Practical guide
How to Make a Wanted Poster, step by step
Creating a wanted poster is four steps: pick a style, upload a photo, write the story, take the file. This page covers the part the editor cannot do for you — choosing the right photo and writing a crime line that actually gets a laugh.
What you need before you start
Three things, and only one of them is hard. You need a photo, a name and a joke. The editor supplies everything else: the layout, the lettering, the aged paper, the sepia halftone, and a 300 DPI export at the end.
- A photo of one person. Face visible, reasonably sharp, taken on anything. A phone photo from last summer is fine.
- A name or an alias. "Dad" works. "One-Shot Kenny" works better.
- One line about what they are wanted for. This is the whole gift. If nothing comes to mind, the inspiration gallery lists lines by personality type.
If you have never seen the format broken down, the definition guide explains the six blocks of a wanted poster and why each one matters. Otherwise, start now — the editor keeps your work saved on your device if you need to come back to it.
1 Pick a style
The style decides the register of the joke before a single word is read. A classic weathered sheet reads as affectionate nostalgia. A stark high-contrast layout reads as a roast. A full-bleed photo treatment reads as a keepsake more than a gag.
Do not overthink it: the style is the one thing you can change at any point without redoing your work, and the preview updates instantly when you switch. Browse the available poster styles if you would rather choose before opening the editor.
A quick rule
Older recipient, sentimental occasion → classic sepia. Office joke, party decoration, group of friends → high contrast. Anniversary or new-baby poster → the softest style you can find. The joke is in the text; the style just sets how loud it is.
2 Upload the photo
This is where most posters are won or lost. The layout is fixed and unforgiving: the face sits in the middle of the sheet at a decent size, so anything wrong with the photo will be obvious.
What works
- One person, filling the frame. Head and shoulders. Group photos never work — the poster accuses one individual, and a second face kills that instantly.
- Even, natural light. Harsh phone flash flattens the face and the sepia treatment exaggerates it.
- Eyes towards the camera. A poster stares back at the room. A profile shot loses most of the effect.
- A neutral or busy-but-dark background. The halftone treatment will flatten it either way; a bright cluttered background competes with the face.
- An expression with something in it. A deadpan stare is the classic. A mid-laugh candid also works, in a completely different register.
Resolution you need
The editor optimizes what you give it, but it cannot invent detail. Aim for at least 1200 px wide if the poster will end up at A4 or A3, around 2400 px for A2 and around 3500 px for A1. Always export from the original file rather than saving a screenshot or a messaging-app copy, which are already compressed. The sizes guide maps every format to its pixel requirement.
Photo treatments
Three treatments are available: sepia halftone, which imitates newspaper reproduction of the period and is the most authentic; sepia, softer and more photographic; and noir, high-contrast black and white for a harder, more modern look. Sepia halftone is the default for a reason — it hides phone-camera artefacts better than the other two.
3 Write the story
Four short fields. Write them in this order, because each one narrows what the next should say.
The headline
WANTED by default. MOST WANTED escalates, which suits a milestone birthday or a retirement. DEAD OR ALIVE is the genre's most quoted line and works as a subhead under any of them. REWARD is the one to use when the joke is about someone being impossible to find.
The subhead
Capped at 34 characters, deliberately. A subhead is a stamp, not a sentence — if it wraps onto a second line, the poster stops looking official. Cut adjectives first.
The name
An invented outlaw alias almost always beats a legal name. Build one from a habit ("Two-Coffee Tom"), a body part ("Iron-Knee Nadia") or a place ("The Ghost of Desk 14"). It signals that the whole thing is written rather than generated.
The crime and reward
One line, present tense, no explanation. Then a reward that comments on it: a ridiculous sum to celebrate, a humiliating sum to roast, or something that is not money at all — "one pint, no questions asked".
4 Take the file
Before anything else, download the free watermarked preview. It renders at full size, so it is the only reliable way to check that the crop is right and that your crime line does not run long. Read it once out loud — if you hesitate, rewrite it.
Instant download
$4.95
A 300 DPI print-ready PDF and PNG. Nothing ships, nothing is scheduled, and there is no address to ask for — which is why it is also the version people choose when the party is tonight.
