I love wall planners – I find them to be good reminders of upcoming events and due dates. I used to use some free promotional ones that my previous employer used to produce until they changed the layout and it no longer suited my needs. So I created my own using Microsoft PowerPoint and a print service! For more information on how to make your own (or a copy of my free template) please see below.
Did you know that PowerPoint can be used for more than just making presentations?
To set up PowerPoint to a Poster size you will need to adjust the slide size. The settings below will set you up with an A1 size poster.
- Go to the Design tab on the Ribbon.
- Click the drop-down for Slide Size.
- Select Custom Slide Size.
- Under Slides sized for select Custom.
- Set the Width to 84.098 cm and Height to 59.399 cm.
- Ensure the Slides button is set to Landscape.
- Press Ok.
For a Calendar Layout, you will need to use a Table.
This style planner consists of 14 columns and 38 rows.
- Go to the Insert tab.
- Click on the Table dropdown.
- Select Insert Table.
- Enter the Number of columns to 14 and the Number of rows to 38.
- Press Ok.
Next, you will need to adjust the table size to suit your poster. And add all the details for the year – there is no quick way of doing this really you will need to enter the months, days etc, line the dates with the perspective days of the week.
To make it a little easier for you here is a template I have created. It is for 2020 but does not have any public or school holidays entered so you can customise it to suit your needs. I have watermarked my logo on the template, however, if you choose to add photos etc to your planner you can cover this. Don’t forget to save your work as you go!
Now for printing
When you have finished editing the planner to suit your needs you will need to save it as a pdf – this is because many print shops prefer pdf format for large files.
- Go to File.
- Click on Save a Copy.
- In the file type drop-down select PDF (see image below)
- Click Save.
I choose to get my posters printed at Officeworks. It costs $20 for an A1 matte finish print, which is perfect for this purpose. I have tried other online print services and, while I could find cheaper, the quality was poor with thin paper, finish being too glossy to read, etc. Officeworks provided a great service and quick turnaround times.
Putting it up on the wall
You could just stick it up with some blu-tack or sticky tape. I opted for a snapback frame which I ordered on eBay. This is the sort of frame that is permanently fixed to the wall, regularly used by business to hold advertising posters. If you don’t want to go the permanent route then look for A1 poster frames.
I hope this helps! if you have any comments or questions please leave them below.
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