Table of Contents
Protests signs are the voice of the masses - a political tool mightier than any sword. Exceptional ones make it to the pages of history books. But how do they stand out in a sea of cardboard? And how can you make your own? In section one we’ll present 17 ideas and in section two we’ll go over 2 methods like using foam board signs to help you craft them.
Let’s take a look at what makes protest signs compelling.
Protest Sign Ideas: Most Effective Protest Signs
Public demonstrations have changed the course of history on many occasions. They relay the reason and offer the resolution to the biggest challenges we face as a society. Knowing how to create a protest sign relies on the ideas they convey more than how well you can draw them. Browse our customizable poster templates and create powerful protest signs in minutes.
Idea 1: Get Spotted With Big/Flashy Signs
“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
― Buckminster Fuller
Let's face it - getting your message across in a crowd is hard work. There is no place more appropriate for something big and flashy than a public demonstration. If your sign can be spotted from a helicopter, consider yourself a winner. Large custom vinyl banners are a surefire way to get attention.
Idea 2. Rhyme Your Message
“I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government.”
― Henry David Thoreau
Slogans are a major tool in public demonstrations. Using them on posters is a no-brainer. Double up their impact by choosing a slogan that rhymes. Wam. Bam... You know the rest. Check out our quote templates for more ideas.
Idea 3. Adorn Protest Accessories
“Wearing a protest T-shirt is the easiest form of protesting.”
― Steven Magee
In addition to cardboard signs, accessories such as car decals, hats, customized pin buttons, patches, shirts and bandanas have long been used by protesters to capture attention and express their views. Even face masks can serve as canvases for political statements, making them good keepsakes.
Idea 4. Empower and Inspire Action
“A single whisper can be quite a disturbance when the rest of the audience is silent.”
― Anthony Marra, The Tsar of Love and Techno
Custom signs with impactful messages can just make your jaw drop. They make you question life or really come to feel a message on a deep level. The best of them can even lead to revelations and empower us to overcome the greatest challenges.
Idea 5. Evoke Empathy
“You can only understand people if you feel them in yourself.”
– John Steinbeck
Protest signs that help people understand one another are the key to unity. Consequently, unity is the key to a successful protest. Signs that can place people in one another’s shoes, even for a brief moment, can change lives. Start by using a yard sign to reach out to your neighbors.
Idea 6. Use Profound Activism Quotes
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King, Jr.
Profound quotes have a profound effect on people and if they can fit on a protest sign, they will have the same effect en masse. Choose your favorite ones from historical figures or dig deep within your own soul and see what stirs. The personal is always the closest we can get to the universal.
Idea 7. Get Funny
“My spine is a column of fists which must mean I am a riot.”
― Donny Jackson
Funny protest signs may seem inappropriate for a political demonstration but they don’t have to be. Protests are often filled with feelings of anger, frustration, grief and injustice. The right kind of humor will lift the burden without making light of the message.
Idea 8. Be Provocative
“Let me assure you that my intent is not to offend or merely be provocative. I'm simply worried.”
― Sam Harris
Strong reactions are warranted if public demonstrations are called for. They’re also a great way to get press coverage and reach a wider audience. Controversy stirs the pot and gets people to question norms, which is exactly what’s needed when norms become oppressive.
Idea 9. Unite People
“The power of the people is much stronger than the people in power.”
― Wael Ghonim
The issues we face can seem overwhelming at times. What can we, as individuals do about them if anything at all? Signs inspire people in order to drive progress. Remind people that they each have the power to change the world. Together, that power is unrivaled by even the greatest foe.
Idea 10. Rebel With Originality
“Originality is the best form of rebellion.”
― Mike Sasso
Originality can be effective in content as well as presentation. Don’t let your demonstration poster ideas get lost in a sea of cliches and repetition. Relaying the same message en masse can raise the volume on certain demands. However, it’s originality that will get the opposition to engage. Besides, it’s easy to achieve in a sea of duplicates.
Idea 11. Protest With Art
“Good art should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.”
― Cesar A Cruz
Protest art conveys a universal message through imagery, without relying on language. It’s able to represent the heart of justice and injustice simultaneously. If it’s up to the artist to make the revolution irresistible, then protest art is the artist’s masterpiece.
Idea 12. Represent Iconic Imagery
“New concepts should be introduced by the power of imagery.”
― Douglas Coop
Signs with images on them are far and few. They stand out and given the right graphic, they can even become iconic representations for entire movements. If you’re not much of an artist, just print an image and paste it onto a sturdy PVC sign. Otherwise, get your paints out and have some fun while you’re at it.
Idea 13. Join in With Business Demonstration Decals
“Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence.”
― Leonardo da Vinci
Not all protest poster ideas are created equally. In fact, they don’t have to be posters at all. It’s important for businesses to make their stand, too. Even more so during rallies that target silence and financial inequity. Wall decals, as well as window decals are simple tools that can transform a building into a symbol of solidarity with public demonstrators. They make a loud proclamation on large surface areas.
Idea 14. Preserve Liberty With Patriotism
“Freedom cannot be bestowed. It must be achieved”
― Franklin D. Roosevelt
Freedom is the heart of American patriotism. If that foundation is shaken, it will be difficult if not impossible to make any other message count. Nurture the roots and the branches will flourish. Remember what America is truly about and display it proudly.
Idea 15. Rally the Crowd With Your Message
“Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, Don't give up the fight.”
― Bob Marley
It’s time to rally the troops! Is the protest feeling disconnected? Are people’s eyes beginning to glaze over? Is the pep in their step turning sluggish? Lift up your best rally sign and raise your voice! Rally cries are the pulse of any good protest. A lively protest depends on a short, powerful message. Learn how to make a rally sign that rhymes or uses call and response phrases.
Idea 16. Band Together Around a Banner
“Fury spends itself pretty quickly when there's no fury facing it.”
― John Lewis
In the next section, we’ll cover how to make a large protest banner. This is a highly advantageous medium for protests. It’s the one strategy that’s bound to make the headline news. Choose an idea from the best protest signs up top and make history now!
Idea 17. Get Press With Professional Prints
“You can't protest what you don't see coming.”
― Christina Dalcher
How big of an impact a public demonstration has is based largely on media coverage. The press is known to go for ideas, signs and slogans that are controversial. They’re also suckers for visuals. Customize your professional sign using our sign design tool and use the above strategies to get noticed. Get your 15 minutes of fame. They could lead to 15 years of justice.
How to Make Your Protest Poster With Square Signs
Making professional protest signs and banners has never been easier. Our intuitive design tool has powerful features that you can use to create the most effective protest signs around. We also offer a wide range of materials you can print them on. Don’t hesitate to explore and find the option that suits your needs.
1. Design
We have added a new category of ready-made templates specifically for protests and demonstrations. You can select any of our templates, select a medium for printing them onto, choose a size and order with the click of a button. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
2. Customization
Furthermore, our sign design tool can be utilized for making original posters, decals, and large protest banners. Upload an original quote or image you would like to get printed. Use texts and combine one of thousands of our design elements to add extra embellishments or draw them from scratch.
If you want a quick way to design eye-catching visuals, tools like VistaCreate make it easy to create custom protest sign graphics even without design experience.
How to Make a Protest Sign
The art of making a political sign is underrated. Cardboard signs are the most common sight out in the streets for practical reasons but they are highly unattractive and get easily damaged and drowned out. Let’s learn how to make signs for a protest that will stand out from the crowd and make the biggest impact.
How to DIY Your Protest Poster
The most important features of how to create a protest sign are the message and thematerials you go with. You can also add visual elements if you want to attract more attention.
1. Message
Your message is the key to determining how to make a protest poster. We’ve gone over different angles for how to convey it and hope that you’ve resonated with one or two of them. Decide which of the aforementioned ideas and quotes speak to you. Feel free to browse through our designer protest sign templates for images and inspiration.
2. Materials
Choosing the right materials for your sign can literally prevent a flop. PVC is a material that can hold up under any weather condition. Another medium that’s ideal for public demonstration is the foamboard sign. Either one will beat cardboard anyday. Not only are they more durable, they also stick out much better than flimsy posters. Opt for a sturdy medium to make the rounds and stand firm in your truth.
3. Visuals
You don’t have to know how to draw a protest sign in order to make it artistic. All you need is stencils and thick markers. You can also print large images onto separate pieces of paper then glue them to your poster board. Don’t forget to use contrasting colors to add bold borders around your text and images for a striking effect.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, any sign is better than no sign. Whether it’s funny, original or neither, your presence is what matters most. If you have a message, just say it. Who knows, you might change the world with it!
