5 Mistakes Everyone Makes With Lyrics Posters (And How to Fix Them)
I've seen hundreds of DIY lyrics posters. Most of them have the same problems.
The good news? These mistakes are easy to fix once you know what they are.
Mistake #1: Using Too Much Text
What people do: Try to fit the entire song on one poster. All three verses, both choruses, the bridge, everything.
Why it's wrong: Your text ends up tiny. Nobody can read it from more than two feet away. It looks cluttered and overwhelming.
The fix: Pick ONE section. Just the chorus. Or your favorite verse. Or even just one powerful line.
Less text = bigger font = actually readable = better poster.
Think about this: what do you want people to notice from across the room? One memorable line they can actually read, or a wall of tiny text they ignore?
Use a lyrics poster maker that shows you a real preview. If you have to squint, it's too much text.
Mistake #2: Forgetting About the Frame
What people do: Design a poster that goes edge-to-edge with no margins. Or put important text right at the edges.
Why it's wrong: Frames cover about 1/4 to 1/2 inch around the perimeter. Your carefully placed text gets hidden under the frame mat.
The fix: Leave at least 1 inch of margin on all sides. More if you're using a mat.
Most custom poster makers account for this automatically, but if you're doing it yourself, remember: safe zone = at least 1 inch from edge.
Better to have too much white space than to have your text cut off.
Mistake #3: Picking Colors That Look Good On Screen
What people do: Choose colors that look amazing on their computer screen.
Why it's wrong: Screens emit light. Paper reflects it. Colors look totally different printed.
That bright neon yellow that pops on screen? Looks pale and washed out printed.
That subtle light gray text? Basically invisible on white paper.
The fix: High contrast is your friend:
- Black on white = always works
- White on dark colors = also good
- Light gray on white = bad idea
- Yellow or lime green on anything = risky
If you must use colors, go bolder than you think you need. Increase contrast. Test print a small version first if possible.
Or just stick with black and white. Seriously. It works.
Mistake #4: Using Fonts Nobody Can Read
What people do: Pick a super fancy decorative font because it looks artistic.
Why it's wrong: If people have to work to read it, they won't. Your beautiful lyrics become just decoration.
The fix: Readability test: Show the design to someone for 3 seconds. Can they read it easily? If not, change the font.
Safe font choices:
- Clean sans-serif (Helvetica, Arial, Montserrat)
- Classic serif (Georgia, Garamond, Times)
- Simple script (if it's actually readable)
Fonts to avoid:
- Anything super ornate
- Handwriting fonts where letters overlap
- All caps in script fonts (impossible to read)
- More than 2 different fonts total
You can make simple fonts interesting with layout and spacing. You can't make complicated fonts readable by trying harder.
Mistake #5: Not Thinking About Where It Will Hang
What people do: Make a poster in a vacuum without considering where it's going.
Why it's wrong: That bold red and black poster looks amazing... until you try to hang it in your soft blue bedroom and it clashes horribly.
That huge 24x36 poster is stunning... except your wall space is only big enough for 11x14.
That dark moody design is perfect... but your room has terrible lighting and you can't see it.
The fix: Before you design, answer these questions:
- What wall is this going on?
- What color is that wall?
- How much space do you have?
- How is the lighting?
- What other art is nearby?
Then design for that specific space.
Color matching tip: Take a photo of your wall. Use a color picker to pull colors from that photo. Use those colors in your poster design.
Size tip: Measure your wall space. Subtract a few inches for margin. That's your maximum poster size.
Check out room-by-room guidance for specific placement ideas.
Bonus Mistake: Using Low Resolution Images
What people do: Download a small image from Google, try to blow it up to poster size.
Why it's wrong: Pixelated, blurry, looks terrible printed.
The fix: If you're adding images (album art, photos, etc.), they need to be high resolution.
Minimum:
- 8x10 poster: 2400x3000 pixels
- 11x14 poster: 3300x4200 pixels
- 16x20 poster: 4800x6000 pixels
Most printable poster templates are already set up at the right resolution. If you're making your own, check the DPI (300 minimum for printing).
Bonus Mistake #2: Terrible Spacing
What people do: Cram all the text together with no breathing room. Or spread it out so much it looks like separate elements.
Why it's wrong: Spacing affects readability and visual appeal more than you'd think.
The fix: Line spacing: About 1.2 to 1.5x your font size Margins: At least 1 inch, more is fine Between elements: Consistent spacing throughout
Most templates handle this automatically. If you're doing custom, use a grid.
How to Check Your Design Before Printing
The across-the-room test: Look at it on your screen from 6-8 feet away. Can you read it? Does it look balanced?
The thumbnail test: Shrink the design way down. Does it still look good small? If yes, it'll probably look good large.
The black and white test: Remove all color. Does it still work? If not, you're relying too much on color and not enough on good design.
The upside-down test: Flip the design upside down. Does the spacing look even? Are elements balanced? This helps you see design flaws you might miss right-side up.
What If You Already Made These Mistakes?
For too much text: Make a new version with just your favorite section. The whole song can be multiple posters if you want.
For the frame problem: Trim the poster or get a different frame size.
For color issues: Reprint in black and white. Often looks better anyway.
For font problems: Recreate with a simpler font. Quick fix, big improvement.
For wrong size: Resize and reprint. Or keep it and use it somewhere else.
None of these mistakes are permanent. Paper is cheap. Trying again is fine.
The Real Secret to Good Lyrics Posters
Want to know what separates good lyrics posters from mediocre ones?
Good ones follow these rules:
- Less text, bigger font
- High contrast colors
- Simple readable fonts
- Designed for a specific space
- Professional printing
That's it. Not complicated.
You don't need to be a designer. You just need to avoid the obvious mistakes.
Use a good template, keep it simple, print it well, frame it nicely.
That's how you get a poster that looks professional instead of DIY.
Ready to create a lyrics poster the right way? Use our custom song poster maker with templates designed to avoid these common mistakes.