PGSF Poster Contest

Project Brief

Win $500 if your design is chosen!

Each year the Print and Graphic Scholarship Foundation (PGSF) awards 200+ college-level $2,000-$5,000 scholarships to full-time and part-time students. Each year they also host a contest to create posters that promote their scholarships.

Design two 11"x17" posters that promote each of their scholarship programs:

  • Full-time Student Scholarship

  • Part-time Student Scholarship


Required Content (included on the template):


Past Winners

Past Winners

Full-Time Student Scholarship

  • (PGSF logo)

  • $2,000-$5,000 Scholarships for Full-Time Students

  • Over 200 scholarships available.

  • Due: May 1, 2023

  • Eligibility Requirements

    • Must be pursuing a career in graphic communications or related field at a U.S. technical school or college

    • Must be a full-time student

    • Must be a high school senior or high school graduate

    • Must be able to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher

  • Learn more: PGSF.org | contact@pgsf.org

Part-Time Student Scholarship

  • (PGSF logo)

  • $2,000-$5,000 Scholarships for Part-Time Students

  • Over 200 scholarships available.

  • Due: May 1, 2023

  • Eligibility Requirements

    • Must be currently employed in the graphic communications industry

    • Must receive approval from current employer

    • Must be taking courses related to advancing their career in graphic communications

  • Learn more: PGSF.org | contact@pgsf.org

Other Requirements

  • Recommended minimum type size: 24 pt.

    • Posters will be printed in 11"×17" size for display in schools. Posters may be printed or used on a webpage as small as 5½"× 8½". Please consider these dimensions when creating the graphics or choosing a typeface.

Rubric

This is a summative assessment, which means it impacts your grade.

The rubric that will be used to score your project is to the right.

Copy Illustrator Template

  1. Go to the PGSF Poster Contest Template

  2. If you aren't already signed in to Adobe, click "Sign in" in the top right corner.

  3. Click "Copy to Files"

  4. Open the Creative Cloud desktop app.

  5. Rename: Right-click on the file and click "Rename" to add your last name to the start:

    • "First Name_Last Name_FortVancouver_2022"

  6. Open: Right-click and click "Open"

  7. Workspace: Adjust your workspace (go to "Window" > "Workspace" > "Essentials Classic")

Margins and Rule of Thirds Grid

  1. Go to the "View" menu in the top bar and click:

    • "Rulers" > "Show Rulers"

    • "Guides" > "Show Guides" and "Unlock Guides"

  2. In your "Layers" panel, click on the "Guides" layer.

  3. Margins: Create guides so that you have margins on all four sides of your artboards. These should be .25"-2" from the edge

    • Click and drag from the rulers on the left and top to create guides (bright blue lines).

    • Click on guides (they will turn dark blue) in order to edit them.

  4. Rule of Thirds Grid: Split your artboards up into three rows and three columns. There are a few ways you can create a grid:

    • Create Guides

      • Rows: create guides around 5.75" and 11.25"

      • Columns: create guides around 3.5" and 7"

    • Create Rectangles and "Split into Grid..."

      • Create a rectangle the same size as your artboard, with a black stroke.

      • With the rectangle selected, click "Object" > "Path" > "Split into Grid..."

      • Adjust the "Rows" and "Columns" to be 3

      • Click "Ok"

      • Repeat for each artboard.

  5. Lock your "Guides" layer.

Hierarchy & Rule of Thirds

  1. Move the logo and text down onto your artboard.

  2. Change the size of the text to create a hierarchy. The information is listed in order of importance.

    • In my example on the right, I have set the largest text to 100 pt.

    • Need to review hierarchy? Review the slides on the Hierarchy Practice assignment.

  3. Arrange your text so that the important pieces are on the rule of thirds intersections.

Add Your Name

At the bottom right of the page there is a text box with "First and Last Name" on the first line. Replace with your first and last name.

Make your poster stand out

Design and add other elements so that your poster stands out. Check out the inspiration examples on the right. Remember other skills you've learned throughout the year:

  • Change the fonts (find additional fonts from Adobe Fonts)

  • Change colors with the color picker or swatch

  • Create backgrounds with the rectangle tool

  • Create shapes with the shape tools (like the rectangle tool)

  • Create patterns

  • Use the pen tool to trace or draw things

  • Use the drawing tablet and pen to draw things

  • Find copyright-free images to use on Pexels

Inspiration

Hide Guides Layer

In your "Layers" panel, click the eye icon next to the "Guides" layer to turn it off.

Save as .AIC and .PDF

  1. Go to "File" > "Save" to make sure to save your .aic file (if it is grayed out then it is already saved).

  2. Go to "File" > "Save As..."

  3. Choose "On your computer"

  4. Click "Creative Cloud Files" folder on the left menu

  5. Name: "First Name_Last Name_FortVancouver_2022"

  6. Click "Save"

  7. Click "Save PDF"

  8. Once you save as a .pdf, exit out of Illustrator. If you need to edit again and resave, make sure to edit your .aic file and re-save as a .pdf.

Score a 4: Explain Yourself

In order to score a 4 on this project, you will need to add a comment on your Canvas submission that explains what you did in order to use all three composition guidelines: hierarchy, alignment/margins, and rule of thirds.

Turn in to Canvas

Turn in your .pdf file on Canvas in the "PGSF Poster Contest" assignment.

"I'm Done"

If you have more time in class, check out the "I'm Done" page.