An AI wanted poster used to mean pasting a selfie into a parchment template. Now the whole poster can be drawn around your face: the portrait aged to match the paper, and the headline, name, crime and reward lettered in. The part most guides skip is getting those words spelled right. When we made the six posters in this guide on 6 October 2026, every word on all six came out exactly as written, with every word in the prompt in quotes. Six is not a guarantee, so proofread yours before you print it.
What goes on a wanted poster: a WANTED headline, DEAD OR ALIVE, a portrait, a name, the crime, a reward, and aged paper around all of it.
Five ways to make one: a design template (Canva), an AI generator that starts from your photo (like Kavel's AI wanted poster generator), a layout tool you describe the poster to, a general image model with a prompt, or an artist.
Fastest route: attach your photo to an image model and paste one of the six prompts below: Old West, pirate bounty, D&D tavern notice, an outlaw duo, a cat on the fridge, and a sci-fi bounty screen.
For the lettering on an AI wanted poster: put every word in quotes and tell the model to spell it exactly and add nothing else.
What goes on a wanted poster (and what AI changes)
A wanted poster is a public notice asking people to find someone, usually with a reward attached; the same thing is also called a bounty poster, a reward poster or a wanted notice. A classic one has seven parts. Put each of them in your AI wanted poster prompt, then check the result against this list:
- The headline: WANTED, in the biggest letters on the page.
- The condition line: DEAD OR ALIVE on Western posters; fantasy and sci-fi posters swap it for a seal or a warning.
- The portrait: the face everyone is meant to recognise.
- The name: real, invented, or a nickname.
- The crime: one line, and the funnier it is, the longer the poster stays on the wall.
- The reward: dollars, gold, credits, or something only your friends will understand.
- The paper: stains, creases, nail holes, torn corners.
The difference between a template and an AI wanted poster is part 3. In a template, your photo is pasted into a frame and stays a modern phone snapshot on old paper. When an AI model draws the poster, it redraws your face in the poster's own style. In the six posters below, the same two faces came back as a sepia print on the Western posters, an ink-and-watercolour sketch on the fantasy notice and a cyan hologram on the sci-fi screen, so the portrait and the paper match.
Five ways to make a wanted poster, compared
Short version: if you want to type and rearrange the words yourself, use a template; if you want the poster to look genuinely old, with your face drawn into it, use AI; if you want it hand-drawn, pay an artist. Tool facts below were read from each tool's own page on 6 October 2026.
| You want | Use | Your face is | The words | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A clean, editable layout to type into and print | A design template such as Canva's wanted poster templates (canva.com) | Pasted into a frame | Typed and moved by hand | Canva lists the templates as free and customizable |
| Your photo turned into a finished poster, several styles | An AI wanted poster generator that starts from a photo: Kavel, Sketchto (sketchto.com), Dreamina (dreamina.capcut.com) | Redrawn in the poster's style | Written in the prompt | Credits; Kavel's new accounts start with free credits, Sketchto lists a credit price per model |
| A layout from a text description, then edit by chat | Mew Design (mew.design) or Fotor's AI poster generator (fotor.com) | Optional | From your description, editable afterwards | Both pages advertise a free start |
| Full control in an app you already use | ChatGPT or another image model, with your photo and a prompt from this guide | Redrawn | Written in the prompt | Whatever that app charges |
| Hand-drawn art in a specific style | An artist on a commissions board such as r/artcommissions | Drawn by hand | Agreed with the artist | One r/artcommissions request this year set a budget of $150 |
A poster for a school project or a lost-cat style flyer wants a template, because you will edit the text ten times. A poster that is the joke, the gift or the game prop wants the face drawn into it. And if you want it drawn by a person, as one Reddit request put it, "absolutely do not want AI", commission an artist and send them two or three clear photos, the print size, the name, the bounty and your deadline.
6 AI wanted poster prompts you can copy (with before and after)
These are the six prompts behind the posters on Kavel's AI wanted poster generator. Each one starts from an ordinary phone photo. Paste a prompt into a current image model that can edit an uploaded photo and render text, attach yours, and change the words in quotes.
1. The Old West poster
Turn this photo into an Old West wanted poster. A weathered, sun-faded sepia parchment poster nailed to a rough wooden saloon wall, torn and curled corners, four rusty nail holes, coffee stains and creases. At the top in big bold wooden-type letters: "WANTED". Under it: "DEAD OR ALIVE". In the middle, a framed sepia engraving-style portrait of the person from the photo, head and shoulders, with a slight smirk. Below the portrait the name "MAE DALTON" in heavy serif capitals, then "FOR HORSE THIEVERY & CHEATING AT CARDS", then "$5,000 REWARD" in large letters. Keep the person exactly recognisable: the same face, eye colour, freckles, wavy shoulder-length hair and hair colour, rendered as a vintage photograph print. Spell every word exactly as written, no other text. No logos, no watermark.
What it changes: the selfie becomes a sepia print with a smirk, and the freckles survive the ageing.
