Practical poster/flyer questions?

[Arilou Lalee'lay]

My friend is printing out some really cheap posters on standard 8.5 by 11 paper. So they won't really even be posters, more like removable graffiti. They will not be illegal by themselves. No explicit support of sedition or anything. The maximum number she would print is a hundred or so, and they'd be quite spread out. None of them would be pro-violence.

1. How much will her crappy art skills and cheap printer paper harm the effectiveness of otherwise good posters?

2. Will people dislike them just because they are environmentally unfriendly and will probably (as far as they know) end up as litter?

3. Where are effective places to put them? She's thought of some pretty good ones already.

4. Do cops care enough that they would:
a) stop you if they saw you?
b) try to track you down after the fact if:
I - you have a logo or email that can be traced to you on them?
II - you posted them on revLeft?
III - you posted them on a personal website that's in your name?
IV - you posted one on the front of a Burger King or some other business, the owners got pissed, and had caught you on camera?
c) get you in trouble while removing the posters?
And what would the penalties be (obviously she will do it regardless, I just want to know if she's going about doing it in the safest way)?

I've never actually seen a poster put up in my city. That seems like it would make them extremely effective, if you can get away with it. Sorry if this has been asked elsewhere, I couldn't find it if it was. I'm sure some of my questions could be answered online, but after a quick google it seemed like most of the stuff wasn't relevant to revolutionary posters. I'd like to hear your experiences and advice in any case. Thanks in advance.

If the consensus on 4-b-II is negative I'll follow up in this thread.

[Broletariat]

Question for you.

Why would you remove the poster?

Otherwise, I think those are excellent questions.

[Tim Finnegan]

1 i) What kind of artwork are you after? If neither of you nor anybody you know is much into graphic design, you'd best be keeping it very simple, preferably a bit of simple iconography in a decent resolution and some sparing but to-the-point text. With things like this, the key is to make it striking; artistic merit may encourage a better reaction, but it for that to matter you need to get their attention in the first place.

ii) It might be worth looking at print shops, rather than printing them all of yourself at home. You can get decent price on bulk monochrome printing, even at relatively low numbers like this, and you'd get better quality prints for it.

2)I doubt it; radical groups do this sort of thing all the time, even the environmentalist ones. Just make sure that you're not being wasteful in where you place them- which I imagine your limited budget demands as it is- and you'll be fine.

3) Definitely look in at the local left-leaning establishments, even down to non-political places like independent record stores or bohemian/student coffee shops. They're usually happy to keep things up at least for a while- even from a cynical capitalist perspective, it gives them the image of being a part of a community, which is usually how they market themselves in comparison to corporate chains- and you'll have a better of chance of reaching not just an audience but a receptive audience. Plus, they're less likely to get trashed in places like that, which is nice.

(...Unless it's for apolitical stuff, I guess, although all that really means is that you just visit the non-political places! ;))

[Victory Of The People!]

My friend is printing out some really cheap posters on standard 8.5 by 11 paper. So they won't really even be posters, more like removable graffiti. They will not be illegal by themselves. No explicit support of sedition or anything. The maximum number she would print is a hundred or so, and they'd be quite spread out. None of them would be pro-violence.

1. How much will her crappy art skills and cheap printer paper harm the effectiveness of otherwise good posters?

2. Will people dislike them just because they are environmentally unfriendly and will probably (as far as they know) end up as litter?

3. Where are effective places to put them? She's thought of some pretty good ones already.

4. Do cops care enough that they would:
a) stop you if they saw you?
b) try to track you down after the fact if:
I - you have a logo or email that can be traced to you on them?
II - you posted them on revLeft?
III - you posted them on a personal website that's in your name?
IV - you posted one on the front of a Burger King or some other business, the owners got pissed, and had caught you on camera?
c) get you in trouble while removing the posters?
And what would the penalties be (obviously she will do it regardless, I just want to know if she's going about doing it in the safest way)?

