Standard poster sizes

Welcome to the high-impact world of poster design, captivating our imagination from as far back as we can remember. They are the visual tool that not only excites us with whimsical rhetoric and outlandish visuals but highlights nostalgic chapters in our deepest memories.

From event posters and product launches to your most unforgettable music festival, posters are the quintessential party piece of your marketing arsenal. 

Yet one thing remains constant. The standard poster sizes you see pasted up and down the high street. Read on to gain a solid understanding of posters and their various sizes. 

What is a poster?

Posters go back centuries, acting as powerful tools for communication and advertisement, keeping passersby informed of what’s happening around them. They are typically made up of striking imagery, jump-off-the-page typography, daring graphic design, and memorable taglines, fundamental elements that, when arranged together, pull audiences in to express their valuable message. 

Following a certain structure, a poster is always easy to identify thanks to its portrait A sized paper format and hierarchical structure. More often than not, they will be sporting a large headline at the top, backed up with images and other visual elements that flood the page. Their alluring nature tempts you to move in closer, discovering the supportive information in small print and that all-important call to action. 

Posters are a chance to go big. Some are so expressive, so timeless, they have become collectibles in their own right. Frozen in time, they can sometimes even become very valuable and worth holding on to. Antique movie and music festival posters can be worth quite a lot of money if kept in good condition. 

Different types of posters

With so many poster styles and layouts piled up over the centuries, you can expect a flurry of different types. Even time itself has an impact. Trends come and go, and with the arrival of minimalism and progressive typography it seems as though posters never rest. But this is a good thing. It keeps the discipline on its toes, a catalyst for innovation. Let’s take a look at some popular poster styles used today:

Minimalism

In the world of art, minimalist posters have become a statement piece of their own. These posters focus on conveying a powerful message using simplistic design elements that are both thought-provoking and visually stunning. Minimalism is not just a design technique, but an entire philosophy that advocates for simplicity, clarity, and purpose. By removing the clutter and unnecessary elements, minimalist posters are able to simplify complex thoughts and ideas into a single, impactful image. These posters often incorporate iconic symbols, simple shapes, and bold typography that collectively make a statement.

Movie

As a symbol of Hollywood’s glitz and glamor, movie posters are the epitome of visual marketing, communicating the essence of an upcoming film by arousing curiosity and inducing excitement in the viewers. Often adorned with masterful graphics, stunning visuals, and compelling taglines, a movie poster is an impactful way of announcing the arrival of a new blockbuster. 

However, indie movies are on the rise, especially with the advent of streaming platforms, leading aspiring filmmakers to create competitive movie posters of their own. Make use of expertly designed movie poster templates to get the ball rolling. You can customize them as much as you like, adding specific imagery and color schemes that align with the theme of your film.

Events

When it comes to promoting a music festival or artistic performance, event posters hold immense significance. Colorful and striking, these pieces of artwork are designed to catch the attention of potential attendees. They serve as an effective tool to convey crucial information such as the date, time, location, and theme of the event, all while providing a glimpse into the event itself. When printed, they are likely to be pasted in busy metropolitan areas such as train stations, bus stations, communal spaces, and specified public displays. 

Experimental 

Not just your typical posters, experimental posters are a creative and visually stimulating way to convey information. These posters incorporate innovative designs, shapes, textures, and even materials that capture the viewer’s attention and leave a lasting impression. Check out these stunning typography posters just to get you started. 

They’re the perfect way to showcase research findings, promote a product or service, or amaze attendees at a scientific or art exposition. With a dash of creativity and ingenuity, experimental posters can communicate complex ideas or data in an easily digestible format. They’re a must-see for anyone who wants to experience the power of design, science, and art combined.

What are the standard poster sizes?

Is there such a thing as a normal poster size? Posters come in various sizes, and the choice of size depends on multiple factors, such as the message you’re trying to convey, the location where the poster will be displayed, and the target audience you’re trying to reach out to. However, in most cases, designers will choose from the following industry standard poster dimensions:

These sizes are part of the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) A-series paper sizes, which are based on the metric system. They’re widely used across the globe, and besides posters, they’re also used for various other printed materials such as brochures, banners, and flyers.

Why are posters sized the way they are?

The main reason behind the standardization of poster sizes is to provide consistency and uniformity across various industries and countries. Standard sizes make it easier for printers to produce posters and for marketers to design them. They also ensure that posters fit easily into standard frames and display units, which saves time and resources. Additionally, standard poster sizes help to maintain the quality of the printed posters since they’re designed to be optimal for viewing at specific distances.

