Poster Formats A2, A1 and A0: Choosing Size by Location

A poster only does its job when the size, paper and location match. An A3 gets lost on a stand wall, and an A0 on thin paper buckles after the first shower of rain. This guide runs through poster formats A2, A1 and A0, the materials suited to indoor and outdoor use, and what to check in your print file.

DIN formats at a glance

Most posters follow the A series. Each format is exactly half the size of the next one up and keeps the same proportions, so a design made in A2 can be enlarged to A1 or A0 without cropping.

• A4 (21 x 29.7 cm): noticeboard, till point, stairwell.
• A3 (29.7 x 42 cm): shop window, club premises, restaurant.
• A2 (42 x 59.4 cm): entrance hall, school, community noticeboard.
• A1 (59.4 x 84.1 cm): trade fair stand, foyer, concert or theatre poster.
• A0 (84.1 x 118.9 cm): large walls, halls and outdoor surfaces seen from a distance.

The configurator offers formats from A4 up to 118.5 x 175 cm. For a size outside the A series, such as the 89.5 x 128 cm "world format" widely used in Switzerland, choose posters in a custom format: rectangular or square, from A4 to 100 x 140 cm, cut to your measurements. If you are renting a poster site, check the format and paper required by the company that manages it first.

Which size for which location

It all depends on the reading distance. Someone stopping in front of a shop window reads an A3 with ease. Along a trade fair aisle, you need at least an A1 so the title and logo carry a few steps away. On a fence, façade or hall wall seen from the road or from a bike, A0 is the safe choice. A simple test helps: print your title at full size on an A4 sheet, put it up where you plan to display it, and check from a distance that it stays legible.

The amount of text matters too. A concert poster with the date, venue and ticket details stays clear even in A2. An event poster with a programme, entry prices and sponsors needs more room and only feels uncluttered from A1 up.

Choosing the paper by location

Indoors, a paper poster is enough. Materials range from 100 g gloss paper to 840 g card: light paper suits a display behind glass or on a cork board, heavier card suits a poster that stands without a frame or is handled often. The Environment and Nature posters are made from environmentally friendly materials, with FSC or PEFC certification and hole punching depending on the configuration.

Outdoors, you need something tougher. The all-weather poster with film lamination stands up to rain and sun. It is fixed without paste, with cable ties through the punched holes, to a fence or similar surface, and reinforcing tabs make it extra stable. Its card is made from more than 90 percent recycled wood fibre and can go into waste paper afterwards. In strong wind, fix it carefully.

Shop windows call for two specialists. Neon paper posters in yellow, green, pink or orange catch the eye instantly, printed in solid black or full-colour digital print. Stafix posters stick to shop windows and most other surfaces by static charge alone, with no glue, can be reused several times, and are available from 100 pieces.

When paper is not enough: boards and election posters

For a campaign running several weeks, or a roadside advertising panel, a rigid board is worth choosing over paper. The corrugated plastic board is weatherproof, 2.5 mm thick, printable on both sides, and hangs with eyelets, corner holes or suction cups. As an election or advertising poster, it comes in A0, A1, A2 or 70 x 100 cm, with 6 or 10 pre-punched holes for cable ties, wire or string, made for trees, lamp posts and fences. The 360-degree poster wraps around a lamp post with three faces of roughly A1 each.

Indoors, rigid foam board (2 or 5 mm, flame-retardant to B1) and an especially light flexible foam board give a flat, sturdy surface for a stand, reception area or exhibition. The aluminium composite panel (3 or 6 mm) holds up indoors and outdoors alike, suited to signage that is meant to stay put. Before a trade fair, check with the organiser whether flame-retardant material is required.

Print run, designs and print files

Most posters are available from 1 piece. Small print runs are produced digitally, larger ones offset, which lowers the cost per poster. Each order covers one design. If you need different versions in the same format and material, for several branches or municipalities, choose posters with multiple designs: up to 30 different designs, from 2 designs at 1 piece each, shipped rolled to avoid creases.

On print files, large formats follow the same rules as small ones: set up the file at final size with bleed, colours in CMYK, fonts embedded. For a poster viewed close up, 300 dpi at final size is a safe baseline. Check photos for enough resolution especially in A1 and A0, where blur shows up the most. And keep the season in mind: posters for autumn trade fairs, concerts and Christmas markets are needed early, and so are those for spring sports events and open airs.

Frequently asked questions about poster formats

How big is an A1 poster?

A poster in A1 format measures 59.4 x 84.1 cm. It is twice the size of A2 (42 x 59.4 cm) and half the size of A0 (84.1 x 118.9 cm). All three share the same proportions, so one design fits any of these formats.

Which paper suits an outdoor poster?

Standard poster paper is meant for indoors or for display behind glass. Outdoors, choose the all-weather poster with film lamination or, for longer periods, a corrugated plastic board. Both are fixed with cable ties, with no paste needed.

Can I print a single poster in a small run?

Yes. Digital and offset posters, neon paper posters and Environment and Nature posters are available from 1 piece. You see the price in CHF instantly in the configurator, even for a single copy.

How do I fix a poster to a lamp post?

With cable ties through pre-punched holes. The 360-degree poster is wrapped around the post and fixed in place, and election posters in corrugated plastic board have 6 or 10 pre-punched holes. Check with your municipality beforehand on where postering is allowed.

You will find the right products in three families: posters from A4 to 118.5 x 175 cm, signs and boards for outdoors and trade fairs, and flyers to hand out alongside your poster message. You see the price in CHF instantly in the configurator, with delivery across Switzerland.