I've never actually seen a poster put up in my city. That seems like it would make them extremely effective, if you can get away with it. Sorry if this has been asked elsewhere, I couldn't find it if it was. I'm sure some of my questions could be answered online, but after a quick google it seemed like most of the stuff wasn't relevant to revolutionary posters. I'd like to hear your experiences and advice in any case. Thanks in advance.

If the consensus on 4-b-II is negative I'll follow up in this thread.

Ok, I'll take this one from the top and work my way down.

1. As with everything in life, appearances count. If you do not put a lot of time and effort into something it will show. Since posters are a form of visual communication you need to make sure they are communicating what you intend. You first have to ask yourself what it is that you want to convey. If you want your posters, your message, and ultimately your organization to be taken seriously then you need to make everything look the part. Sloppy or otherwise substandard work suggests to the observer that the creator (you) is an amateur, someone who cannot even organize the creation of a decent poster, let alone a complex political program.This can and will have an effect on the receptivity of the observer to your actual message. I know it sounds shallow but its the hard truth, people often judge political messages by the way they are packaged, hence the need of capitalist politicians to hire hundreds of PR experts to make their messages more "palatable" to the masses. If you are going to do something make sure you go all the way, never half-step and settle for mediocrity. If you yourself, the creator, is saying that it looks like shit, then most likely everyone else is going to think the same and it will detract from your message. Take the time to make good-looking posters. It helps to use computer-generated letters and images and seamlessly connect them together on some type of posterboard. It looks more professional and neat, can be mass produced, and as a plus you don't need any art skills. If you give me more specifics as to what your looking to create i could be of more help to you.

2. I personally have never heard anyone bring up the environmental issue in relation to posters. However, if that is an issue (which i commend you for even considering) then you can always use recycled paper, there are a bunch of websites selling all different types. Unfortunately some of them will indeed end up as litter, get torn down, etc thats just the way it is.

3. This question depends on lot on where you live and what you are posting. However, a few general rules apply:

a) Make sure they are clearly visible to anyone walking by. For example, if you are posting it on a telephone pole coming out of a sidewalk then you want to make sure it is visible to EVERYONE who is walking in that direction, which means it should be high enough up on the pole that if someone short were walking behind someone tall they would still be able to see it, but not so high up that it cannot be read. Keep in mind that many areas become crowded, take that into consideration.

b)Put them in areas where there is a long line of sight. What i mean by this is if you are putting them near a one-way road you wouldn't put it on a store-front window, because a car passing by would only have a split second to see it, and most likely not be able to read it. However, if you put it facing traffic halfway up the block then the poster will be in the driver's line of sight long enough for him/her to read it.

c) Place them in high-traffic areas. The point of putting up a poster is for it to be seen by people so place them in densely populated areas.

d) Put them in areas where your "target audience" congregate. For example, if it is a vegan sign you might try putting them up in places like a farmers market or an organic produce store.

Again, if you give me specifics i can be of more help.

4.

a) Depending on where you put the signs and what is on them. Anything you put on private property against the wishes of the owner could get you in trouble. To avoid that you should ask the store-owner/house-owner for permission whenever possible. Don't count on it though because most of the petty-bourgeoisie are hostile to left-wing ideology. Usually i try to post things on public property, like light poles, bus-stations, train stations, etc. Most of the time the police wont mess with you unless you are posting ridiculous amounts of stuff up on the walls and/or posting highly controversial material. It all depends on the officer and the particular community you are in. If you are in a upper-class gated community you are going to run into problems. If you are in the inner city then post away! In areas with real crime going on the police will not waste thier time with you, i guarantee it. Even in the case that you did break some city ordnance and they did stop you its highly unlikely you are going to receive any type of punishment. The most you could ever get would be a small fine. However, these things should not deter you if you really believe in your cause. The capitalist state makes all types of things illegal, but we have to do them anyway. Trotsky once said "A revolutionary does not do what is possible, he does what is necessary"

