200 GPT Commands to Design Event Posters in Any Style

Every event poster brief sounds the same: make it pop, make it premium, make it young. Type that into ChatGPT with your event details and you get the poster everyone else gets, a centred headline over a stock gradient. The model can design well. It just needs a named direction instead of an adjective.

This post is 200 of those directions. Each command is a short name for a specific poster style, with a line describing what it actually looks like: the layout, the type, the colour and the material. They are sorted into twenty groups, from Swiss grids to kantha stitch to breaking-news banners, and every group opens with the kinds of events it suits.

What these commands actually are

A quick, honest word first. ChatGPT does not come with these commands. Typing /swissGridClean into a fresh chat does nothing by itself. Each command is a nickname for the description written next to it, the same idea as a keyboard shortcut standing in for a menu of clicks.

The description is the part doing the work. You can paste the command with its description each time, or load the whole list into a Custom GPT once so the name alone is enough. Both methods are below.

The core move: rebuild, don't restart

The most useful way to run these is on a poster you already have. Attach last year's poster, a rough Canva draft or even a forwarded flyer, add one command, and ask the model to keep every fact and change everything else.

Facts are what must survive untouched: event name, date, time, venue, ticket price, speaker names, contact number and logos. Everything else is open for redesign: layout, hierarchy, colour, typography, materials and how photos are treated. Spelling out this split is what stops the model from quietly changing your date.

Rebuild this poster using /riso2Colour. Keep every piece of text, every number and the logo exactly as they are. Change the layout, colours, typography and image treatment. 4:5 portrait.

No poster yet? Paste the event details as a plain list and use the same command. The model builds the first version from scratch instead of rebuilding one.

Set the library up once

A Custom GPT is a version of ChatGPT you configure with your own instructions, so it behaves the same way every time. Creating one needs a paid plan. On the free plan you can still use the paste-the-description method below.

1. Start a new Custom GPT, or a Project, which works the same way for this.
2. In its instructions, paste the command lists from the groups below, then add the rule underneath.
3. Save it. From then on, attach a poster or paste your event details, type a command, and it expands into the full design brief.

You are an event poster designer. When I attach a poster or send event details with a slash command such as /swissGridClean, treat the command as shorthand for its description in your instructions. Keep every fact exactly as given: event name, date, time, venue, prices, names, contact details and logos. Rebuild everything else: layout, hierarchy, palette, typography, materials and image treatment. Use 4:5 portrait unless I name a size. One command at a time. Do not ask questions, produce the poster.

On the free plan, skip the setup. Paste the command and its description with your poster, like /uvGlow: blacklight-reactive colours glowing on pure black, fluorescent paint texture, plus the keep-the-facts line. Same result, you just retype the description each time.

How to get a good result

• Give the exact words. Type the text you want on the poster, spelled correctly, instead of asking the model to write it. If you need copy help too, do it in a separate step; our post on the two-prompt poster method explains why.
• Proofread every number. Image models render text far better than they used to, but dates, phone numbers and small print still slip. Check before anything is printed or posted.
• Name the size. 4:5 for Instagram feed, 9:16 for stories and WhatsApp status, 2:3 portrait for print. Leave it out and you often get a square.
• Run one command at a time. Two styles in one go usually cancel each other out.
• Treat the first image as a draft. Refine in plain words: bigger date, less clutter, logo bottom right.

How the library is organised

Two hundred commands in twenty groups of ten. Each group opens with the events it suits, then lists its commands with a line on what each one looks like. Numbering runs straight through, so your team can refer to a style by number.

1. Modernist grids

For conferences, talks, architecture and design events, anywhere the information has to feel organised and confident.

