Download these 13 Free Wanted Poster Templates to get assistance in designing and printing your own Wanted Poster quickly.
No one is sure when these Wanted Posters started circulating in society for the first time. But most of the groups agree that it was somewhere near the beginning of the 1800s. This was the time when law enforcement agencies started printing these posters and announcing the wanted criminals and other notorious individuals in society. A typical wanted poster contains a basic sketch of the wanted person on the page. It also includes some information i.e., name, appearance, whereabouts, and other important elements.
History of Wanted Posters
Although at that time, painters were asked to paint the face of the person who was on the loose, that picture was not very clear, and because of this factor, the success rate of these posters was very low. That was the time when people and law enforcement agencies used to rely only on the biographical details of the criminals i.e., their physical appearance, accent, identity marks, and race. With the passage of time, when everything started getting smarter and we saw new technologies with each passing day, slow changes were also made to these wanted posters.
In the middle of the 20th century, actual photos were added to these wanted posters when we started capturing photos and pictures of people. By adding the actual photo of the criminal on the wanted poster, a revolution came where these law enforcement agencies, especially the FBI and County Sheriff’s office got very successful with these wanted posters. Because of the accuracy of the physical appearance and the biography of the criminal, the success rate started getting higher and higher with each passing year.
Uses of Wanted Poster Templates
Talking about the earliest use of these Wanted Posters, started in the West of America, where there were a number of notorious criminals and robbers who used to rob banks and rich families. These robbers were the most common criminals who made space on most of these wanted posters at that time. The basic idea of using a wanted poster is to inform and alert the citizens about a criminal who is on the loose and might harm someone. Not only that when people came to know a criminal whose face was on the poster that they got more suspicious and careful but most of the time, these common residents and individuals also helped the law departments to apprehend these criminals.
Wanted Poster Format Guide
The information that was included on the Wanted Poster depended on how much and how accurate the information and details the law enforcement agency had on the criminal. For example, most of the time, these agencies only had a general sketch of the robber or murderer but no specific name, whereas sometimes it was the opposite of that, i.e., they had the name of the criminal but nothing else. Besides these basic details, there used to be the contact information of the agency that wanted to apprehend the criminal, and the most interesting thing about this poster was the reward. In case the agency wanted the criminal very badly, they used to add rewards on the poster and notify the public that the person with the information about the wanted criminal would get a reward from the police or sheriff’s office.
Free Wanted Poster Templates
Here are useful Wanted Poster Templates to help you design your own poster easily.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Wanted Posters
Allow me to start with an explanation of the term “Wanted Poster.” Neither in the law enforcement sector nor in the area of fictional works is this a strange metaphor. This is because there is either an actual fugitive capture situation that has to be addressed or a realism enhancement device that is employed. All of these, however, require effective communication, artistic presentation, and accuracy in detail. However, most people, particularly when using such a tool as a poster for freehand drawing, commit a few common errors that distract from the effectiveness of the poster or the comprehension of the target audience. Such errors must be avoided, however, in order to produce a poster that is able to serve its function, compel the reader’s attention, and get the desired materials across to the audience in short order.
Overcrowding the Poster with Information
One common error that is committed frequently involves placing too many words or visuals within the design. A wanted poster is supposed to provide urgency as well as important information at a glance. On presentation of excessive information, such as different pictures or diction in a small space, the layout appears busy and distracts the audience from the main message. In such cases, use of the poster may not be as effective because it may bore or cause the readers to ignore or miss the most important information, which can be the complete name, picture, or reward. Good posters manage the use of information, making sure that primary ideas are understood without any irrelevant content.
Using Low-Quality Images or Vague Descriptions
The high-resolution image is listed from the list of web-design features that are everywhere under the photo quality standard. Their incorporation of out-of-focus, circuits, and redirections that had been used in previous displays does not complement the purpose intended to be achieved. Consequently use of words that leave more room for imagination, rather than providing any tangible details, e.g., “medium height”, “average build”, is inappropriate when the words are being used as definitives. The purpose of any wanted poster is to remind you about something and do something about it at the same instance, therefore it ought to have a current picture of high quality, inclusive of other distinct features, including any scar(s) or tattoos on exhibit amongst others.
Neglecting Design and Visual Hierarchy
One equally dangerous mistake, although more subtle, is the neglect of visual hierarchy in the presentation of information. Bushy areas may pose challenges with the preferred word of ‘WANTED’, ‘REWARD’ or with any other headline used for the poster, if it cannot come into view at first glance. It is the same way as if the most significant information is in the smallest print or in the most useless location, the participants might rather skip over the details. Structure should be ordered in such a way that every element of design is emphasized in a hierarchy of importance and use of size, weight, indentations and position will achieve that. In fixing these design flaws, we improve the efficiency of the wanted poster due to better reading and urgency, hence why the amendments to these errors serve the purpose of the poster.
