Adapt a poster for social without squashing it
A poster is tall and read from across a room; a post is 4:5 and read at arm's length on a phone. Re-lay it, do not scale it: keep the image and headline, move the details, drop the fine print, and check the safe zones.
Beginner2 min readUpdated 27 September 2026Editor · Cascade to touchpoints, Resize for other formats
What changes from poster to post
| Poster element | On a 4:5 post | On a story |
|---|---|---|
| Main image | Keep, reframed for 4:5 | Keep, often larger and cropped taller |
| Headline | Keep, same words, larger relative to the page | Keep, upper-middle |
| Date, time, venue | One line, second size | One line, above the reply box zone |
| Price, booking | One line, or the caption | A sticker or link instead |
| Fine print, sponsor logos | Drop, or one small row | Drop |
| QR code | Drop; phones cannot scan themselves | Drop; use a link sticker |
In the Editor
- Open the finished poster. Name the layers for their jobs (Photo, Headline, Details, Logo) so the re-layout knows their roles.
- Choose File, Boards…, Cascade to touchpoints, pick Instagram post, Story or Reel cover and Square post, and press Create 3 boards.
- On each new board, move what the table says to move, hide or delete what it says to drop, and check at phone size with Shift+1.
- If the poster copy changes later, fix it on the poster and run Layer, Formats, Update formats from master: the formats take the new text and keep your layouts.
- Export the social boards at 1× as PNG, and the poster as a print PDF.
For a quick set of files rather than linked boards, File, Resize for other formats… makes a ZIP or separate designs; it scales and centres, so check each one.
Can I just post the poster as it is?
A 3:4 poster fits a 4:5 post with small bars or a crop, and its fine print will not read. For a one-off, crop to 4:5 and cut the small text; for anything important, re-lay it.
Which format first?
Design the poster first if it is the main piece; the social formats follow from it. If social is the main channel, design the 4:5 post first and adapt the poster from it.