1. /swissGridClean: flush-left grotesk type on a visible column grid, black on white, one red accent bar

2. /bauhausPrimaryBlocks: circles, squares and triangles in red, yellow and blue locking around a bold sans headline

3. /deStijlPanels: black-ruled rectangles filled with primary colours, event details sitting inside the panels

4. /constructivistDiagonal: headline on a steep diagonal, red and black wedges, photo cropped into a circle

5. /modularTypeBlocks: every word set in its own coloured block, stacked like building bricks

6. /asymmetricAxis: one strong off-centre vertical axis, all text hung from it, generous empty space

7. /geometricProgramme: speakers and timings set as a tidy table beneath one large abstract shape

8. /gridBreaker: strict grid with one oversized word deliberately smashing across the columns

9. /minimalSingleShape: one flat geometric shape, one headline, date in small caps at the foot

10. /dateAsStructure: giant numerals of the date form the layout, all other text tucked into the gaps

2. Print imperfections

For gigs, craft fairs, indie launches and anything that should feel made by hand rather than by a brand team.

11. /riso2Colour: two-colour risograph in fluoro pink and teal, overlapping inks, grainy coverage

12. /offRegister: colour layers shifted a few millimetres out of line so every edge doubles

13. /screenprintGrit: flat inks with dragged squeegee texture and small pinholes in the solid areas

14. /overprintMultiply: transparent ink layers that make a third colour wherever they cross

15. /halftoneBlowup: photo reduced to oversized halftone dots, readable only from a distance

16. /fluoroSpot: one neon spot ink printed on uncoated kraft or grey board

17. /letterpressBite: wood-type headline pressed into thick cotton paper, uneven ink, visible deboss

18. /stencilSpray: cut-stencil letters with soft overspray edges on card

19. /rubberStampStack: repeated rubber-stamp impressions, some faint, some heavy, all slightly crooked

20. /photocopyDegrade: fifth-generation photocopy, crushed blacks, toner speckle and grey smudges

3. Industrial and brutalist

For techno nights, warehouse launches, maker fairs and tech meetups that want some edge.

21. /concreteBackdrop: raw board-marked concrete wall shot flat, white stencilled type across it

22. /steelPlate: headline cut into brushed steel plate with bolts in each corner

23. /warehouseMonolith: one enormous condensed headline filling most of the poster, tiny details below

24. /hazardStripes: black and yellow chevron borders, safety-sign pictograms for date and venue

25. /utilityLabels: event info set as equipment rating plates with serial-number style type on grey

26. /scaffoldFrame: scaffolding poles and clamps holding up the text panels

27. /blueprintMarks: crop marks, construction lines and measurements left visible like a technical drawing

28. /enamelFactorySign: chipped enamel factory sign with stencil numbers and rust at the edges

29. /shippingContainer: corrugated container side in rust red with cargo-code typography

30. /monoBrutalist: black, white and one grey, plain system font, harsh boxes, zero decoration

4. Editorial and fashion magazine

For fashion shows, store launches, book events and brand activations that want magazine polish.

31. /magazineCoverBleed: full-bleed portrait with a masthead-scale headline tucked behind the subject's head

32. /editorialSpread: left half image, right half text, like an open magazine spread

33. /indieJournal: uncoated paper, small serif, wide white margins, one quiet photograph

34. /artbookSequence: several cropped images laid out like consecutive photobook pages

35. /cultureDispatch: dense column of event notes beside one striking image, arts-section feel

36. /oversizedCaption: a small image with a huge caption dominating the page

37. /runwayRunningOrder: acts or speakers listed like a fashion show's numbered running order

38. /glossyInterrupt: glossy fashion photo interrupted by a hand-torn paper strip carrying the date

39. /literaryReview: classic serif, thin rules between sections, headline set as a pull quote

40. /photoEssayGrid: six to nine documentary photos in a tight grid with one line of event text

5. Collage and paper ephemera

For flea markets, reunions, pop-ups, community events and nostalgia nights.

41. /receiptCollage: event details printed as thermal receipts, pinned and layered

42. /ticketStubMosaic: torn old ticket stubs filling the background, headline stamped on top

43. /matchboxScraps: vintage matchbox label fragments arranged around the venue name

44. /postcardLayers: overlapping postcards from different decades, date handwritten in ink

45. /airmailEnvelope: airmail stripe border, postage stamps and cancellation marks carrying the info

46. /transitPassCollage: bus tickets, metro cards and a route map pointing to the venue

47. /labelMix: old fruit-crate and bottle labels cut up and remixed into a new composition

48. /handbillLayers: fragments of older handbills pasted in layers, the new event on the top sheet

49. /instantPhotoWall: taped instant photos in a loose cluster, captions in marker

50. /carbonCopy: blue carbon-paper duplicate with typewriter details and an office stamp

6. Nightlife and neon

For club nights, DJ sets, concerts, bar takeovers and late-night launches.

