Generate a Panel Poster File Using Rasterbator

To make a file suitable for a Panel Poster, we need to pass an image through an application that will enlarge and dice it up across multiple pages contained in a single PDF document.

Be aware that safety is your responsibility.

Step 1: Select Image

Rasterbator is a free web application that runs in your browser and enlarges your image using small dots to give it a cool "pop art" feel. Up close it looks like clusters of abstract dots; however, from a distance the picture blends into focus and looks great. You can crop, resize, adjust the dot size, and change color for different effects. (PIC 1-1, PIC 1-2, PIC 1-3)

Here's some guidelines to help you select an image:

The file format has to be JPG or GIF.
You are limited to a maximum of 1MB for your uploaded image size.
We recommend using images that are just under 1 MB (eg: 900 kB).

For example, below is a poster that used an image that was only 428 kB which produced a fantastic large poster. (PIC 1-4) If you want to search the internet for an image, an easy way to find images that are large enough is to use Google's images search tool:

Go to Google's Advanced Image Search tool.
Enter your search term(s).
Set the image size to at least "Larger than 1024 x 768".
Click "Search images" button.
Click on an interesting image to see it's size.

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Step 2: Get a PDF viewer

You will need an application that can view and print PDFs. On Mac, you will use the "Preview" application located in your "Applications" directory. On Windows you will need to download and install a free PDF viewer like Adobe’s Reader.

Step 3: Upload your image

Go to homokaasu.org/rasterbator/ and click on "Rasterbate online". (PIC 3-1) We are going to choose to upload an image from our computer. (PIC 3-2) Click the "Browse" button and then "next" to upload an image from your computer. (PIC 3-3)

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Step 4: Crop and size the poster

Use "Crop" mode and the resize box around your image to only use a portion of the image for the poster. (PIC 4-1) Use "Size" to set the number of panels in your poster. (PIC 4-2) You can flip back and forth between the two modes to tune your image to fit the panels nicely. Don't worry about partial panels you don't care about. You can either remove these from the final PDF, or simply not print those panels. Set the paper size and orientation as desired. Click "Next", and then "Continue" (PIC 4-3)

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Step 5: Set options

Always check the "Draw border around rasterbated area" for panel posters. The faint line helps you align the scoring guide. We like to use 7mm for the "Dot size". However, you can create some interesting effects with larger dot sizes. It's best to experiment. In general, the smaller dots, the more detail. For the "Color mode" we chose "Multi-color", but you can make some very interesting effects choosing black and white or monochromatic. Have fun with it. (PIC 5-1) Click the "Rasterbate!" button to proceed.

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Step 6: Generate, download, and verify

Rasterbator will process your file and notify you when the poster is complete. (PIC 6-1) Open the PDF and review the panels. (PIC 6-2) If you have partial panels that you do not want in the PDF, and your PDF viewer allows it, delete them from the PDF. If you have any issues with the output, start the process again and make the desired changes.

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Step 7: Build a Panel Poster

Once you're happy with the output you can print and build your panel poster.