Printable Wanted Poster Templates are used to track down or to gather more information about the whereabouts of a criminal. In most cases, it could be a fugitive or a hardcore criminal who has been committing high-level crimes regularly. Wanted Posters were prepared and circulated by the police officers and other people from the police departments or security agencies. They were also prepared by other vigilante groups or companies who had experienced a recent robbery.
The first wanted poster was used in 1865 upon the death of Abraham Lincoln. After his death, the authorities distributed posters announcing a huge reward for John Wilkes Booths. Further, John was captured after twelve days of poster distribution. The information published on a wanted poster is very general. A wanted poster can have more than one photograph of the criminal. However, the details about the physical look of the criminal can be written on the poster in the next section.
Creating a wanted poster is not a difficult thing. You can easily create one by using pre-designed templates. We have listed some high-quality editable wanted poster templates in this post. They all are free and easily editable. You can select the templates that fulfill all of your requirements. Here we have listed various types of wanted posters in this post. Some posters allow you to add one image and some allow you to add more than one image. Many of them provide a very professional look and some provide a basic look. The choice is which one you want to use to create a wanted poster. You can easily download these free templates by just clicking on the download button available below all the templates.
Free Printable Wanted Poster Templates:
Here are free Wanted Poster Templates in order to help you prepare your own poster easily.
Guidelines for Creating a Wanted Poster:
A wanted poster helps the police to inform the public about a dangerous criminal moving into the town. They can easily publish the photo of the criminal on the poster along with the name. Sometimes the police department can also write an award for helping them find a criminal in the poster. A wanted poster is distributed or pasted on the walls to catch the criminal. In the old West, wanted posters were the only way to alert the public about a criminal. Information on the poster contained a photograph of the person and the description of the crime that he/she had committed on a specific date. The reward was also written on the poster by the police department to catch the criminal as soon as possible.
In the 1930’s America was helpless against the increasing crimes. Criminals start using guns in public areas and start becoming heroes by robbing things at gunpoint. The situation was getting worse day by day. By seeing and analyzing the situation the FBI started using wanted posters to catch the criminals. In this way, they become successful in capturing many dangerous criminals. It took some time but they caught them.
There are guidelines that you must follow when preparing a Wanted Poster Design. Some of them have been outlined below:
Use a clear Photo or image:
For a higher success rate of using a wanted poster, it is always recommended that a photo of the person of interest should be included. In cases where a photo of the person is not available, then a clear sketch of the image of the individual can be applied. It is important to use a vivid image that best represents the person of interest. This means that any significant birthmarks or scarring should be included in the photo and in the right place. This will prevent confusion in public, as to whether the person in the photo is the person that they might have seen.
Use a clear and more detailed Description:
When preparing Wanted Posters, it is important to use all the relevant details of the person of interest. The personal details should be outlined on the poster accordingly. This means that the information should be counter-checked with the relevant authorities to verify whether it is legitimate or not. Remember, if you are not sure about the information, consult widely, or better yet, just leave it out. A wanted person is always viewed in a bad light by the public; therefore, never risk giving false information, or you will be sued.
In the old times, there were not many ways to inform the public about a criminal moving around in the town. At that time paper was the only way to inform the public about the criminals and the activity he/she has performed in the town. With the help of posters, the police department catches the criminal in a few days because the public informs them when they see someone similar to the criminal in the town. Many bank robbers and dangerous criminals were caught this way.
Do not use decorations on the Wanted Poster Design:
Remember, Wanted Posters are professional. Therefore, the presentation of your Wanted Poster Design should represent professionalism and serious business. Decorations can also act as a distraction. Putting too many decorations on the Wanted Poster Designs will take the attention away from the main agenda, which is to get people to read about the person of interest. Including decorations will also make many people brush it off and ignore the Wanted Poster as it will just look like another invitation to a party or something.
In conclusion, preparing Wanted Poster Designs is a simple task. However, take your time to do your homework in terms of research. Clarify the information given before putting it on the poster. Look for a strategic position to hang your poster to target as many people as possible. Avoid the use of too many decorations and be as professional as possible. Use a clear and very detailed description of the person of interest. Use a decent photo of the person. The photo should be clear and should include any relevant details like birthmarks, scars, beauty spots, or tattoos.
