable adhesive putty, which is often marketed as poster tack. , Rather than try to space the adhesive on the wall and squish the poster against it, it’s much easier to place the poster facedown on a clean surface and attach the adhesive to the poster before putting it on the wall.You want to get all four corners, the midpoints between the corners, and one piece right in the center as well to keep circulating air from either fans or air conditioning from getting behind the poster and blowing it off the wall.If the poster is longer than two feet on any side, you may want to put two pieces of adhesive equidistant between the corners to be safe.

    If you’re using poster tack, then you’ll need to rub a piece roughly the size of a chewed piece of gum between your fingers to shape it and make it stickier. , With the adhesive on each spot, you’re now ready to put the poster on the wall.

    Start at the top two corners and push firmly against the exact spot where the adhesive is.

    Then work down the sides and keep the poster taut as you go so as not to form any bubbles or wrinkles in it.

    Finally, push down the spot opposite the middle piece of adhesive to make sure it sticks as well.

    If you’re worried about making sure the poster is straight, you can first mark the wall in pencil using a level, or you can simply get a friend to stand back and tell you if it’s straight when you hold it up but before you press it against the wall. , When it comes time to take the poster down, don’t simply pull the poster off the wall because it will rip.

    Instead, peel the poster back with your fingers very close to the piece of tape or tack you’re peeling against.

    This will keep the force on the tack rather than the much weaker paper the poster is printed on. , Frustrated with the stickiness? Simple! Use magnets! There are magnetic poster hangers out there that use really strong magnets to hang your posters without damaging them.
  3. Step 3: Clean the space on the wall where you plan to put the poster.

  4. Step 4: Use a removable adhesive.

  5. Step 5: Attach the removable adhesive to the back of the poster.

  6. Step 6: Put up the poster.

  7. Step 7: Peel to remove.

  8. Step 8: Use a magnetic based hanger for a non-sticky way of doing it.

Detailed Guide

Before even removing your poster from the tube, you should wash your hands.

Even normal amounts of grease and oils on your hands can leave smudges, especially on the darker areas of the print.

Fresh out of the tube, the poster will naturally want to roll up, which will pull against any adhesive you use and make the poster curl away from the wall at non-adhered spots as well.

By laying the poster flat with the print side up and weighing it down at each corner, you can straighten the poster before attempting to put it up.

Posters on a thicker stock that didn’t come in a tube obviously don’t need this step. , Even without us touching them, walls get dirty.

Humidity, dust from the heating and cooling systems, and even people breathing in a room over time can create slick spots that make it hard for posters to adhere.

Use a damp towel maybe with a tiny spot of dish soap to clean any oils or grease off the wall.

Also try to remember how recently the room was painted.

The putty-like substance you can use to adhere posters will cause the covered spot to oxidize less than the rest of the wall.

For really fresh paint, that can lead to slight discolorations. , You have a couple of different options when it comes to removable adhesives.

There are specific types of removable, double-sided tape often marketed as poster tape.

You can also choose a removable adhesive putty, which is often marketed as poster tack. , Rather than try to space the adhesive on the wall and squish the poster against it, it’s much easier to place the poster facedown on a clean surface and attach the adhesive to the poster before putting it on the wall.You want to get all four corners, the midpoints between the corners, and one piece right in the center as well to keep circulating air from either fans or air conditioning from getting behind the poster and blowing it off the wall.If the poster is longer than two feet on any side, you may want to put two pieces of adhesive equidistant between the corners to be safe.

If you’re using poster tack, then you’ll need to rub a piece roughly the size of a chewed piece of gum between your fingers to shape it and make it stickier. , With the adhesive on each spot, you’re now ready to put the poster on the wall.

Start at the top two corners and push firmly against the exact spot where the adhesive is.

Then work down the sides and keep the poster taut as you go so as not to form any bubbles or wrinkles in it.

Finally, push down the spot opposite the middle piece of adhesive to make sure it sticks as well.

If you’re worried about making sure the poster is straight, you can first mark the wall in pencil using a level, or you can simply get a friend to stand back and tell you if it’s straight when you hold it up but before you press it against the wall. , When it comes time to take the poster down, don’t simply pull the poster off the wall because it will rip.

Instead, peel the poster back with your fingers very close to the piece of tape or tack you’re peeling against.

This will keep the force on the tack rather than the much weaker paper the poster is printed on. , Frustrated with the stickiness? Simple! Use magnets! There are magnetic poster hangers out there that use really strong magnets to hang your posters without damaging them.

About the Author

J

Justin Anderson

Justin Anderson has dedicated 10 years to mastering lifestyle and practical guides. As a content creator, Justin focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.

71 articles
View all articles

Rate This Guide

--
Loading...
5
0
4
0
3
0
2
0
1
0

How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: