In this post, I’m going to break down a free online way to turn a printable into a yard sign. Not just any printable, either — the Black Lives Matter printable that raises money for anti-racist efforts.
Yesterday I opened up an email from Julie, who sent me this photo of her yard sign. Not only did she have this made, she AMPLIFIED it by helping her friends get yard signs, too.
She wrote: “I live in Little Rock, Arkansas, which I’m sure you know is very red. Some people in my neighborhood Facebook group said they are “Locked & Loaded” if protestors come to our neighborhood. I wanted to make something quickly to put outside my home to show solidarity with the BLM movement.”
She mentioned that the only downside for people could be the cost — getting yard signs at a local print shop can be expensive, so ordering in bulk with friends could help get costs down.
That’s when I found that Staples has an 18×12 corrugated sign for $8.99 and free shipping. I can’t guarantee this price will last, clearly, but for now it’s a great deal.
Before you jump on to Staples and upload your printable JPG, there are a few steps you’ll want to take to get the same results as Julie did.
Turn a Printable into a Yard Sign in 3 Easy Steps
1. Inverse the Image
The printable comes with black ink on a white background. So you’ll want to invert the image to a black background. If you’re versed in Photoshop, you’ll just go to Image > Adjustments > Invert.
But if you don’t have Photoshop, you can Google “free image inverter” and give one a try. The one above is GifGit.
Make sure you pull the “invert color” lever all the way to 100%. Then download a PNG.
TIP: In Photoshop, you can change the background color to whatever you want using the paint bucket tool.
2. Resize and Crop
You can easily do this in a program like Photoshop or Canva (a free option that works for casual photo editing).
In Canva, you’ll want to create a new canvas. I chose 18 inches x 12 inches (horizontal) because that’s a typical size for a yard sign. You can also try 24 inches x 18 inches (horizontal) for a larger yard sign.
Import the inverted image you created. Then drag the corners out to make the words bigger inside the canvas.
Lastly, change the canvas background from white to black.
Download your image as a PNG.
3. Order Your Sign Online
Now you can head over to Staples’ section for custom yard and lawn signs.
Scroll down till you see the “upload your design” button.
After choosing your size (18×12), you’ll upload your newly created image from Canva.
Don’t forget to preview the sign before you purchase!
Voila! You’ve got yourself a yard sign for less than $20.
And yes, feel free* to print as many as you like and spread the word. Racial justice is long overdue in this country.
*I just ask that you do not sell any signs you make. My artwork is for personal use only, and this Black Lives Matter printable in particular is meant to spread awareness and express solidarity with a worthy cause. All proceeds from the download go to orgs that endeavor to dismantle white supremacy and empower Black people.
Let me know in the comments if you try this, and whether you have any tips or alternative resources to share!
TIP: Want to skip the sign and print the printable as a large poster instead? Here’s my favorite online places to print if you want professional quality posters and prints. And here’s my complete printing guide if you need additional help.
P.S. Check out an evergreen resource of protest posters here.
P.P.S. Where to donate.