51. /laserGrid: dark room with green laser lines forming a perspective grid behind the headline

52. /uvGlow: blacklight-reactive colours glowing on pure black, fluorescent paint texture

53. /marqueeBulbs: headline spelled in bulb-lit theatre marquee letters

54. /acidMelt: melting psychedelic colour fields with warped, rounded type

55. /tubeTunnel: fluorescent tube tunnel vanishing to a point, event name at the centre

56. /rainyShopSigns: neon shop signs on a wet street at night, event name as one of the signs

57. /neonOnBrick: neon tube lettering casting coloured glow and soft shadow on a brick wall

58. /glowWire: headline bent from one continuous glowing wire

59. /afterhoursGradient: deep purple to magenta gradient, film grain, thin chrome type

60. /blacklightStickers: fluorescent sticker-style letters on black velvet with heavy glow bloom

7. Luxury and quiet premium

For galas, jewellery and real estate launches, fine dining, fundraisers and invite-only evenings.

61. /quietLuxury: cream background, small widely tracked serif, huge margins, nothing else

62. /sculptedSerif: high-contrast display serif at large scale, fine hairline strokes

63. /velvetInvite: deep velvet texture, gold foil lettering, formal invitation layout

64. /marbleEngraved: honed marble slab with the headline engraved into it

65. /goldMinimal: a single gold foil line or monogram on matte black

66. /maisonProgramme: centred serif programme with the evening's sequence numbered like a couture show

67. /perfumeStillLife: soft-focus glass object with light caustics and thin elegant type

68. /silkShadow: draped silk with the type set in the shadow of its folds

69. /ivoryWhitespace: textured ivory paper, one tiny image, most of the page left empty

70. /blindEmboss: white-on-white embossed headline, visible only in raking light

8. Zine and DIY underground

For open mics, college fests, indie gigs, workshops and grassroots community events.

71. /staplePunk: black photocopied zine page, staples in the corners, handwritten date

72. /xeroxRiot: high-contrast xerox photo, collaged type, wonky crops

73. /cutPasteLetters: headline assembled from letters cut out of different magazines

74. /markerManifesto: whole poster written in thick marker, crossed-out words left in

75. /flyerWallStack: the poster pasted on a wall of other flyers, partly covered by them

76. /tapeLetters: letters formed from strips of duct or masking tape

77. /garageGigDebris: gaffer tape, a set list, a guitar pick and scrawled venue details

78. /ransomNote: every character a different font, size and colour

79. /penCorrections: printed text marked up in pen with arrows, circles and doodles

80. /marginScrawl: clean main text surrounded by scribbled notes and sketches in the margins

9. Cinematic photography

For film screenings, theatre, concerts and brand film premieres. These work best when you attach a strong photo.

81. /anamorphicStill: wide letterbox frame, teal-orange grade, horizontal lens flare, credits block below

82. /noirBlinds: hard single light, venetian-blind shadows, black and white, serif title

83. /backstageFlash: direct on-camera flash, candid performer backstage, snapshot grain

84. /concertGrain: pushed film grain, stage haze, a silhouette against coloured spotlights

85. /smokePortrait: subject emerging from smoke under one overhead light

86. /crowdHandsUp: documentary wide shot of hands in the air, headline across the top

87. /lobbyCard: old cinema lobby card, hand-tinted still inside a framed title panel

88. /35mmNight: night street on 35mm film, halation around lights, date printed like film-edge markings

89. /emptyVenueGolden: empty venue interior at golden hour, cinematic framing, quiet type

90. /billingBlock: film one-sheet layout with a condensed billing block for speakers or performers

10. Vintage glamour

For theme parties, heritage events, jazz nights and anniversary celebrations.