How to design a poster

Now that you understand the reasons behind standard poster sizes, it’s time to get your creative juices flowing and design posters that stand out from the crowd. Whether you’re designing posters for a client, an event, or your business, follow these tips to create posters that cater for any standard size:

1. Plan your poster project

Plan your poster project by first identifying your target audience and the message you want to convey. This will ultimately steer the course of your poster design, the way it looks, and the language used. Perhaps you are creating a series of posters that all follow a cohesive look or a poster that represents an established brand that needs to attain a certain look and feel.

2. it’s time to create

Once you have everything in place, it’s time to create. If you have the time and skill to design it yourself, using industry-standard software like Adobe’s Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign will give you all the tools needed to create striking designs you are in total control of.On the other hand, there is the solid failsafe option of using poster templates found in the Freepik library. These quality-checked, professional designs are fully customizable, enabling you to swap in images, change the text and edit the colors to suit your desired aesthetics. They are also a great source of inspiration if you’re suffering from creative block.

3. Choose appropriate elements

Choose appropriate elements to fill out your design. Start out by selecting a color scheme that will create the atmosphere of your poster. This is where your style will start to take form. You can go monochrome or duotone for a minimalist look, or pick up to five colors to make a color palette that resonates with your message.Pick a font style that helps support the mood of your design. Big, bold fonts tend to help bring attention to your design.

However, if you’re going for a more subtle approach, large, slender typefaces can convey a more calming feel.Images are very popular in poster designs. They infuse a sense of realism and convey emotions and projections much more effectively than any other form of visual communication. Use them to support your poster’s message, providing a glimpse into what it is offering in a visually compelling way.

Finding the right image has never been so easy, with millions of stock images to pick from. You can now even create stunningly realistic images and visuals using an AI image generator, generating jaw-dropping scenes that can really shift the focus onto your designs. Curious? Just give it a try!

4. Test your design

Test your design. This is very important if you want to ensure the effectiveness of your poster. Simply zoom out and see how small it gets before you cannot read that super-important headline. The other option is to print a one-off or a couple in different A sizes, stick them on the wall, and review their readability in a practical setting.

5. save your design

Once your design is fit and ready for the real world. It’s time for you to save your design in the appropriate file format (PDF, JPG, TIFF) and send the design to print. Many designers will send their posters to a professional printing service. However, it’s good practice to understand the printing process. Check out this in-depth article, Preparing your design for print, covering everything from file formats, bleed, and cut lines to the printing process itself.

Want to learn even more about poster design? Check out this well-informed article, Tips on how to make marketing posters. In addition, there is another method of creating lavish poster designs using Google Slides. A fantastic method for those pitching marketing strategies in front of a board of representatives! 

Examples of standard poster sizes

Each size has its strength. From more intimate A4 sizes, to the very loud A0 size there is much to explore. Let’s go through some excellent poster examples and their relative size and see what we can find out.

A4 – Product launch

Posters of a smaller size are often targeted at individuals. Their small size will entice their audience to move in closer for a more intimate reading experience. This new product launch is a typical example, bearing a bold, stylish header and calming elements that interact with the featured image. This simple design lets the product do the talking, leaving them with points of contact to find out more about this mysterious new product.

A3 – Art exhibition

As you’d expect, an art exhibition poster tends to knock you clean out with stunning use of typography, progressive layouts, and a big featured image of their headline act. They are often seen in busy commuter spots, grabbing the attention of tourists and cultural enthusiasts in search of their next enlightening experience. The A3 size is big enough to be seen but small enough to fit in tighter spaces in confined, busy areas.

A2 – Performance at the local theater 

This local theater performance is trying to get the attention of everyone! Its playful colors and charming cartoon styling set the scene for family entertainment. Its large A2 size is perfect for expressing the grandeur of an evening to remember. Yet they also provides enough space for extra information that you won’t need to squint at.

A1 – Local band performance

Live music is what keeps the vibrant underbelly of towns and cities alive, drawing in crowds of support from locals and university students who all want a piece of the action. An A1 poster size with big bold type and raw imagery are just the kind of ingredients that will attract hordes of fanatic music lovers to a night of music and dance. Such large posters tend to be placed in big open spaces with a constant flow of pedestrian activity.

A0 – Music festival

Possibly the most popular of all big events, music festival posters are trying to attract tens of thousands of attendees to their huge budget events. Therefore, exposure is highly significant. The mammoth-sized A0 poster size is perfect for passersby in cars to be able to read them and even read the information, such as the headline act and when they perform. 

Understanding the fundamentals of standard poster sizes is essential for anyone who wants to create a visually striking poster that communicates a clear message to its intended audience. With the right tools, software, and knowledge, you can design and produce posters that accurately convey any message and create a lasting impression.

It is hoped that after reading this eye-opening article, you feel inspired and confident enough to go out there and paste up the high street with your artistic yet functional design skills, informing the world of memorable experiences yet to be discovered.