Processing-Tutorial – Programming Posters

Some of you have asked for it, so here it is: A raw and uncut tutorial in which I explain my “Programming Posters” method. I just started the recording and began developing the sketch. I didn’t even have a clear visual idea how the poster should look like in the end.

From my point of view this spontaneous format is quite interesting, because it explains much more than just the technique. I share all my unfiltered thoughts, including those about the design, the creative strategy and the typography…

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The Images

The Font

I use a commercial font-family for all of my projects. it is called “SuisseInt’l” and it is available at swisstypefaces.com.

Because i don’t want to hurt any license agreements i can’t share the original font-files. But i can recommend you a very nice alternative called “Inter”, available here.

tutorial.pde

PGraphics pg;
PGraphics pg2;

PGraphics buffer;

PImage img;
PImage img2;

PFont sans;

void setup() {
  size(1200, 900);
  pg = createGraphics(586, 810);
  pg2 = createGraphics(586, 810);
  buffer = createGraphics(586, 810); 
  
  img = loadImage("a.jpg");
  img2 = loadImage("n.jpg");
  sans = createFont("sans.otf", 1000);
}

void draw() {
  background(0);

  drawPg();
  drawPg2();

  buffer.beginDraw();
  buffer.background(#f1f1f1);
  buffer.noStroke();
  buffer.rectMode(CORNER);
  PImage i1 = pg.get();
  PImage i2 = pg2.get();
  
  float tilesX = pg.width/4;
  float tilesY = pg.height/4;
  float tileW = pg.width/tilesX;
  float tileH = pg.height/tilesY;
 


  for (int x = 0; x < tilesX; x++) {
    for (int y = 0; y < tilesY; y++) {
      color c1 = i1.get(int(x*tileW), int(y*tileH));
      color c2 = i2.get(int(x*tileW), int(y*tileH));
      float wave = map(sin(radians(frameCount * 3 + x * 0.3 + y * 0.3)), -1, 1, 0, 1);
      color c3 = lerpColor(c1, c2, wave);
      float bri = brightness(c3);
      
      float sizeW = map(bri,0,255,tileW,0);
      float sizeH = map(bri,0,255,tileH,0);
   
      buffer.fill(#305dbf);   
      buffer.rect(x*tileW, y*tileW, sizeW*1.2, sizeH*1.2);
    }
  }

  buffer.endDraw();

  imageMode(CENTER);
  image(buffer, width/2, height/2);
 
  }
}

pg.pde

void drawPg(){
  
  pg.beginDraw();

  pg.background(#111111);
  pg.imageMode(CENTER);

  // Display Image

  pg.push();
  pg.translate(pg.width/2, pg.height/2);
  float wave1 = map(sin(radians(frameCount)),-1,1,3,1.6);
  pg.scale(wave1);
  pg.image(img, 0, 0);
  pg.pop();

  // Define Style

  pg.textFont(sans);
  pg.textAlign(CENTER, CENTER);
  pg.textSize(900);
  pg.fill(#111111);

  // Display Type
  
  String txt = "POMPEIJ";
  float textWidth = pg.textWidth(txt);
  
  float wave2 = map(tan(radians(frameCount)),-1,1,-100,100);
  
  pg.push();
  pg.translate(pg.width/2 +wave2, pg.height/2-40);
  pg.text(txt, 0, 0);
  pg.pop();

  pg.endDraw();
}

pg2.pde

void drawPg2() {

  pg2.beginDraw();

  pg2.background(#111111);
  pg2.imageMode(CENTER);

  // Display Image

  pg2.push();
  pg2.translate(pg.width/2, pg.height/2);
  float wave1 = map(sin(radians(frameCount)), -1, 1, 1.3, 2.4);
  pg2.scale(wave1);
  pg2.image(img2, 0, 0);
  pg2.pop();

  // Define Style

  pg2.textFont(sans);
  pg2.textAlign(CENTER, CENTER);
  pg2.textSize(900);
  pg2.fill(#f1f1f1);

  // Display Type

  String txt = "NAPLES";
  float textWidth = pg.textWidth(txt);

  float wave2 = map(tan(radians(frameCount)), -1, 1, -100, 100);

  pg2.push();
  pg2.translate(pg.width/2 -wave2, pg.height/2-40);
  pg2.text(txt, 0, 0);
  pg2.pop();

  pg2.endDraw();
}