Poster Sizes: Standard Dimensions from 11x17 to 24x36 and Beyond

The three standard poster sizes in North America are 11 x 17 in (small, the tabloid sheet), 18 x 24 in (medium) and 24 x 36 in (large, the most common "full-size" poster). Around them sit 12 x 18 for events and retail, and 27 x 40 in, the movie one-sheet. Outside North America, posters follow the A-series: A2 (420 x 594 mm), A1 (594 x 841 mm) and A0 (841 x 1189 mm).

Common poster sizes and what they are for

Size (in)	Typical use
11 x 17	Bulletin boards, store windows, event notices
12 x 18	Event and retail posters, framed prints
18 x 24	Storefronts, open houses, menu boards
24 x 36	Advertising, trade shows, presentations
36 x 48 and up	Large displays, conference posters, wall graphics

We print colour posters in every size in this table: 11 x 17 and 12 x 18 on coated text or card stock, and 18 x 24, 24 x 30, 24 x 36, 36 x 36, 36 x 48, 36 x 60, 36 x 72 and 48-inch-wide sizes up to 48 x 96 on photo matte, gloss or satin paper, synthetic paper or canvas.

Proportions decide whether your design scales

A design scales cleanly only to sizes with the same proportions. 12 x 18 and 24 x 36 are both 2:3, so one file serves both. 18 x 24 and 36 x 48 are both 3:4. 11 x 17 matches neither exactly, so moving a layout from 11 x 17 to 24 x 36 means adjusting it, not just enlarging. Pick the final size before you design and add 1/8 in of bleed on each side.

Resolution for large posters

Posters are read from further away than a flyer, so they need fewer pixels per inch: about 150 PPI at final size is plenty from arm's length. A 24 x 36 poster at 150 PPI is 3600 x 5400 pixels. Our DPI vs PPI entry explains how to check your file.

Which one for your job?

Choose 11 x 17 when the poster shares a wall or a window with others, 18 x 24 when it must be read from across a room, and 24 x 36 or larger when it is the main message in the space. For outdoor or long-term display, a rigid sign in the same size may serve better than paper.

Common questions

What is the standard poster size?

24 x 36 in is the most common large poster, 18 x 24 in the standard medium size and 11 x 17 in the standard small one. Most frames sold in North America follow these three.

What size is a movie poster?

The theatrical one-sheet is 27 x 40 in. It is not one of our standard poster sizes; the closest standard size we print is 24 x 36 in.

What is the biggest poster you print?

Our standard poster sizes go up to 48 x 96 in, on photo paper, synthetic paper or canvas.

Products where this term matters

See also in the dictionary: Paper sizes, DPI vs PPI, Bleed · full dictionary