Guide
Print a poster
Every poster is a free PDF, ready for a printer. This page says, for a first order, which size to choose, on what to print it, which file to send and where to send it. One Page Papers sells no prints and has no partner: order from anyone you like.
Choose the size
Each poster states Print from, on its page and under its preview: the smallest ISO A size at which its body text prints at 8 points or more. 8 pt is the small print of a book: easy to read up close, too small to read from across a room. The title and headings are much larger, and read from further away.
From one A size to the next (A3, A2, A1, A0) the poster grows about 1.4 times in width and in height, and its text with it. So a poster that prints from A2 has its body between 8 and 11 pt at A2, at least 11 pt at A1 and at least 16 pt at A0. Below its Print from size, the file still prints, but the body goes under 8 pt.
| Body text in print | Read comfortably from about | Size, for a poster that prints from A3 |
|---|---|---|
| 8 to 11 pt | 30 to 40 cm, as a book: a poster above a desk | A3 |
| 11 pt or more | 50 cm, standing at the wall | A2 |
| 16 pt or more | 70 cm, a step back | A1 |
| 22 pt or more | 1 m, from across a desk or a corridor | A0 |
These distances are approximate: the distance at which a text reads well grows with its size, and it depends on the light and on the eyes of the reader. For a poster that prints from A2, move each size one row down.
In short: print at the Print from size for a poster you read up close; one or two sizes above it for a wall you see from further away.
| Size | Centimetres | File |
|---|---|---|
| A3 | 29.7 × 42 | The A PDF |
| A2 | 42 × 59.4 | The A PDF |
| A1 | 59.4 × 84.1 | The A PDF |
| A0 | 84.1 × 118.9 | The A PDF |
| 50 × 70 cm | 50 × 70 | Its own PDF |
| 60 × 80 cm | 60 × 80 | Its own PDF |
| Letter | 21.6 × 27.9 | In the US zip of the release |
| Tabloid | 27.9 × 43.2 | In the US zip of the release |
| 18 × 24 in | 45.7 × 61.0 | In the US zip of the release |
| 24 × 36 in | 61.0 × 91.4 | In the US zip of the release |
Choose the support
Paper
Matte paper of 200 g/m² or more, to be framed. The cheapest, and the easiest to find at any size.
White aluminium
Dibond, 3 mm thick: a rigid panel, matte, with no glare and no frame, hung straight on the wall. Dearer, and more durable.
Choose paper if you have a frame or want one, or for a first print; choose aluminium for a piece that lasts without a frame, or where the reflections of a glass would be in the way.
Which file to send
The format
- The A PDF for any ISO A size: A3, A2, A1 or A0. The ISO A sizes all have the same proportions, so the one file scales to each of them; tell the printer the size you want.
- 50 × 70 cm and 60 × 80 cm: a PDF of its own for each, laid out for these common frame sizes.
- The US formats, Letter, Tabloid, 18 × 24 in and 24 × 36 in: in the zips of the latest release, one per category.
The theme
- Light themes, ivory and white, suit every support. They are the ones to choose on white aluminium, since the white of the metal shows through the ink.
- Dark themes, genesis and blueprint, cover the whole sheet with ink: they are best with a lab that prints deep blacks. Ask for a proof if you are unsure.
The file as it is
- The PDFs are vector: the text and the redrawn figures print sharp at any size. A few posters also carry a photograph or a scan, printed as an image.
- Send the PDF unchanged, and ask for it to be printed without cropping. The notices printed on a poster, such as the license notice or the attribution in its footer, must stay on it.
Where to order
An online print service: you upload the PDF, choose the size and the support, and the print is delivered.
A local copy shop (a reprographie in France): you can see the papers, ask for a proof, and collect the print. Say the size, the paper or panel, and that the file must not be cropped.
No brand is named here, and no link on this site earns anything from a print.