What Sizes Are Posters?

How big are the standard poster sizes in the UK? And which poster size is the best for your needs? Sourcing posters can unearth a huge number of options. Our guide will explain the dimensions of the most popular poster sizes and where they are most often used, so you can place your order with confidence.

What size is a poster?

Posters have a long history, and many of the standard sizes we use today have their origins somewhere in the past. The first mass produced posters appeared around the mid-19^th century and were used for advertisements and to promote events - much like today. There are several different standard poster sizes in use today in the UK. Many of these come from historical uses in theatres and for films.

Some standard poster sizes are used around the world, while some as only commonly used in the UK. In this article, will focus on those poster sizes most often used in the UK market.

Poster measurements 

You might see posters advertised in centimetres, millimetres, or inches. To make it as easy as possible for you to compare sizes, we have included poster measurements in millimetres and inches in the chart below.

Standard poster sizes

*While we don’t offer these sizes as a set product, we can produce them for you as a custom size poster.

Theatre Posters

Many standard poster sizes in the UK have their origin in the world of theatres. These theatre posters include 6 sheet posters, 4 sheet posters, double royal posters, and double crown posters.

6 sheet and 4 sheet posters are called so because larger displays used to be made up of smaller ‘sheets’ of paper that were joined together. So, a 6 sheet would be made of 6 individual ‘sheets’ that would be pasted together to form the whole image. These smaller single sheets are also called ‘double crowns’ and measure 508mm x 762mm.

What about 2 sheet posters? These also exist and were often used to advertise films. A 2 sheet measures about 762mm x 1016mm. Although they aren’t often included in standard printing services today, we are able to fulfil any measurements through our custom size poster printing service.

Double royal posters were historically used by railways and airlines. You’ll also find double royal size posters in the London Underground.

A Size Posters

The A sizes for printing were introduced in the early 20^th century. There are 11 different sizes, ranging from A0 to A10, with A0 being the largest size. A0 through A2 posters are great for outdoor or large scale advertising, while A3 posters are better view from closer up. Smaller sizes aren’t often used as advertising posters due to their size. A series posters are used internationally and are not specific to the UK.

Types of poster paper

When deciding what kind of paper to choose for your poster, it’s important to consider where the poster will be displayed and how high-quality you want your image to be. There are three types of paper we can offer:

• 170g blue-back silk: a specialist opaque blue-backed paper designed for billboarding, hanging and encasing with a silk finish.
• 170g white-back silk: a good all-round robust poster paper designed for conventional indoor use, with a silk finish.
• 220g gloss or silk photobase: high quality, thicker photographic paper, ideal for the ultimate in image quality.

Alternatively, we can print your design on backlit poster film. This translucent material allows is most often used in conjunction with theatre light boxes or bus shelter shell light advertisements. 

What size poster should I get?

The most important thing to consider is where the poster will be displayed. For example, larger posters are best when viewed from a distance, while smaller posters are suitable for much closer viewing. If you intend to place your poster in a location such as a bus stop of underground station, there might be predetermined sizes that you need to adhere to.

If you already have a poster display stand you intent to use, you’ll want to ensure that your posters are the appropriate size. Popular poster pavement signs might include A0, A1, A2, or double crown, but it is important to double check measurements before placing your order. If you need any help deciding on the right size, just get in touch with our team.

Consider what information you want the poster to communicate. This might help you decide how big it needs to be.

Budget is also something to keep in mind. Smaller posters will be more budget friendly, but they might not have the same impact as a larger poster when viewed from a distance.

Designing a poster and choosing the appropriate size can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. If you need any assistance choosing a poster size or creating a design, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team. We would more than happy to assist you.