How to Design a Banner Online-Step-by-Step Guide

byJeffBrown4

1.4K followers

2 years ago

Hello WA Family

Many of you new members might be a bit overwhelmed about how to design a banner online, so I am going to provide you with a step-by-step guide to teach you how. Of course, any members with any tips or tricks are welcome to share.

Banner Design Guide

1. Choose Your Platform

Several free online platforms allow you to design banners easily.

• Canva offers a vast library of free templates, graphics, and fonts
• Adobe Express is another platform with a good selection of templates and editing tools.
• Visme provides pre-designed templates for various social media platforms and website banners.
• Fotor offers various banner sizes and customization options, including animations.

2. Select a Template (Optional)

Most platforms offer a wide range of pre-designed templates for different purposes. These templates can be a great starting point, especially for beginners.

3. Choose Your Banner Size:

If you're not using a pre-designed template, you'll need to specify the desired dimensions of your banner. Consider the platform where your banner will be displayed such as a website, or social media, and choose the appropriate size based on its requirements.

4. Customize the Design

This is where you can become creative

• Choose a solid color, or gradient, or upload an image.
• Edit the existing text on the template or add new text boxes. Change the font, size, and color to match your style.
• Upload your images or choose from the platform's library of free images.
• Adjust the size, position, and color of existing design elements like shapes, icons, and illustrations.

5. Download and Save

Once you're happy with your design, download it in the desired format usually JPG or PNG are your best choices. Most platforms offer high-resolution downloads for online use.

Banner Design Tips

• Use your brand colors and fonts to give your banner a professional appearance.
• Avoid overcrowding your banner with too much text or images.
• Be sure to use images that are clear and with bright colors.
• Before downloading, double-check your text for any typos.

With these steps and a bit of creativity, you can design an eye-catching banner online you will be proud of.

Banner Size Guide

As a bonus and to save you time I have included some banner sizes, I do think this will be very helpful for many of you creating your first banners online.

Websites

• Medium Rectangle (300x250 pixels) works well on both desktop and mobile devices
• A leaderboard (728x90 pixels) is commonly placed at the top of a webpage.
• Wide Skyscraper (160x600 pixels) This tall, narrow banner is often placed on the sidebars of webpages
• Mobile Leaderboard (320x50 pixels) this size is specifically designed for mobile devices and fits well at the top of web pages on smartphones.

Social Media

• Facebook1200 x 628 pixels
• Instagram1080 x 1080 pixels
• Twitter900 x 450 pixels
• LinkedIn1350 x 440 pixels
• Pinterest236 x height

For optimal results, it's always recommended to check the specific platform's guidelines for image and banner sizes.

Here are some additional points to consider

• With the increasing use of mobile devices, prioritizing mobile-friendly banner sizes is recommended
• If you plan to use ad networks for displaying your banners, check their size requirements.
• Experiment with different sizes and analyze their performance to see what works best for your target audience and platform.

To conclude this guide, I have some tips and tricks for banner design as a thank you for reading my entire post.

Online Banner Design Tips and Tricks

• Consider using visuals that encourage excitement, joy, or curiosity to grab attention and connect with viewers.
• Don't feel compelled to fill every corner of your banner with elements.
• Some platforms like Canva offer basic animation features. Adding subtle movement to elements like graphics or text can increase engagement and make your banner stand out.
• Your call to action is what you want viewers to do after seeing your banner. Make it clear and visually distinct using contrasting colors or a button design.
• Ensure your banner design looks good and functions properly across various devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Platforms like Canva offer responsive design options to help with this.
• Many online design platforms offer a wealth of free stock photos, icons, and other design elements.
• Use sufficient color contrast for text, consider using alt text for images, and avoid overly complex designs.

By following these additional tips and experimenting with your creativity, you can create visually appealing online banners.

I hope this helps

Jeff