- Like Goldilocks and the Three Bears,
there are posters that are too big,
too small and just right.
But how can you decide what the just right is?
Unfortunately, there is no set answer to this.
I can't tell you all posters
should be 24 by 36 inches
or nine by 18 inches.
The answer lies in the context and usage.
The most important question to ask is
where will this poster be displayed?
The answer will help you decide
how much real estate space
the poster will use on a wall
and how far away the viewer will be.
Secondly, how is it delivered?
The poster can be folded and mailed
with an address label or put into an envelope.
If so, check standard postage rates,
odd sizes cost more to ship.
You can roll it into a tube if you prefer not to fold it.
Tubes come in standard sizes
that fortunately accommodate many poster sizes.
Oversized posters can be dynamic
just because they are significant.
I love visiting Europe
and seeing giant posters on the streets
and in the subway systems.
Here in the United States
billboards take on this function.
Posters tend to be limited to display cases,
construction walls, office bulletin boards,
or college dorm rooms.
Even though a colossal poster is a thing of beauty,
it's hard to find a place to hang it in the United States.
The standard poster size is 24 by 36.
This size can fold down to nine by 12
and be mailed or rolled into a standard size mailing tube.
The size is large enough to demand attention,
but not so large as to be unwieldy.
Viewers will notice a 24 by 36 poster
on the street without being lost in the visual clutter.
Most printers use a paper sheet size
of 28 by 40 inches maximum.
So this size fits nicely.
Another standard size is 18 by 24.
Again, this folds to nine by 12, a standard shipping size.
The smaller size may not be as impressive at first glance,
but it is more likely to be posted
on the office or school bulletin board.
Not many places will let your giant poster
take over the whole area.
Remember that the poster has two sides.
If you plan to mail it,
one of the panels will need to act like the mailing panel
with a return address and postage information.
The backside is also an excellent place to put exact copies,
such as schedules or other information.
In the end, it's your decision
after weighing the postage and placement issues,
you can make a poster any size that works.
The only wrong choice is to make it small
because then it's no longer a poster, it's a brochure.