UK poster sizes: A0 to A4 dimensions in millimetres
UK poster sizes follow ISO 216. A0 is 841 by 1189mm, A1 is 594 by 841mm, A2 is 420 by 594mm, A3 is 297 by 420mm and A4 is 210 by 297mm. Each size is exactly half the one above it. A3 and A4 are the standard shop window and community board formats.
Sugandan Balaji
What are the standard UK poster sizes in millimetres?
The standard UK poster sizes are the ISO 216 A series, measured in millimetres: A0 at 841 by 1189, A1 at 594 by 841, A2 at 420 by 594, A3 at 297 by 420 and A4 at 210 by 297. An A series size is a paper format that halves at every step, so A1 is exactly half an A0 sheet and A4 is one sixteenth of it.
Every A size holds the same 1 to 1.414 ratio, so artwork built for A2 scales cleanly up to A1 or down to A3 without recropping. Allow 3mm of bleed on each edge and keep text 5mm inside the trim.
| Size | Millimetres | Inches | Where it is usually displayed |
|---|---|---|---|
| A0 | 841 x 1189 | 33.1 x 46.8 | Foyers, exhibition stands, large indoor boards |
| A1 | 594 x 841 | 23.4 x 33.1 | Theatre and cinema foyers, leisure centres, large windows |
| A2 | 420 x 594 | 16.5 x 23.4 | Shop windows, pub and bar walls, visitor centres |
| A3 | 297 x 420 | 11.7 x 16.5 | Shop windows, cafe counters, community and staff boards |
| A4 | 210 x 297 | 8.3 x 11.7 | Till points, noticeboards, gym, salon and waiting room walls |
Which poster size should you use where?
For UK poster display in shops, cafes, pubs and community sites, A3 at 297 by 420mm is the workhorse and A4 at 210 by 297mm is the fallback. Most independent retailers will give an A3 poster window or board space without argument. A2 needs a site with real wall space, and A1 or A0 usually means a venue you have booked rather than a shop you have asked.
- A4, 210 by 297mm: till points, gyms, salons, waiting rooms
- A3, 297 by 420mm: shop windows, noticeboards, cafes, community centres
- A2, 420 by 594mm: pubs, bars, visitor centres, larger retail windows
- A1 and A0: foyers, box offices, exhibition stands, booked venues
What does it cost to produce and place a UK poster?
A UK poster campaign carries two costs: printing the posters and placing them. Printing is priced per run and the unit cost falls sharply with volume, so 500 A3 posters cost far less each than 50 do. Placement is priced per site per display cycle, and moves with how many sites you want, how tightly they are targeted and how long the poster stays up.
Specify the paper before asking for a print price. 170gsm silk is the standard indoor poster stock at A3 and A2, with A1 and A0 on 170gsm or heavier to stop them curling. Anything facing weather needs a waterproof synthetic or blueback stock, not coated paper.
Ask a distributor to quote against your actual catchment rather than a rate card. iDO prices by town, postcode sector or named site list, and quotes a four week display cycle differently from a one week blitz.
How do posters get placed in shops and venues across the UK?
UK posters are placed by a distribution network: local teams who know the retailers, ask for the space, put the poster up and photograph it in place. iDO, the trading name of Info Display OOH Ltd, is the biggest print distribution network in the UK, with 150,000 print points and 60+ distribution centres whose teams are local to their own areas.
iDO has worked this way since 1997 and distributes more than 5 million brochures every month. Proof matters as much as reach, so over 250,000 pounds has gone into GPS tracked distribution, photographed proof of display and a live dashboard with geo located maps showing which poster went where. For Trestle Theatre in St Albans, an ultra local poster blanket covered every retail, food and drink, supermarket and community site in the town, and the performance was oversubscribed.
What are 4 sheet and 6 sheet poster sizes?
A 4 sheet poster is 1016 by 1524mm and a 6 sheet poster is 1200 by 1800mm, both portrait. These are UK outdoor advertising panel sizes, found at bus shelters, shopping centres and retail parks, and they sit outside the ISO 216 A series.
The difference is how they are bought. A 4 sheet or 6 sheet is media space rented by the panel for a fixed period. An A series poster is printed by you and placed by hand in a shop window, pub or visitor centre, which is why A3 and A2 campaigns reach hundreds of local sites.
Frequently asked
- What size is an A1 poster in mm?
- An A1 poster is 594mm wide by 841mm tall. It is exactly half an A0 sheet (841 by 1189mm) and twice an A2 (420 by 594mm). A1 is a common size for theatre and cinema foyer posters in the UK.
- Is A0 or A1 bigger?
- A0 is bigger. A0 measures 841 by 1189mm and A1 measures 594 by 841mm, so an A0 poster is twice the area of an A1. A0 is the largest standard A series size, at one square metre.
- What is the best poster size for a shop window?
- A3, 297 by 420mm, is the best poster size for a UK shop window. It is large enough to read from the pavement and small enough that most independent retailers will accept it. Use A4, 210 by 297mm, for till point and counter display.
- What is a 6 sheet poster?
- A 6 sheet poster is a 1200 by 1800mm portrait outdoor panel, found at UK bus shelters, shopping centres and retail parks. A 4 sheet is smaller at 1016 by 1524mm. Both are rented as media space by the panel.