91. /artDecoSunburst: gold and black sunburst geometry, stepped borders, tall decorative capitals

92. /twentiesCabaret: 1920s cabaret poster, painted performer, cream and red lithograph colours

93. /circusPlaybill: ornate Victorian playbill mixing many woodtype faces, banners and stars

94. /belleEpoqueLitho: flowing lithograph illustration, curved lettering, soft pastels

95. /streamlineModerne: speed lines, rounded chrome forms, 1930s travel-poster palette

96. /jazzAgeShapes: dancers and brass instruments drawn as flat angular shapes

97. /expressionistStage: angular stylised figures, black with red and ochre, bold hand-cut letters

98. /speakeasyGilt: dark wood, brass and candlelight, gilded frame around the invite text

99. /silentFilmCard: black intertitle card with an ornate white border and serif text

100. /midcenturyLounge: 1950s lounge illustration, atomic starbursts, olive and mustard palette

11. Sports and broadcast

For tournaments, marathons, corporate leagues, match screenings and fitness events.

101. /stadiumScoreboard: event details lit up on an LED stadium scoreboard

102. /fightNightBill: stacked woodtype names with VS in the middle, red and black on buff paper

103. /broadcastLowerThirds: TV lower-thirds and score bugs carrying date, time and venue

104. /racingStripes: diagonal racing stripes across the poster, italic speed type

105. /varsityLetters: chenille varsity letters with felt texture and stitched outlines

106. /matchScorecard: event info laid out like a cricket scorecard

107. /splitScreenFaceoff: two cut-out figures facing off across a split screen with glowing edges

108. /teamSheet: lineup of speakers or acts set as a matchday team sheet with shirt numbers

109. /trophyConfetti: trophy, confetti burst, heavy grain, bold condensed type

110. /retroStadiumProgramme: vintage matchday programme cover with an illustrated athlete

12. 3D material type

For product launches, kids' events, brand festivals and social-first posters that need to stop the scroll. Keep the text short, these letters take up room.

111. /inflatableLetters: headline as puffy inflatable vinyl letters with glossy highlights

112. /chromeMonument: polished chrome letters standing like a monument under a reflected sky

113. /paperFoldType: letters folded from coloured paper with crisp creases and shadows

114. /liquidLetters: letters made of poured liquid with splashes frozen mid-air

115. /foamBlocks: soft pastel foam blocks spelling the words, clean studio light

116. /glassType: clear glass letters refracting and bending the background

117. /clayLetters: hand-modelled matte clay letters with fingerprints left in

118. /stuffedFabric: letters sewn from fabric, visible stitching, slightly overstuffed

119. /wireframeType: 3D letters shown only as glowing wireframe mesh

120. /foilBalloons: metallic party balloons spelling the headline against a flat colour backdrop

13. Street and activism

For cause campaigns, NGO drives, civic events, marches and street festivals.

121. /wheatpaste: poster pasted on a wall with wrinkles, glue bubbles and torn corners

122. /stencilWall: stencilled message on a painted wall with drips and overspray

123. /clothBanner: hand-painted cloth banner held up above a crowd

124. /graffitiHeadline: wildstyle headline with legible event details in plain block letters below

125. /tearOffTabs: flyer taped around a lamp post with tear-off contact tabs along the bottom

126. /pasteUpRepeat: the same poster pasted in a repeating grid across a whole wall

127. /chalkPavement: coloured chalk lettering on pavement, shot from directly above

128. /megaphoneWaves: megaphone icon with sound waves shaping the lines of text

129. /plywoodHoarding: bold spray paint on a plywood site hoarding, urgent and direct

130. /publicNoticeHijack: formal public notice layout interrupted by one hand-painted slash of colour

14. Museum and gallery

For exhibitions, lectures, literature festivals, archives and institutional events.

