The 5-second test
Tape your poster to a wall, walk ten steps back and count to five. Could you tell it is a lost dog? Would you know the dog if you saw it? Could you remember any of the number? If any answer is no, the poster has too many words or the photo is too small.
That is why this template has so few parts. The headline is in tall, condensed letters at least 1.2 inches high. The photo fills about half the page. The phone number sits on a solid band in letters over half an inch tall. Everything else is small on purpose.
The photo matters more than the words
People recognize a dog by its face and shape long before they read "medium-size brown mix". Pick a photo where the face is clear, in daylight, and drag the frame so the face sits in the middle. We never retouch, filter or change the photo; what you upload is what people see.
Black dogs are hard to photograph. Choose a picture taken outside, where you can see the eyes and the shape of the head, and add one feature that stands out, like a white chest or a red collar. The black husky example below shows how that reads.
Why "please don't chase" is on every dog poster
A frightened dog in survival mode will often run from anyone, including its own family. When strangers chase, the dog runs farther and into traffic. The default note on a lost dog poster asks people to call or text right away instead. If your dog is friendly and safe to approach, you can change the line.