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Poster Sizes
Movie Poster Art Descriptions
Following are brief descriptions of the more common forms of movie poster art. Andy the Usher, your assistant at MovieGoods, will show you the relative size of each.
Movie studios produced as many as 12 different kinds of advertising collateral from the years 1940 - 1985. This was done primarily because each theatre displayed only one film on one screen. As a result there was a need to have numerous different sized movie posters, lobby cards and scene stills promoting the film throughout the theatre.
With the emergence of the multiple screen cinemas the studios chose to phase out many of the older styles. More screens meant the space to advertise had to be divided between more films. Currently in North America today the principal advertising size for a movie poster is 27" x 40", commonly referred to as the "One Sheet". There are still various different sized posters with different artwork for films released in countries overseas which we detail below.
Many of the older items (i.e. mid-1980s and earlier) for sale at MovieGoods have actually been displayed in a theatre or cinema. Given the nature of their use, many products will have some wear. If a pristine copy of a product for a particular film is important to you, be sure to ask us about the condition before you buy your product.
Is This Item an Original?
A large number of our auctions are originals. Unless a poster is specifically indicated as a "Reproduction", a "Poster Print" or a "Masterprint", then it is an original item.Masterprint Postes and Masterprint TV Posters
- Size: 11" x 14", or 11" x 17" (exact size is always stated in the product description)
- Type: Reproductions, printed on glossy heavy card stock paper.
Masterprint Postes and Masterprint TV Posters
- Size: Approximately 27" x 40" (if the poster size differs significantly, it will be stated so in the item description)
- Type: Reproductions, printed on satin finish paper.
Canvas Masterprints
- Size: 11" x 17"
- Type: Reproductions, printed on canvas.
Canvas Poster Prints
- Size: 27" x 40"
- Type: Reproductions, printed on canvas.
Poster Types: North America United Kingdom France Australia
North America
One-Sheet
- Size: 27" x 41" (typically pre - 1985); 27" x 40" (typically post - 1985)
- Type: Printed on paper stock. Before 1985, usually folded; after 1985, usually rolled.
- History: Traditionally, the one-sheet (OS) is the "standard" size for movie advertising in North America. The one sheet is undeniably the most popular size for collectors and consumers alike. Most new movie releases since 1985 were advertised using this size.
- Advance: Sometimes called "Teasers", Advance One-Sheets are released before the film comes out. Some of the Advance posters have completely different artwork than the poster accompanying the final release version. Some are identical to the release One-Sheet, with the only difference being the word "Advance", "Coming Soon", or a specific date will be printed along the bottom.
- Anniversary: These one-sheets mark the anniversary of the original release date of an all-time favorite movie, such as "Casablanca" or "Gone with the Wind". They can be elaborate with different artwork than the original release One-Sheet.
- Awards: Award One-Sheets indicate somewhere on the poster that the movie has either won an award, or been nominated for an award.
- Different Versions: Sometimes a film will have a series of One-Sheets as part of its advertising campaign. You might see many styles of One-Sheets for the same film, called Style A, B, etc. Each of these styles will have different artwork.
- Double-Sided: any of the One-Sheets that are currently produced are double-sided, meaning that they have printing on both the front and the back of the poster. These can be used in light boxes in movie theater lobbies.
- Lenticular: Lenticular posters are three-dimensional, holographic designs. An example of a Lenticular poster is "The Lost World: Jurassic Park"
- Limited Edition: Limited Editions contain original artwork and are released in limited numbers. Some are even individually numbered.
- Re-Release: If a film is re-released, you will often find different artwork for each release. Examples of this are "Gone with the Wind" and "Star Wars".
- Review: These One-Sheets have very little artwork or credit information, and contains mostly quotes from movie critics, newspapers and magazines.
- Video Release: Often the artwork on a poster that is produced for the Video Release of a film differs from the One-Sheet artwork produced for the theatrical release.
Half-Sheet
- Size: 28" x 22"
- Type: Printed on card stock, usually not folded.
- History: First used in the 1910s and discontinued in the mid 1980s. Used for special sized displays. Artwork tends to differ slightly from the one-sheet for the same film. Typically less expensive than one-sheets this size continues to be a popular vintage product.