b) Anything is possible, but it is HIGHLY unlikely that the police would spend manpower and resources tracking down someone who put up a few posters around town unless you aroused the ire of the buisness community or the homeowners associations by continuously posting all over private property. In any major city this would not be an issue. I can guarantee you no major police force has time for petty things of that nature, these are things which only come up in small, uptight, and relatively wealthy communities. Even if they did hunt you down what could they do, ask you to stop? give you a ticket? These are the things that come along with fighting for a cause, you just have to get used to having run-ins with the authorities. Just know the laws and ordinances and you will be fine i promise. As for them being able to track you donw by your logo, website, etc don't lose sleep over it. I have posted red flyers with hammer-and-sickle logos on the sides of banks which called for the overthrow of the capitalist system and the only repercussion was a foul stare from the bank manager. You'll be fine.

c) Why would you be removing your own posters? Leave them up until they get taken down, unless they were just for something temporary.

d) Like i said before, the penalties for even the most egregious acts of postering are slaps on the wrist, don't worry about it at all. Unless you are vandalizing property (ie. damaging or defacing it) its not a crime.

Give me some specifics so i can give you more detailed advice. Like where are you from, what are you posting, etc. etc.

[Arilou Lalee'lay]

I would take them down because (a) I don't want them to end up as litter and eventually everyone who works/frequents the place will just get annoyed at it (I could even put up a new one that builds on the old one) and (b) some of them will lose their relevance after May Day.

I live in a city in Colorado. It has sprawling middle class suburbs, a few poor areas, and very rich areas, none of which will be spared.

I haven't designed them all yet, but one flyer will be about city planning. It will be a map of the city, with the areas labeled as houses, walmart, or work clustered around the roads, with playgrounds etc. on the outskirts, with no roads leading to them. It might say something like "work, consume, die" beneath the map. These could be put in the little boxes in front of houses for sale.

If I'm feeling lazy they might just be quotes from The Society of the Spectacle and The Revolution of Everyday Life, maybe with an explanation. Outside of churches I might post my old sig "mythical power for those who sacrifice themselves in reality, real power for those who sacrifice themselves in myth."

Maybe those aren't particularly persuasive or accessible examples, but they give you an idea. They aren't recruitment posters or anything, though I was thinking of making a mailing list or Diaspora group and posting it on the bottom of each poster. I was going to scatter shot it and see which posters actually got people to send me an email, then make better versions of those. But you have a point, making them half assed will make the message seem half assed.

Also, my budget will be my next pay check, about $300. I'm ok at using GIMP, but I have no idea how making larger posters works (unless you just paint them by hand, which would definitely not be a good idea for me).

[Victory Of The People!]

I would take them down because (a) I don't want them to end up as litter and eventually everyone who works/frequents the place will just get annoyed at it (I could even put up a new one that builds on the old one) and (b) some of them will lose their relevance after May Day.

I live in a city in Colorado. It has sprawling middle class suburbs, a few poor areas, and very rich areas, none of which will be spared.

I haven't designed them all yet, but one flyer will be about city planning. It will be a map of the city, with the areas labeled as houses, walmart, or work clustered around the roads, with playgrounds etc. on the outskirts, with no roads leading to them. It might say something like "work, consume, die" beneath the map. These could be put in the little boxes in front of houses for sale.

If I'm feeling lazy they might just be quotes from The Society of the Spectacle and The Revolution of Everyday Life, maybe with an explanation. Outside of churches I might post my old sig "mythical power for those who sacrifice themselves in reality, real power for those who sacrifice themselves in myth."

Maybe those aren't particularly persuasive or accessible examples, but they give you an idea. They aren't recruitment posters or anything, though I was thinking of making a mailing list or Diaspora group and posting it on the bottom of each poster. I was going to scatter shot it and see which posters actually got people to send me an email, then make better versions of those. But you have a point, making them half assed will make the message seem half assed.

