Poster sizes: the standard sizes in inches and pixels
Poster sizes in the US come in a handful of standard inch sizes. Here they all are, with the pixels each one needs.
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Poster sizes in the US are measured in inches, and the sizes usually called standard are 11 x 17, 18 x 24 and 24 x 36, with 8.5 x 11, 11 x 14, 12 x 18 and 16 x 20 for smaller prints. Each size below is shown in inches, millimeters and the pixels a file needs to print it sharply.
Standard poster sizes in inches and pixels
The pixel columns are the width and height in inches multiplied by 150 and by 300. At 300 pixels per inch a print looks sharp even close up; at 150 it still looks fine from a normal viewing distance, which is why large posters are often printed nearer 150.
| Size | Inches | Millimeters | Pixels at 150 dpi | Pixels at 300 dpi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5 x 11 (Letter) | 8.5 × 11 in | 216 × 279 mm | 1275 × 1650 px | 2550 × 3300 px |
| 11 x 14 | 11 × 14 in | 279 × 356 mm | 1650 × 2100 px | 3300 × 4200 px |
| 11 x 17 (Tabloid) | 11 × 17 in | 279 × 432 mm | 1650 × 2550 px | 3300 × 5100 px |
| 12 x 18 | 12 × 18 in | 305 × 457 mm | 1800 × 2700 px | 3600 × 5400 px |
| 16 x 20 | 16 × 20 in | 406 × 508 mm | 2400 × 3000 px | 4800 × 6000 px |
| 18 x 24 | 18 × 24 in | 457 × 610 mm | 2700 × 3600 px | 5400 × 7200 px |
| 24 x 36 | 24 × 36 in | 610 × 914 mm | 3600 × 5400 px | 7200 × 10800 px |
| 27 x 40 (Movie one-sheet) | 27 × 40 in | 686 × 1016 mm | 4050 × 6000 px | 8100 × 12000 px |
Which poster size to choose
Measure the wall first and mark the size with painter’s tape. 11 x 17 and 12 x 18 suit a desk wall or a shelf, 18 x 24 is the usual medium poster, and 24 x 36 the most common large one, made for a wall of its own. For a room you walk through, larger sizes read better than a row of small ones.
Poster sizes and frame sizes are not always the same
Frames are sold by the size of the opening, and a mat (the card border inside the frame) shrinks the visible picture. A 16 x 20 frame with a mat often shows an 11 x 14 print. If you already own the frame, measure the opening in inches and choose a print that matches it, or one slightly larger that the frame overlaps.
The poster sizes we print, against the standard ones
Our art prints come in five US inch sizes exactly: 8 x 10, 11 x 14, 16 x 20, 18 x 24 and 24 x 36. They also come in A-series and metric sizes, each a slightly different shape from its nearest US size. The A sizes are taller and narrower than 8.5 x 11 or 18 x 24, and 70 x 100 cm sits between 24 x 36 and 27 x 40. Check the crop in the preview before you order.
| Our size | US size |
|---|---|
| 8 x 10 in | 8 x 10, exact |
| 8.3 x 11.7 in (A4) | 8.5 x 11 (Letter) |
| 11 x 14 in | 11 x 14, exact |
| 11.7 x 16.5 in (A3) | 11 x 14 and 11 x 17 |
| 16 x 20 in | 16 x 20, exact |
| 16.5 x 23.4 in (A2) | 16 x 20 and 18 x 24 |
| 18 x 24 in | 18 x 24, exact |
| 19.7 x 27.6 in (50 x 70 cm) | 18 x 24, a little larger |
| 24 x 36 in | 24 x 36, exact |
| 27.6 x 39.4 in (70 x 100 cm) | 24 x 36 and 27 x 40 |
Will your file print at that size?
Divide the pixel width of your file by the width of the poster in inches. 150 or more prints well at poster distance, and 300 is sharp even up close. A 12-megapixel phone photo, about 4000 x 3000 pixels, carries 18 x 24 at roughly 167 pixels per inch. Our upload checks your file against every size and stops offering the ones it would print soft.
Size references
Inch conversions use NIST’s exact definition of one inch as 25.4 mm. US poster sizes are trade conventions, not a published standard, so frames and printers may differ by a fraction of an inch. CorelDRAW’s poster size guide says there is no one standard poster size, and names 24 x 36 as the most common large size and 18 x 24 as the most popular medium one. For the A series, see A-series paper sizes.
Pixel and print-size converter
What each size needs, computed from ISO 216
| Size | Millimeters | 72 dpi | 150 dpi | 300 dpi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | 594 × 841 mm | 1684 × 2384 px | 3508 × 4967 px | 7016 × 9933 px |
| A2 | 420 × 594 mm | 1191 × 1684 px | 2480 × 3508 px | 4961 × 7016 px |
| A3 | 297 × 420 mm | 842 × 1191 px | 1754 × 2480 px | 3508 × 4961 px |
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm | 595 × 842 px | 1240 × 1754 px | 2480 × 3508 px |
| A5 | 148 × 210 mm | 420 × 595 px | 874 × 1240 px | 1748 × 2480 px |
Divide pixels by dpi and you have the size in inches. Three hundred dpi is a convention for things held close, not a rule; a print read from across a room is untroubled at 150. Every size above is worked from the ISO 216 definition: A0 is 841 × 1189 mm and each size halves the longer side, rounded down to whole millimeters.
Questions and answers
What are the standard poster sizes?
No body publishes an official standard. Size guides list 11 x 17, 18 x 24 and 24 x 36 inches as the usual US poster sizes, with 8.5 x 11, 11 x 14, 12 x 18 and 16 x 20 for smaller prints.
What is the most common poster size?
CorelDRAW's poster size guide names 24 x 36 inches as the most common large poster and 18 x 24 as the most popular medium one.
How many pixels do I need for a 24 x 36 poster?
7200 x 10800 pixels at 300 per inch, or 3600 x 5400 at 150 per inch, which is enough for viewing from a few feet away.
Do you print 24 x 36 posters?
Yes, at exactly 24 x 36 inches. The preview shows the crop before you order.