131. /curatorialGrid: strict neutral grid, small sans, one artwork image, lots of breathing room

132. /archiveIndexCard: archival index card with typewriter text and a catalogue number

133. /institutionalIdentity: consistent logo system, one colour per programme strand, clean hierarchy

134. /exhibitionCatalogue: catalogue cover with an artwork plate, title and dates in a narrow column

135. /wayfindingSigns: pictograms and directional arrows that turn the event info into signage

136. /wallLabel: the event written as an oversized museum wall label: title, medium, year, notes

137. /whiteCubeVinyl: white gallery wall with the headline applied as cut vinyl lettering

138. /collectionIndex: talks or works listed with accession-style numbers like a collection index

139. /conditionReport: conservation report layout with diagrams, notes and archival tape

140. /objectOnGrey: a single object lit on grey with a museum caption carrying the details

15. Surreal and spatial

For art events, music festivals, experiential launches and anything that should feel slightly unreal.

141. /desertDoorway: a lone doorway in a desert opening onto the venue inside

142. /floatingStage: a stage floating on water or clouds, the audience watching from the shore

143. /meltingSign: the venue signage slowly melting down the poster

144. /loopingStairs: impossible looping staircase with the text running along the steps

145. /giantObject: one oversized everyday object, a mic or a ticket, towering over a landscape

146. /foldedCity: city streets folding up into the sky with the headline in the fold

147. /zeroGravity: performers, instruments and letters floating weightless

148. /tinyCrowd: miniature people gathered around a giant headline like a monument

149. /nestedStages: stages framed inside stages, shrinking into the distance

150. /cloudAuditorium: auditorium seats made of cloud under a soft pastel sky

16. Global print traditions

For cultural festivals, film weeks, food fests and diaspora events. Borrow these with care and get the details right.

151. /seoulTypeRhythm: contemporary Korean poster feel, experimental layered type, bright flat colour

152. /operaPrintRedGold: red and gold opera print palette, painted mask motif, vertical text column

153. /polishPosterSchool: painterly symbolic illustration, hand-drawn lettering, one visual metaphor

154. /cubanSilkscreen: flat saturated silkscreen colours with bold silhouettes, film-festival layout

155. /mexicanReliefPrint: black relief-print illustration with a papel picado border in pink and green

156. /indianMatchboxLabel: flat bold illustration inside an ornate border, limited print colours

157. /handPaintedFilmPoster: hand-painted Hindi film poster look, dramatic faces, 3D title lettering

158. /frenchNewWave: 1960s French film poster, loose sketch illustration, one bold colour block

159. /italianFuturist: lines of force, fragmented letters, speed and machines

160. /tropicalModernist: curving concrete forms, tropical leaves and bright tile patterns

17. Chrome and digital future

For tech conferences, AI meetups, gaming nights, EDM gigs and Gen Z brand events.

161. /holographicFoil: iridescent foil background shifting through colours, bold sans on top

162. /liquidChrome: melted mirror-chrome blobs shaping the headline

163. /y2kInterface: early-2000s interface windows, pill buttons and pixel icons carrying the info

164. /circuitRelic: circuit traces, data glyphs and scan lines on a dark ground

165. /oilSlickRing: glowing iridescent ring framing the event name

166. /translucentPlastic: glossy see-through plastic like old gadgets, candy colours

167. /metallicGradient: smooth silver-to-violet gradient with embossed lettering

168. /wireframeHorizon: 3D wireframe terrain and grid horizon, green lines on black

169. /pixelBloom: pixel-art flowers blooming around low-resolution type

170. /frostedGlassCards: frosted glass panels floating over colour blobs, details on the panels

18. Folk and handcraft

For Durga Puja and Diwali events, weddings and sangeets, craft melas, farm-to-table dinners and heritage walks.

171. /embroideredDetails: event details stitched in coloured thread on cloth, visible thread texture

172. /kanthaStitch: kantha running-stitch patterns across layered cotton, headline in stitched outline

173. /madhubaniBorder: dense Madhubani line-art border of fish, birds and vines, text in the centre

174. /blockPrintRepeat: hand block-printed motif in indigo and madder red with slight misalignment

175. /naivePainting: flat-perspective folk painting of the event itself, bright and simple

176. /paintedTiles: blue and white hand-painted tiles, one letter per tile

177. /carvedWood: letters carved into wood, chisel marks left visible

178. /paperCutFolk: layered cut-paper silhouettes of dancers, birds and animals

179. /patachitraScroll: Bengal patachitra scroll panels telling the event's story frame by frame

180. /signPainter: hand-lettered shop sign with drop shadows, brush strokes and enamel shine

19. Newspaper and print media

For launches, announcements, alumni meets and any event that wants to read like news.