- Print it at home, at a copy shop, or anywhere
- Reprint it as many times as you want
- Share it as an image if the wall can wait
Optional upgrade
From $19.99
Prefer not to deal with printing? We print on 250 gsm matte stock and ship it in 3–5 business days, in A4, A3 or A2, free US shipping over $59. Plan ahead — this one has a calendar attached to it.
- Printed and shipped for you
- Three sizes to choose from
Crime-line formulas that work
Almost every good crime line follows one of five patterns. Pick the pattern that matches your relationship to the person, then fill it with something specific to them.
| Pattern | Shape | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The chronic habit | Wanted for + repeated behaviour | Wanted for legendary lateness |
| The backhanded compliment | Wanted for + something admirable, framed as a crime | Wanted for making everyone laugh |
| The theft | Wanted for stealing + an abstract noun | Wanted for stealing hearts |
| The impossible achievement | Wanted for + a feat nobody could repeat | Wanted for being ageless |
| The office-specific | Wanted for + a joke only that room understands | Wanted for stealing snacks from the fridge |
Three rules cut across all five. Keep it under about eight words. Use the present tense — "wanted for talking through films", not "wanted for having talked". And never explain the joke on the poster; if it needs a footnote, it is the wrong joke. Fifteen worked examples, sorted by occasion, will give you the shape faster than writing from scratch.
Printing it yourself
The $4.95 file is a normal print-ready PDF and PNG, so anything that prints will print it. Three routes, in order of how good the result looks.
Home printer
Fastest, and fine at A4. Print at "actual size" or 100%, never "fit to page", which silently rescales and softens the lettering. Heavier paper helps more than better ink.
Local copy shop
The sweet spot. Ask for matte, 200 gsm or heavier. Hand them the PDF, not the PNG, and tell them not to scale it. Usually done while you wait.
Online printer
Best for large formats and framed versions. Upload the PDF, choose the matching A size, and skip any "auto-enhance" option the printer offers.
If you would rather skip all of that, the shipped premium print exists for exactly this reason — see how the whole flow works end to end.
Common problems, fixed
The face looks soft or blocky
The source photo is too small, or it came from a messaging app. Go back to the original file and re-upload. Nothing in the editor can recover detail that is not in the image.
The crime line wraps badly
It is too long. Cut it to the shortest version that still lands, usually by removing the first three words. "Wanted for his complete inability to be on time" becomes "Wanted for legendary lateness".
It reads as mean rather than funny
You are roasting an insecurity rather than a habit. Switch to something the person is already openly proud of, then accuse them of it.
Nobody but you gets it
The joke is too private. A poster is read by everyone who walks past the wall; aim for something the recipient's whole circle recognises in one read.
The poster feels flat
Usually the reward. A blank or boring reward line wastes the biggest block on the sheet. Make it a second joke that comments on the first.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create a wanted poster?
In four steps: pick a style, upload a photo, write the name, crime and reward, then download the print-ready file. Everything happens in the browser editor and takes about two minutes — no design software and no drawing skill required. See this page for the full walkthrough.
How long does it take to make a wanted poster?
A few minutes. Most of that time goes into choosing the photo and writing the crime line; the layout, the sepia treatment and the export are automatic.
Do I need design software or any design skill?
No. Everything happens in the browser editor. You pick a style, drop in a photo and type four short fields — headline, name, crime and reward. The poster redraws live as you type.
What size photo do I need?
A clear, well-lit photo of one person, at least 1200 px wide for A4 or A3. Larger prints want more: about 2400 px for A2 and about 3500 px for A1. Always start from the original file rather than a screenshot.
Can I check the poster before I pay?
Yes. The preview updates live while you edit, and you can download a free watermarked version to check the crop and the wording at full size before buying the clean file.
What do I actually receive?
The $4.95 option gives you a 300 DPI print-ready PDF and PNG. You can print those at home, at a copy shop or through any online printer, as many times as you like. A shipped premium print on 250 gsm matte stock is available separately from $19.99.
You have the method. Now write the crime.
Open the editor, drop in a photo, and watch the poster redraw as you type. Download a free watermarked preview to check it, then take the clean 300 DPI file for $4.95.
Start my wanted poster