Posters Printing

Where your poster is going decides everything

Before you pick a size, picture the spot. A snap frame by the till. A pub window facing the high street. A fence at the allotment open day. A billboard by the ring road. Each one wants a different stock, and getting that right is most of the job in posters printing.

• Indoors or behind glass: 150gsm satin poster paper. Smooth, sharp and the right weight for frames and noticeboards.
• Outdoors, in the rain: Waterproof Posters on 440gsm PVC or 400gsm PVC-free, sizes A4 to A0.
• Pasted billboard sites: Billboard Posters on 120gsm blueback or 150gsm satin, in 4 sheet, 6 sheet, 48 sheet and 96 sheet.
• Not sure yet: the all-in-one Poster Printing page lets you switch between every size and stock.

Posters printing by size

If you already know the size, go straight to it. A3 posters suit cafe windows, lift notices and club noticeboards. A2 posters are the usual pick for event listings and shop windows. A1 posters fill most snap frames and pavement signs. A0 posters are for conference boards and big foyer frames. A5 and A4 cover the small jobs, and 20 x 30 and 30 x 40 inches fit frames bought to inch sizes. The size table near the top of the page lists every option with live prices.

What blueback actually is

Blueback paper has a blue reverse. When it's pasted over an old poster, the blue stops the previous design ghosting through, which is why billboard crews use it. It's no good in a window, because the back is on show. For anything framed, stick with satin. For posters printing that has to survive weather, PVC is the tough one, and PVC-free is there if a venue or a client asks you to avoid PVC.

Measure the frame, not the outside

Most UK snap frames take an A size, so an A1 frame needs an A1 poster at 594 x 841 mm. Measure the poster area inside the frame rather than the aluminium edge, and check for inch-sized frames before you order. You can print a single poster or up to 99 of a design, and up to 50 at A0, so a festival can cover every venue in town with the same run of posters printing.

Artwork tips

• Build the file at the finished size. A0 is 841 x 1189 mm.
• A poster seen from a few metres away looks fine at 100 to 150 dpi at full size. An academic poster read at arm's length needs more.
• Keep text at least 10 mm in from the edge if it's going in a snap frame, because the frame lip covers it.
• Check the date, the time and the web address twice. Posters printing is quick; reprinting because the Saturday said Sunday is not.

Upload a print-ready file, use the free online designer, or book our paid artwork service. A real person checks every uploaded file for free. File types and colour notes are in the artwork guidelines.

Timing and delivery for posters printing

Standard production is 4 or 5 working days depending on the product, and express is from 2 working days. Each product page shows its own production days. Everything is made to order and dispatched from the UK.

UK mainland delivery is £7.95, free on orders of £100 or more after discounts (artwork fees excluded). Mainland Highlands add £10. Northern Ireland, the Scottish islands, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight are quoted. Read the delivery page for the fine print.

Posters printing and what goes with it

A poster needs somewhere to live. Pavement signs hold A1 and A2 posters outside a shop door, and the wider posters, frames and pavement signs range has the rest. If even an A0 feels too small, the what size banner do I need guide is the next step. Big or unusual runs? Get a quote.