2. The pirate bounty
Turn this photo into a pirate bounty poster. A yellowed, sea-stained parchment poster pinned to a ship's wooden mast with a dagger, frayed edges and water damage. At the top in bold slab letters: "WANTED". A large rectangular photo of the person from the photo grinning confidently at the camera, wearing a weathered captain's coat over their shirt, a stormy sea and a sailing ship behind them inside the photo frame. Under the photo: "DEAD OR ALIVE", then the name "RIO VEGA" in big bold capitals, then the bounty "1,500,000,000 GOLD" in large numerals. Keep the person exactly recognisable: the same face, skin tone, beard and buzz cut, the same smile. Generic pirate style, not any existing anime, franchise or character, no currency symbols, no emblems. Spell every word exactly as written, no other text. No logos, no watermark.
What it changes: the plaid shirt becomes a captain's coat and the park becomes a stormy sea, while the grin stays. This is the one people ask for as an anime-style bounty poster; the prompt keeps it a generic pirate notice, with no franchise symbols or emblems.
3. The D&D tavern notice
Turn this photo into a fantasy tabletop RPG bounty notice. A hand-inked parchment notice pinned to a crowded wooden tavern noticeboard by candlelight, other blank scraps of paper and a hanging lantern around it, a red wax seal at the bottom. At the top in ornate medieval blackletter: "WANTED". A hand-drawn ink-and-watercolour portrait of the person from the photo as a sly rogue in a dark hooded cloak, a dagger at the belt. Under the portrait in calligraphy: "MAE THE SILVER-TONGUED", then "FOR THE THEFT OF THE DUKE'S SIGNET RING", then "REWARD: 500 GOLD PIECES". Keep the person exactly recognisable: the same face, eye colour, freckles and wavy auburn hair, drawn in the illustration style. Spell every word exactly as written, no other text. No logos, no watermark.
What it changes: the same sidewalk selfie as poster 1, drawn as a rogue in a hood. Swap the name and the crime for your player's character and it is a session handout.
4. The outlaw duo
Turn this photo into an Old West wanted poster for an outlaw duo. A weathered sepia parchment poster nailed to a weathered wooden fence post on a dusty frontier town street, torn corners and nail holes. At the top in big bold wooden-type letters: "WANTED". Below it two side-by-side sepia vintage photograph portraits of the two people from the photo, each keeping their own face: on the left the young man with curly blond hair and light stubble, on the right the young woman with long straight black hair and a nose stud, both trying hard not to laugh. Under the portraits: "THE FINN & LUNA GANG", then "FOR ROBBING THE MIDNIGHT STAGECOACH", then "$10,000 REWARD". Keep both people exactly recognisable and never swap them. Spell every word exactly as written, no other text. No logos, no watermark.
What it changes: one selfie becomes two portraits. Describing each person in one line (curly blond hair on the left, long black hair on the right) kept both faces in place in our run; check the positions in yours.
5. The cat on the fridge
Turn this photo into a funny wanted poster for the cat. A crumpled, slightly yellowed paper poster taped crookedly to a fridge door with two strips of tape, a fridge magnet next to it. At the top in big bold Western letters: "WANTED". A sepia vintage-photo portrait of the same cat staring at the camera with wide guilty eyes. Under the portrait: "MANGO", then "FOR CRIMES AGAINST HOUSEPLANTS", then "REWARD: 3 TUNA TREATS". Keep the cat exactly recognisable: the same orange tabby stripes, white paws and white chest, the same face. Spell every word exactly as written, no other text. No logos, no watermark.
What it changes: the scene of the crime goes into the portrait. For a dog, swap the fridge for a telephone pole and the treats for a squeaky toy.
6. The sci-fi bounty screen
Turn this photo into a sci-fi bounty poster. A glowing holographic bounty screen on the grimy metal wall of a neon-lit space-station corridor, cyan scan lines, faint glitch flicker, warning-stripe borders. At the top in bold futuristic letters: "WANTED". A cool-toned digital mugshot of the person from the photo wearing a scuffed flight jacket, with a targeting reticle around the face. Beside it: "RIO VEGA", "SMUGGLER · ARMED", then the bounty "500,000 CREDITS". Keep the person exactly recognisable: the same face, skin tone, beard and buzz cut. Original design, not any existing film or franchise, no emblems. Spell every word exactly as written, no other text. No logos, no watermark.
What it changes: the pirate's photo again, this time as a hologram. For a cyberpunk campaign, write the charges and the bounty in your setting's currency.
Getting the lettering right on an AI wanted poster
All six prompts above follow the five habits in this table, and in our run all six posters came out with every word spelled as written. Proofread yours anyway before it goes to the printer:
| Problem | What to write in the prompt |
|---|---|
| The model invents extra words | List every line in quotes, then add "Spell every word exactly as written, no other text" |
| The name comes out wrong | Keep it short, in capitals; a nickname (THE MIDNIGHT KID) is easier than a long full name |
| The reward looks small | Write it as a number with a unit ("$5,000 REWARD", "500,000 CREDITS"), on its own line |
| Too much text squeezed in | Keep it to the seven parts above; cut any line you would not miss |
| The face drifts | Name what people recognise you by: hair colour, freckles, beard, glasses |
Read the AI wanted poster once before you send it. If a word comes out wrong, run the same prompt again before you start rewriting it.
