Custom Posters, Printed in Vivid Full Color
Turn your artwork, photo, or campaign into a wall-sized statement. We print custom posters on premium paper stocks — from 11"×17" handouts to 27"×40" movie-style one sheets — with gloss, satin, and matte finishes.
Everything you need to know about custom posters
Custom posters are large-format prints produced from your own artwork, photography, or campaign design — printed in full color on quality poster paper. They do what no screen can: hold attention in a physical space. For businesses promoting a sale, bands announcing a show, marketers dressing a trade show booth, or anyone turning a favorite photo into wall art, a well-printed poster delivers big visual impact at a small unit cost.
Because every poster is printed to order, the right specification depends on where it will hang and how long it needs to last. This guide walks through the standard poster sizes and when to use each, the paper stocks and finishes that change how your print looks and feels, the add-on options like lamination and foam board mounting, how color and resolution affect print quality, and how quantity-based pricing works. If you already know what you need, you can request a custom quote at any point.
A printed poster works where screens can’t
Digital ads scroll past in seconds. A custom poster hangs in a storefront window, a venue lobby, or a trade show aisle and keeps working all day. Whether you’re promoting an event, building out retail signage, or enlarging a photograph into gallery-worthy wall art, custom printing puts your exact design — your colors, your type, your image — in front of people at full size.
Big visual impact
Large-format printing turns any design into a focal point. Full-bleed color, sharp type, and rich photographic detail at sizes up to 27"×40".
Built to last
Premium paper stocks, fade-resistant inks, and optional lamination or mounting so your posters look sharp for the full life of the campaign.
Printed to spec
Pick the size, paper stock, finish, and quantity — we proof your file, flag resolution issues, and print exactly what you approve.
From your file to your wall in four steps
Upload your artwork
Send your design or photo (print-ready PDF preferred), plus the size and quantity you need.
We check & proof
We review resolution, bleed, and color, then send a digital proof so you see exactly what will print.
You approve
Confirm the proof, stock, finish, and final quantity. Nothing prints until you sign off.
We print & ship
Your posters are printed, quality-checked, and shipped flat or rolled in protective tubes nationwide.
Standard poster sizes: which one do you need?
Poster size drives viewing distance and impact. Smaller 11"×17" prints work at arm’s length on bulletin boards and counters; large 24"×36" and 27"×40" formats command attention across a room or from the street. Here’s how the standard sizes compare.
Poster width by size
Width in inches per standard size. 27"×40" (gray bar) is the classic movie one-sheet format.
Poster height by size
Taller formats read from farther away. 24"×36" is the go-to for storefronts, venues, and trade show walls.
| Size | Best for | Also known as | Viewing distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11"×17" Handouts | Bulletin boards, counters, dorms, flyer walls | Ledger / tabloid | Up close |
| 18"×24" | Retail displays, yard-adjacent signage, small venues | Medium poster | A few feet |
| 24"×36" Popular | Storefronts, events, trade shows, wall art | Architectural / large | Across a room |
| 27"×40" | Movie-style prints, lobbies, theater frames | One sheet | Across a lobby |
The paper does half the work
Most custom posters print on 100lb gloss text — a bright, flexible sheet that makes photos and saturated color pop, ideal for event posters and short-run promotions. When you want a poster that feels substantial in the hand and resists curling on the wall, step up to a rigid 10pt or 14pt cover stock, the same family of card-weight papers used for premium retail signage and prints people keep.
Finish changes everything about how the print reads. Gloss maximizes color vibrancy and contrast, satin softens glare while keeping color rich (the favorite for framed prints and photo enlargements), and matte gives a modern, glare-free surface that suits typographic and minimalist designs. For outdoor or high-traffic placement, add lamination or choose a mounted option — standard poster stocks are made for indoor use.
- 100lb gloss text — bright, flexible, vivid color for event runs
- 10pt cover — rigid card-weight stock that hangs flat
- 14pt cover — extra-thick, premium feel for keeper prints
- Gloss / satin / matte — pick the surface for your design and lighting
- Fade-resistant inks — color that holds up for the campaign’s life
- Indoor vs outdoor — laminate or mount posters headed outside
Finish it for wherever it’s going
Lamination
Gloss or matte laminate seals the print against moisture, fingerprints, and scuffs — the right call for entryways, restrooms, and reusable signage.
Foam board mounting
Mount your poster to lightweight foam board for a rigid display that stands on an easel or hangs perfectly flat at trade shows and events.
Framing-ready trims
Precision-cut to exact standard dimensions so your poster drops straight into off-the-shelf 18"×24", 24"×36", or 27"×40" frames.
Size & orientation
Every standard size in portrait or landscape, plus custom dimensions when your space calls for something outside the usual formats.
Finish choice
Gloss for maximum vibrancy, satin for framed prints and photos, matte for glare-free, gallery-style presentation.
Any quantity
Print a single enlargement or a multi-thousand campaign run, with per-poster pricing that improves as your volume grows.
Poster colors and what they signal
We print in high-resolution, full-color process, so every hue in your file reproduces with smooth gradients and sharp detail. Color also carries meaning — the palette you lead with shapes how people read your poster before they read a word:
Working from brand guidelines? Send your brand color values with your artwork and we’ll proof the print for a faithful match before production.
How to choose the right custom poster
The best poster comes down to where it will hang and how long it needs to work. Use this quick guide to match the setting to the right size, stock, and finish.
| Where it will hang | Recommended size | Stock | Finish & add-ons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulletin boards, counters, campus walls | 11"×17" | 100lb gloss text | Gloss |
| Retail displays & in-store signage | 18"×24" | 10pt cover | Gloss or satin, lamination for reuse |
| Storefront windows & venues | 24"×36" | 10pt–14pt cover | Gloss, lamination near sun |
| Trade show booths & easel displays | 24"×36" | Any | Foam board mounting |
| Movie-style prints & lobby frames | 27"×40" | 14pt cover | Satin or matte, framing-ready trim |
| Photo enlargements & wall art | 18"×24"–24"×36" | 14pt cover | Satin, framing-ready trim |
Not sure which fits your project? Tell us the setting and we’ll recommend a spec with your quote.
One print format, many jobs
How custom poster pricing works
Custom posters are priced per print, and the per-poster price drops as your quantity climbs. Your final quote depends on four things: poster size, paper stock, finish and add-ons (lamination, mounting), and total quantity. Larger runs on standard sizes bring the unit cost down the most.
Custom poster questions, answered
What are the standard poster sizes?
Is there a minimum order for custom posters?
What paper stocks do you print on?
Should I choose gloss, satin, or matte?
Can custom posters be used outdoors?
What file format and resolution do you need?
How fast is turnaround, and how do posters ship?
How do I get a quote?
Ready to see your design printed big?
Tell us your size, quantity, stock, and finish — we’ll send back exact pricing, a proof, and a production timeline. Single prints and bulk runs welcome.