Viewing distance sets the type size. As a rough rule, each metre of distance calls for about 2.5 centimetres of letter height; a headline read from ten metres needs to be around 25 centimetres tall. Skipping this calculation produces a poster that looks right on the desk and unreadable on the wall.
The number of messages is inversely proportional to distance. An event poster read up close can carry date, venue, time and ticket details; on a poster seen from a passing car, anything beyond one sentence and one image becomes noise.
Outdoors, material durability matters as much as design. On a sun-facing surface standard inks fade within months; UV-resistant printing and lamination extend the life of the work considerably.
Technical options
- Common sizes
- A3, A2, A1, A0 and custom
- Indoor
- 150–200gsm coated, matt or gloss
- Outdoor
- UV-resistant print, vinyl, lamination
- Printing
- Digital (short run), offset (high volume)
Related services
Frequently asked
What resolution does a poster need?
For work viewed close up, 300 dpi is standard. On large formats seen from a distance, 150 dpi can be enough; what matters is perceived sharpness at the viewing distance, not the pixel count itself.
Can one design print at both A3 and A0?
Scaling up directly rarely works, because the balance between text and image shifts with size. Point sizes and spacing need adjusting for each format.
How long does an outdoor poster last?
It varies with material, sun exposure and weather. A laminated UV print holds its colour noticeably longer than an unlaminated one.