Large Poster

24 x 36 in CMYK 2:3 portrait

A 24 by 36 in large poster. The standard US theatrical one-sheet movie-poster size and the format for high-impact promotional and statement art.

about the size of a standard movie poster

About this size

This is the size every movie poster is designed at. The 24 by 36 dimensions are large enough to anchor a room, small enough that they do not fill a wall, and carry the cinematic association of decades of theatrical poster design.

The practical design constraint at this size is dual viewing distance. The poster is approached from across a room (focal hierarchy has to work) and then read up close (detail and credit blocks have to reward the closer look). Classic movie posters layer both into a single composition.

Large posters
Event graphics
Wall prints

Pro tips

1 Big enough to be a focal point in a room without filling a wall. The dominant size for statement promotional art.
2 Plan for two viewing distances. Across the room (focal hierarchy) and close up (detail) both need to work.
3 Type at this size can be smaller than it feels in the design file. A small headline at preview scale is still legible at the actual print dimensions.

Export notes

Export as CMYK PDF at 300 DPI (file is 7200 by 10800 px before compression) with 0.125 in bleed on all sides. Embed all fonts or outline them; movie-poster type often uses display faces that the printer will not have on file. For very large print runs, ask the printer about substituting 200 DPI to keep the file under 200 MB; the visible difference at six-foot viewing distance is negligible.