How to make a powerful protest sign
A great protest sign can amplify your voice, spread your message, and rally support all from a single piece of foam core or cardboard. A bold, readable, and cleverly crafted sign can make a powerful impact. This guide will walk you through how to create signs that are sturdy, easy to carry, and impossible to ignore because your message deserves to be seen and heard.
BREAKING: Special Instructions for the June 14 "No Kings" Protest
Lean into the NO KINGS theme – authoritarians hate to be mocked. Our goal is to have a symbolic element unique to Marin County that ties the NO KINGS theme and our sites together in a cohesive way.
Bring Heart-shaped signs with the message: “No Kings! Yes ___!” (fill in the blank with your favorite cause, e.g., “No Kings! Yes healthcare!”) - see the example on this page.
If you’re getting your signs printed before the event, get "No Kings" graphics (provided by Indivisible National).
Make it fun: Have a heart-shaped sign making party before the event! Invite friends, neighbors, colleagues to come together to get creative, discuss your concerns, and strengthen your community.
MATERIALS
Foam core: Highly recommended because it’s rigid and lightweight.
Cardboard: from old boxes; cheap and lightweight.
Poster board: use two pieces of posterboard plus a piece of cardboard in
between to make a sturdy sandwich. Staple the top and sides but do not connect the bottom right away. Insert your handle inside of the sandwich. Staple and/or glue closed.
Paint stir sticks: make good handles. You can get them at most hardware stores. Glue them onto the foam core or cardboard.
Pool noodles: also make pretty good handles and are easier on the hands. Use glue or zip ties to attach. Don’t make them too long or your handles will be floppy.
Paint: Make sure the paint has time to dry before your event!
SIZE MATTERS
Message: First think about your message. It should be CONCISE. A long
message will not be read because people marching don’t have time. The pithier the better.
Letter size: This is CRUCIAL. Make sure your letters are at least 4 inches
tall—anything smaller will be too hard to read. Use a ruler and a pencil to draw faint guidelines on your poster so you know how tall to make your letters.
Magic marker: If using magic markers to draw your letters, make sure the letters are thick enough to see from a distance. Single stroke letters will be spidery-thin and impossible to read.
Computer: You can use a computer and print out your message with nice big, thick, evenly-sized letters, and glue or tape it to the poster.
Poster size: this should be determined by letter size and how large a poster you can carry. Be judicious and err on the side of readability from a distance.
COLOR
Readability: is your number one goal. Make sure there is enough contrast
between the background and the text so it is easy to read.
Text Color: Very dark text on a very light background is the clearest but you can experiment.
Color Combinations: Complimentary colors like green and red or orange and blue are VERY hard to read.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
No Carrying: If you don’t think you can carry a poster for an extended period of time, try:
Use a plain pillowcase or towel that you can safety pin to your shoulders like a cape or a bib. The message should still be concise with 4-inch minimum letters. Wearing your sign works too!
Make an A-frame sign with two larger pieces of foam core (recommended for
this use because of rigidity and durability). Tape the foam core together at the top and use both sides for messaging. This sign can be placed on the ground.
SAMPLE MESSAGES
Resist the Broligarchy!
Dump Trump
Don’t Buy a Swasticar
Musk is Stealing Your Data
Hands Off Democracy
Presidents Are Not Kings
Impeach Trump – 3 rd Time’s a Charm
This Is What Democracy Looks Like
You Can’t Spell FELON Without ELON
Only One Immigrant is Making Your Life Worse (picture of Elon Musk)
Deport Billionaires
CONGRESS: Where is Your Backbone?
Where Law Ends, Tyranny Begins
Stay Woke – Stay Strong
Honk if You Never Drunk Texted War Plans
