Vintage Travel Poster in Affinity Photo

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a vintage travel poster in Affinity Photo.

Before you start, go to the following links to download the image and font used in this tutorial.

Man in Mexico

Montserrat font

Monotype Corsiva font

Step 1

First, go to File > New. Go to Print and select the A4 document size.

Step 2

Next, grab the Rectangle Tool from the Tools Panel. Draw a rectangle that cover the document. Go to the Swatches Panel. Double click on the fill color to bring up the Color Chooser. Set the color of the rectangle to the following hex code # F9C83A.

Step 3

Now, go to File > Open and select the image you downloaded.

Step 4

In the Layers Panel, click the Adjustments icon and select the Brightness/Contrast adjustment. Set the Brightness to 30% and the Contrast to -10%.

Step 5

After that, click the Adjustments icon. Select the Curves adjustment. Click and add a point in the middle of the curve and drag it up some.

Step 6

In the Layers Panel, select the background layer and the two adjustments layers. Then, press CTRL + ALT + Shift + E to merge the layers together. Now, select the merged layer. Copy the layer and paste it onto the other document.

Step 7

Go to the Transform Panel. Turn on the Lock Aspect Ratio. Then, grab the Move Tool and resize the image the way you see it on the screen. Place the image in the center of the document.

Step 8

Now, click the Adjustments icon in the Layers Panel. Select the Posterize adjustment. Set the Posterize Level to 5.

Step 9

Once you’ve done that, grab the Selection Brush Tool from the Tools Panel. In the Context Toolbar, set the Mode to Add and check the Snap to Edges box. Take the tool and make a selection of the sky. Don’t forget to get the areas between the trees and between the man’s arms.

Step 10

Next, go to the Layers Panel. Click the Adjustments icon and select the Recolor adjustment. Set the Hue to 192 degrees, Saturation to 65 percent, and the Lightness to -12 percent. Press CTRL + D to deselect. Select both of the adjustments layers and drag them into the merged layer.

Step 11

Grab the Artistic Text Tool from the Tools Panel. Click on the image down where the leaves are and Type MEXICO in ALL CAPS. Go to the Swatches Panel and set the color of the text to white.

Step 12

With the text still selected, go to the Font Family. Set the font to Montserrat Bold. Center the text.

Step 13

Grab the Move Tool. Press CTRL + Shift and drag a copy of the text layer to the top. Type the word Visit. Go to the Swatches Panel and double click on the fill color to bring up the Color Chooser. Enter the following hex code # 006341.

Step 14

Now, go to the Font Family and set the font to Monotype Corsiva. Place the text where you see it on the screen.

Step 15

In the Layers Panel, click the Add Pixel Layer to add a new layer. Now, go to the Swatches Panel and double click the fill color to bring up the Color Chooser. Enter the following hex code # 6B6B6B.

Step 16

After that, go to the Edit menu and select Fill with Primary Color. Next, go to the Filters menu. Select Noise > Add Noise. Set the Intensity to 60%. Select Gaussian and check the Monochromatic box.

Step 17

In the Layers Panel, set the Blend Mode to Hard Light and lower the Opacity to 75%.

Step 18

Select the merged layer. Now, click the adjustments icon and select the Gradient Map adjustment. Click the green color stop and click Delete by the Reverse button. After that, click the Reverse button.

Step 19

Now, select the red color stop. Go to Color and select the RGB Hex Sliders. Enter the following hex code # FF9F00. Then, click and add a point in the middle. Next, go to Color and enter the following hex code # 9B43BC. Change the Blend Mode to Screen.

Step 20

Once you’ve done that, click the Blend Ranges icon beside the Blend Mode. In the Underlying Composition Ranges section, slide the left point down slightly below the halfway mark. Next, click and add a point in the middle and drag it down. Then, select the point on the right and drag it down some. Lower the Opacity to 90%.

Congratulations, this tutorial is complete. You now know how to create a vintage travel poster in Affinity Photo. For more Affinity Photo tutorials, check out this article on how to create a 90s rave poster.