What are the common poster sizes and their various uses
There are several common sizes you can use when you print posters. It is always better to use these standard sizes when doing color poster printing. This is because these sizes are the ones usually used by your local poster printing company.
It makes doing business easier by standardizing the sizes fit for certain kinds of machines to print posters. Each common size can serve a different purpose. Below you will find the different poster sizes and their usual purpose. Try to discover the right size for your poster and your budget as well.
The homemade poster size (8.5x11 or 8.5 x14)
The dimensions 8.5x11 inches and 8.5x14 inches is the size of your usual letter paper or a longer “legal” paper. This size is the perfect size when creating a poster for home. Why? Because letter papers and legal papers are readily available almost everywhere. You also need little to no expertise in printing in this size since you can print posters in this way using common household printers. Remember though that at this size, you will have a limited space for images and text in the poster. Therefore, your design must be simple and straight to the point.
This is perfect for a low budget project, where you need quantity over quality. With the ease with which you can produce them, you can easily post these posters on office bulletin boards, school notice boards and other public viewing areas. Usually this size of poster is best kept indoors, especially since the material you will be probably using is just common paper.
The standard indoor poster size (18x24)
An indoor poster is definitely much larger than the homemade poster. It has the space for larger graphics and of course more text. This gives you the flexibility of adding more information with this kind of poster. In addition, you can play around better if you want to use pictures and other graphics. These kinds of posters are good for display in places like halls with display areas, covered walkways with pillars, and elevators with displays. This type of poster can be used for information campaigns for certain issues or events, contest mechanics, general announcements and other activities that need information awareness.
The standard outdoor poster size (24x36 and 27 x39)
An outdoor poster is one of the biggest posters you can create. Poster prices for these kinds of posters are the highest, but the pay off from these sizes are the best. These kinds of posters offer the biggest visibility when compared to other posters. You can do virtually anything with these kinds of sizes in terms of design. The main purpose for this poster is exposure to a wide audience. Hence, these are placed outdoors or in large indoor areas like trade halls and food courts. An outdoor poster's content is usually aimed for advertising. If you have a big budget for color poster printing and outdoor poster is the way to go.
Custom posters that require custom sizes
If you are more on the unique side and have a custom poster ready to print, you might have used a custom size as well. This might be because you have a certain area where you want the posters to be places and require exacting dimensions. Custom sizes will cost you since they cannot be just printed off the bat from the machines. They have to be cut to your specifications. Hence, poster prices increase for this type, which all have to do with the extra labor. This “vanity” size is used by special projects that have specific ideas in mind for the posters, like a targeted marketing campaign.
Choose wisely and well when picking your poster size. Each one will cater correctly with your own business or project needs. Good luck!