181. /tabloidShock: giant red masthead, screaming headline, cut-out photo

182. /broadsheetLead: dense broadsheet columns with the event as the lead story

183. /frontPageSplash: full front-page photo with a one-word headline

184. /breakingTicker: breaking-news ticker bars carrying the date and venue

185. /classifiedsCircled: event hidden among classified ads, circled in red pen

186. /opEdColumns: narrow columns, bylines for each speaker, pull quotes

187. /freshNewsprint: newsprint texture with ink smudges and roller marks

188. /stopPress: evening edition front page with a boxed stop-press announcement

189. /sundaySupplement: colourful weekend magazine cover with teaser lines down the side

190. /headlineCollision: several cropped headlines overlapping into one statement

20. Motion and optical

For festivals, sports, product drops and posters that also need to work as the first frame of a reel.

191. /velocityType: letters stretched horizontally with speed streaks behind them

192. /orbitLetters: letters arranged in a ring as if spinning, with motion arcs

193. /lightPainting: long-exposure light trails spelling the headline

194. /elasticType: letters squashed and stretched like rubber, bumping into each other

195. /panningBlur: sharp subject, background dragged in motion blur, type following the blur

196. /echoType: headline repeated in fading steps behind itself

197. /strobeSequence: a performer shown in sequential frames across a strip, like a strobe capture

198. /moireGrids: line grids rotated over each other to create a shimmering moire pattern

199. /speedTunnel: type wrapped around tunnel walls rushing to a vanishing point

200. /zoomBurst: radial zoom blur exploding outward from the headline

Quick picks by event type

Not sure where to start? Try these three first for the most common briefs.

• Conference or summit: /swissGridClean, /institutionalIdentity, /curatorialGrid
• Club night or DJ gig: /uvGlow, /laserGrid, /xeroxRiot
• Puja, Diwali or cultural festival: /patachitraScroll, /madhubaniBorder, /marqueeBulbs
• Luxury launch or gala: /quietLuxury, /velvetInvite, /goldMinimal
• College fest or open mic: /cutPasteLetters, /staplePunk, /varsityLetters
• Tournament or marathon: /fightNightBill, /racingStripes, /broadcastLowerThirds
• Exhibition or book launch: /exhibitionCatalogue, /indieJournal, /literaryReview
• Tech or AI meetup: /y2kInterface, /wireframeHorizon, /monoBrutalist

Common mistakes

• Not telling the model to keep the facts. Left alone, it will reword your headline and occasionally invent a sponsor.
• Picking a style that fights the event. Hazard stripes on a wedding invite reads as a joke.
• Cramming the full schedule onto a heavy style. Textured, busy looks need less text; put the programme in a second slide or the caption.
• Using a craft tradition as a costume. If you borrow Madhubani, patachitra or papel picado, get the motifs right and suit them to the occasion.
• Skipping the final proofread. One wrong date on 500 printed posters is an expensive typo.

FAQ

Do these commands work in ChatGPT straight away?

No. They are shorthand you set up, not built-in features. Paste each command with its description, or load the full list into a Custom GPT once so the name works on its own.

Will it keep my logo exactly?

Usually close, rarely pixel-perfect. For print or anything brand-critical, ask for the poster with a clear space where the logo goes, then place the real file in Canva or Figma.

Can I use them in Gemini or other image tools?

Yes, they are just prompts. Tools that can edit an uploaded image handle the rebuild method; tools that cannot will treat your poster as loose inspiration, so give them the event details as text instead.

Can I use the posters for client events?

The prompts are free to use. What you can do with the finished image depends on the tool's terms and on the rights to any photos or logos you uploaded, so check both before anything goes out commercially. This is a flag, not legal advice.

In short

A generic poster comes from a generic brief. These 200 commands give the model a named, specific direction instead: layout, type, colour and material in one line. Attach your existing poster or paste the details, add one command, tell it to keep every fact and change the rest, then proofread. The library gives you the look. Choosing the one that fits the event is still your call.