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Cinema and posters
Hand-painted film posters, flat-colour travel posters, contact sheets and silent-film stills: four looks for people who like a bold title and a dramatic frame.
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Your photo
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Ready-made looks
Pick a theme, then a look. Every frame from every theme is also in the Frame list above, grouped by theme.
A bold title for your photo
Posters were designed to be read from across a street, so they use flat colour, big letters and strong shapes. This category brings that attitude to an ordinary photo: give yourself a title, a tagline or a destination and let the frame do the rest.
The matinee poster is inspired by the hand-painted hoardings that hung outside cinemas, and the railway poster by the flat-colour travel posters of Europe between the wars. Both are drawn from scratch and no real film, studio, railway or artist is copied.
What suits which photo
A person against open sky suits the railway poster. A face with a strong expression suits the matinee poster. The contact sheet shows the same photo three times with different crops, so a picture with room around the subject gives the best variety. The silent still loves strong light and shadow.
What each look does
Matinee poster. A bold, hand-painted style film poster with your title, a tagline and a starburst. Inspired by cinema hoardings in India. It starts at 1975, and you can drag the slider or change the year to move it earlier or later.
Railway poster. Flat, painted colours, a sunburst and an arched window with a destination in big letters. Inspired by European railway posters. It starts at 1932, and you can drag the slider or change the year to move it earlier or later.
Contact sheet. A strip of 35mm film with three frames and a red grease-pencil circle around the favourite. It starts at 1962, and you can drag the slider or change the year to move it earlier or later.
Silent film still. High-contrast black and white with flicker, scratches, dust and a rounded film gate. It starts at 1925, and you can drag the slider or change the year to move it earlier or later.
Tips for this theme
- Write a short titlePoster letters like three to four words. Long titles shrink to fit.
- Pick a taglineOne short line works better than a sentence. Try a joke or a place.
- Leave breathing roomThe contact sheet crops your photo three ways, so pictures with space around the subject vary the most.
- Add dramaFor the silent still, photos taken near sunset or by a window look the most dramatic.
How to make a vintage movie poster
Choose Matinee poster, add a photo with a strong expression, write a short title and a one-line tagline, and download the JPG. For a travel poster, pick Railway poster and type your destination.
Questions
How do I make a vintage movie poster from my photo?
Choose Matinee poster, add your photo and type a film title and a tagline. The poster has a starburst background and a bold, hand-painted style.
Can I make a retro travel poster?
Yes. The Railway poster look has flat colours, an arched window and a destination in big letters. Type any place you like.
What is a film contact sheet effect?
It shows your photo as a strip of 35mm film with three frames and a red grease-pencil circle around the favourite.
Is the matinee poster a real film poster?
No. It is drawn from scratch in the style of hand-painted film posters. No real film, studio or actor is copied.
Is the railway poster a real poster?
No. It imitates the flat-colour travel poster style, with no real railway company or artist copied.
What does the contact sheet show?
Three frames from the same photo on a strip of 35mm film, with a red pencil circle around your favourite.
Can I put my own title on the poster?
Yes. Edit the text boxes under Frame and the preview updates as you type.
What are the flicker and scratches in the silent still?
A stylised effect inspired by old film that has been through a projector many times. The flicker is gentle so faces stay readable.
Can I use any language in the title?
Yes, type anything your device can display. The lettering style depends on the fonts on your device.
Does my photo leave my device?
No. Everything on this page runs in your browser, and your photo is never uploaded.
Can I change the year printed on the frame?
Yes. Use the Year you were born box, or drag the slider. Dates and captions follow the year you choose, unless you have typed your own text.
Which file formats can I use?
JPG, PNG and WebP work everywhere. HEIC opens in browsers that support it, such as Safari.
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