Also, my budget will be my next pay check, about $300. I'm ok at using GIMP, but I have no idea how making larger posters works (unless you just paint them by hand, which would definitely not be a good idea for me).

Ok, now i have a better idea of what you plan on doing. I will address each topic separately.

1. Taking down the posters. Don't bother unless you are putting up something new in the same place. The longer a poster stays up the better. If people hate them that bad they will take them down themselves, don't waste your energy or bring more unnecessary exposure upon yourself.

2. The purpose. I understand that you are not recruiting for an organization or anything, but what is the end result you are trying to bring about? Your posters will make people think about certain things, such as consumption and overwork. Thats good, BUT, what do you want them to do about it. I'm assuming you want these things to change, so what alternative are you offering them. Besides just outlining the problem you need to offer a solution. So if working, shopping, and dying is bad, what would you suggest in its place. Remember, not everyone thinks the same way as you or responds to things the way you want them to, so spell it for them. Give a solution and then put your contact info, but tell them why they should contact you. Dont say, "oh if you want to talk about these things email me". Who wants to sit around and talk about how much life sucks? you need to be prepared to offer some type of solution and some concrete plan for bringing about a change which they can help you with. Because even if a bunch of people email you what are you going to do, just sit around and talk about the problems all day? what good does that do? Im not trying to belittle your ideas, im simply doing this so that you can be prepared. If someone calls you or emails you its because they thought about the problem and are coming to you to hear what they can do to change it, so don't even bother putting up posters if you aren't prepared to give them something to do about it. All you will end up doing is getting all the like-minded people in town to call you or email you, and then lose them all in one fell swoop when they don't get the answers they want. Also, skip the obscure, out-of-context quotes that no one will understand. Assume no one in town knows anything about anything. Assume none of them have ever read a book not assigned by school (unfortunately thats true for the majority of people). Be CLEAR, DIRECT, and OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE to all the shitty things you are highlighting about modern life in a capitalist society. I've made all these mistakes myself so i speak from direct experience. Learn from my mistakes, not yours.

3. Placement. In a sprawling suburban area don't even waste your time posting in residential areas. Too few people and almost everyone drives a car and wont read anything posted unless its on some kind of billboard, and even then, only a small percentage of the community (the people who live close by) will see it. From my experience with the "burbs" you are better off posting in shopping areas where everyone congregates. Wallmarts, malls, "main street", schools, parks, post offices, etc. If your city has a "hood" then you can post in those residential areas, like on telephone poles, light posts, mailboxes, etc. Any neighborhood that is full of poor and disenfranchised people is MUCH more likely to be receptive to radical ideas, as they clearly aren't benefiting much from the current order. The opposite is also true. Areas that are very affluent are the ones benefiting the most from the current order and are likely to be very hostile to your politics. Keep that in mind. Lastly, when going in and out of commercial establishments don't waste your time with the owners/managers, they will almost always show hostility. Go for the workers, but not in a way that will draw attention to them and possibly get them fired or else they will act even more hostile to you to show the bosses they don't like you.

4. Creation. Dude, you are not going to need anywhere near $300 unless you are encrusting the posters with diamonds. Regular printing paper is 5 bucks for a pack of 500 sheets, and all the ink will come out to less than 50. Poster board is ridiculously cheap a well. If everything cost you a hundred dollars I would be VERY surprised. To make big posters just print out the big images or lettering normally and you will get about a dozen pages that you then have to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Piece them together on a poster board backing and voila! your done! OR you could make flyers with smaller letters and images that fit on one sheet and either hand them out in front of busy areas or post them up in stores, put them on cars, etc. Its best to hand them out as you can engage in conversation with people as you do it. Remember, the more personal the contact the better. They will remember you and associate your face with the idea and be more receptive to you next time they see you.

I hope this was helpful. Good luck!