Poster Size
Every standard poster size in inches, centimeters and pixels, from 11 × 17 to the 27 × 40 movie poster and A4 to A0, with the resolution, shape and bleed to ask your printer for.
Make a posterGenerate the artwork for your poster.The short answer
The most common poster sizes are 11 × 17, 18 × 24 and 24 × 36 inches in the US, and A3, A2 and A1 elsewhere. A movie poster is 27 × 40 inches.
For print, multiply the inches by the resolution: a 24 × 36 poster needs 7200 × 10800 pixels at 300 DPI, or 3600 × 5400 at 150 DPI, enough for a poster seen from a few steps away.
Standard poster sizes
Inches, centimeters and pixels for print. Use 300 DPI for anything read up close, 150 DPI for posters seen from a few steps away.
| Poster | Inches | Pixels at 300 DPI | Centimeters | Pixels at 150 DPI | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US sizes | |||||
| LetterNotices, classrooms and offices | 8.5 × 11 | 2,550 × 3,300 | 21.6 × 27.9 | 1,275 × 1,650 | 17:22 |
| TabloidEvent and concert posters, bulletin boards | 11 × 17 | 3,300 × 5,100 | 27.9 × 43.2 | 1,650 × 2,550 | 11:17 |
| Small posterSmall framed prints and shop windows | 12 × 18 | 3,600 × 5,400 | 30.5 × 45.7 | 1,800 × 2,700 | 2:3 |
| Photo posterFramed photos and art prints | 16 × 20 | 4,800 × 6,000 | 40.6 × 50.8 | 2,400 × 3,000 | 4:5 |
| Medium posterEvents, trade shows and wall art | 18 × 24 | 5,400 × 7,200 | 45.7 × 61 | 2,700 × 3,600 | 3:4 |
| Large posterWall art and photo enlargements | 20 × 30 | 6,000 × 9,000 | 50.8 × 76.2 | 3,000 × 4,500 | 2:3 |
| Standard largeRetail posters and framing | 24 × 36 | 7,200 × 10,800 | 61 × 91.4 | 3,600 × 5,400 | 2:3 |
| Movie one-sheetCinema posters | 27 × 40 | 8,100 × 12,000 | 68.6 × 101.6 | 4,050 × 6,000 | 27:40 |
| International sizes (A series) | |||||
| A4Notices and flyers | 8.3 × 11.7 | 2,480 × 3,508 | 21 × 29.7 | 1,240 × 1,754 | 1:1.41 (A series) |
| A3Small posters | 11.7 × 16.5 | 3,508 × 4,961 | 29.7 × 42 | 1,754 × 2,480 | 1:1.41 (A series) |
| A2Event posters and wall art | 16.5 × 23.4 | 4,961 × 7,016 | 42 × 59.4 | 2,480 × 3,508 | 1:1.41 (A series) |
| A1Large posters | 23.4 × 33.1 | 7,016 × 9,933 | 59.4 × 84.1 | 3,508 × 4,967 | 1:1.41 (A series) |
| A0Exhibitions and trade shows | 33.1 × 46.8 | 9,933 × 14,043 | 84.1 × 118.9 | 4,967 × 7,022 | 1:1.41 (A series) |
Poster sizes compared
Drawn to scale from the same corner.
Pick the shape before you design
Sizes with the same shape scale up and down without cropping. 12 × 18, 20 × 30 and 24 × 36 inches are all 2:3; 18 × 24 is 3:4; 16 × 20 is 4:5; and the A series shares one shape from A4 to A0, so an A3 design prints at A1 without changes.
Choose the shape first and design at it. A design made for one shape and printed on another loses a strip at the edges, or gets a white margin.
One 2:3 design on four papers
Our AI poster generator makes 2:3 posters, the shape of 24 × 36. On other papers, the red strips are what gets trimmed, or what you print as a white margin instead.
Bleed, margins and resolution
Most printers ask for 0.125 inches (3 mm) of bleed on each side: the background runs past the cut line so no white edge shows. A 24 × 36 poster becomes 24.25 × 36.25 inches with bleed. Keep text and faces about 0.25 inches (6 mm) inside the cut, and check your printer's template.
Use 300 DPI for anything read up close and 150 DPI for posters seen from a few steps away.
Our AI poster generator downloads at 2000 × 3000 pixels: sharp up to about 12 × 18 inches. The image upscaler doubles it to 4000 × 6000, about 167 DPI at 24 × 36 inches.
Which size for what
Movie posters: 27 × 40 inches in cinemas, 24 × 36 for framing at home.
Concerts and events: 18 × 24 or 11 × 17 inches, A2 or A3.
Classrooms, offices and notice boards: letter or tabloid, A4 or A3.
Wall art: 18 × 24 or 24 × 36 inches, A2 or A1.
Handing them out instead of hanging them? See the flyer size guide.
Make your poster
Design it with AI, then upscale it for a bigger print.
Frequently asked questions
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