AI wanted posters for gifts, game nights and pets
Most wanted posters people ask for this year are for one of four things:
- As a gift. One person on r/artcommissions wanted "a customized One Piece wanted poster" of their boyfriend for his birthday, "around 11 x 9 inches", shipped to them. Another set a $150 budget for one of their girlfriend. With AI you can make the same idea yourself from their photo without commissioning anyone: the pirate prompt, a bounty number that means something to the two of you, printed and rolled up with string.
- For the game table. On r/cyberpunkred an artist offered wanted posters "for player characters, NPCs, gangs, or infamous edgerunners"; on r/dndnext a couple who make printable handouts list wanted posters next to spell scrolls and tavern menus. Use the tavern prompt for fantasy and the sci-fi prompt for the future, and write the charges from last session.
- For Halloween. On r/halloween a maker of little goblin plush toys gave each one its own wanted poster for trick-or-treat. The same works for kids in costume or a party wall: one Old West poster per guest, the crime "stealing all the candy", the reward in chocolate bars.
- For the pet. The cat that knocked the plant over, the dog that ate the homework. Pet wanted posters are their own meme for a reason: the crime is real and the reward is snacks.
Keeping an AI wanted poster a joke
An AI wanted poster of a real person is still an accusation in poster form, so a few lines keep it on the right side of funny:
- Make it for someone who is in on it. The best posters are made with the person, or for them as a gift.
- Make the crime obviously a joke. Horse thievery, crimes against houseplants and robbing the midnight stagecoach read as fiction. A real-sounding charge against a real name does not.
- Do not copy police or FBI posters. All six prompts here are Western, pirate, fantasy or sci-fi, with no badges, seals of real agencies or modern police layouts.
- Do not put it up in public as if it were real. Party walls, game tables and fridges are fine. Lamp posts are not.
How to print and hang an AI wanted poster
For printing, the size people ask for is close to a sheet of paper: the Reddit gift request above wanted about 11 × 9 inches, so US Letter or A4 is the natural choice at home. An AI wanted poster printed on thick matte or kraft paper reads older than one on glossy photo paper.
For hanging, one r/OnePiece thread is worth reading before you buy tape. The person who asked had tried double-sided tape and wallpaper adhesive and watched both fail within a week or two. The replies were consistent: use poster putty, and put a small piece of washi tape on each corner first with the putty on top, so the putty does not leave an oily mark on the paper. Try it on a spare sheet of the same paper first.
More ways to put your face on a poster
A wanted poster is one of a family of "my photo, made into something else" jokes. If the poster went down well, these use the same kind of photo:
- The booking photo: the AI mugshot maker puts you against the height chart with a booking board, for the scene after the poster works.
- Top billing instead of a bounty: the AI movie poster generator casts you as the lead with your name above the title.
- Halloween props: the AI Halloween photo trend and the AI zombie filter turn the same selfie into a costume shot or the monster the posse is hunting.
- Something that looks found in a drawer: the AI polaroid generator and 90s yearbook photos age a photo in other ways.
- For the cat with a record: the AI pet portrait generator paints the same pet once all charges are dropped.
AI wanted poster FAQ
How do I make an AI wanted poster for free?
Use an AI wanted poster generator that gives new accounts free credits, upload your photo and pick a style. On Kavel, a new account starts with free credits and weekly check-ins add more; credit packs and plans cover more posters after that. Template sites like Canva list free wanted poster templates, but your photo stays pasted in rather than drawn in.
Can I make a One Piece style wanted poster of myself?
Yes, in the same spirit: the pirate bounty prompt above puts your face on a weathered bounty poster with your name and a bounty in gold. It is a generic pirate poster, not the official design, so it has no franchise symbol or emblem. If you want the exact anime art style drawn by hand, a commissioned artist is the route.
Can ChatGPT make a wanted poster?
Yes. ChatGPT's image tool takes an uploaded photo, so you can attach yours and paste one of the six prompts above to make an AI wanted poster. Keep every word in quotes with the instruction to add no other text, and proofread the result.
What is a wanted poster called?
Wanted poster is the usual name. On pirate and fantasy posters it is often a bounty poster or bounty notice, and on a Western one a reward poster.
What size should I print a wanted poster?
Around 11 × 9 inches, US Letter or A4 suits most uses, from gifts to game handouts. For a party wall, print one per guest at the same size so the row looks like a real noticeboard.
Make your wanted poster from one photo
Six posters from four ordinary phone photos, every word spelled the way it was written in our run. If you would rather tap a style than paste a prompt, Kavel's AI wanted poster generator has all six ready: upload a photo, change the name, the crime and the reward, and print the AI wanted poster or send it to the person on it.