Insert
- Size: 14" x 36"
- Type: Printed on card stock, usually not folded.
- History: One of the earliest of movie paper sizes, inserts were first used in the 1910s and were used extensively until the 1980s. Used in special sized displays. Like the half-sheet the insert is generally less expensive than the equivalent one-sheet from the same film. Also the insert is still a popular collectible product category.
Lobby Card
- Size:
- 8" x 10" (mini)
- 11" x 14" (standard)
- 14" x 17" (jumbo)
- Type: Printed in color on heavy card stock. Priced by the set.
- History: One of the oldest forms of movie poster art. Lobby cards were first introduced in the 1910s in theatre lobbies. A display fixture in most theatres for 75 + years. Although still available for some films, they are typically used only in foreign markets. Lobby cards remain a very popular collectible product today.
Window Card
- Size:
- 10" x 18" (mini)
- 14" x 22" (standard)
- 22" x 28" (jumbo)
- Type: Heavy card stock, usually not folded.
- History: Typically used by local theatres or chains for advertising movies in the window displays in within stores in community. Several companies (including the NSS) produced them. Window cards can have an area at the top that was blank so the local theatre could write in the show times. Many window cards actually have the writing with the times at the top, this generally will not diminish the value. Occasionally the blank space has been cut off which reduces the size and the value.
This particular form of movie art is no longer used.
Movie Still Photos
- Size: 8" x 10"
- Type: Vintage still photos are printed on glossy heavy card stock while newer photos are not. Please note that 8" x 10" is the total size of the photo itself. In some cases, the image size may be smaller than 8" x 10". There are also some cases where a photograph is cropped somewhat to ensure that it fits into the 8" x 10" size.
- History: Black and white or color, stills are used for printed media as part of the press kit or campaign book. Scene stills are photographs of specific scenes in the movie. They can be as diverse as action shots or shots or the actors. In many cases vintage still photos have descriptions on the front or back, describing the photo and what is happening in that particular scene of the film. Still photos are widely used today and are a very popular collectible item.
30 x 40 Posters
- Size: 30" x 40"
- Type: Heavier paper, usually not folded.
- History: Used for special displays, typically the same image as the original release one-sheet. 30 x 40s are no longer produced for films released in the domestic market today.
40 x 60 Posters
- Size: 40" x 60"
- Type: Printed on card stock, usually not folded.
- History: Introduced in the 1930s, used as both inside and outside displays. They are no longer used today.
Two-Sheet
- Size: 46" x 64"
- Type: Printed on paper stock, folded or rolled.
- History: Sometimes called a "Subway" because it was used as subway advertising.
Three-Sheet
- Size: 41" x 81"
- Type: Printed on paper stock, always folded.
- History: These were used for larger lobby displays, and are rarely used today. Typically 3-Sheets come in two pieces.
Six-Sheet
- Size: 41" x 81"
- Type: Printed on paper stock, always folded.
- History: These were used for larger lobby displays, and are rarely used today. Typically 3-Sheets come in two pieces.
Twelve-Sheet
- Size: 9" x 12"
- Type: Small billboard paper.
- History: Used in the 1940s, no longer in use today. They were small billboard advertising, issued by Paramount. Extremely rare. Always folded, comprised of numerous pieces.
Twenty-Four Sheet
- Size: 246" x 108"
- Type: Large billboard.
- History: Large billboard advertising, rarely used today. 24x the size of a one-sheet.
United Kingdom
Quad
- Size: 30" x 40"
- Type: Printed on matte or glossy stock. Paper about same thickness as North American One-sheet, unfolded.
- History: Like a larger version of a half-sheet, has different artwork than the one-sheet for the same American movie.
Train Station Billboard
- Size: 40" x 60"
- Type: Printed on paper.
- History: Used as advertising in train stations.
France
Petite
- Size: 15" x 21"
- Type: Printed on paper.
- History: Printed in French. Quite often American films shown in France have the title in French with the American title listed in parentheses below.
Medium
- Size: 24" x 32"
- Type: Printed on paper.
- History: Approximately the size of an American one-sheet.
Large
- Size: 47" x 63"
- Type: Printed on paper.
Bus Station / Train Kiosk
- Size: 24" x 32"
- Type: Printed on paper.
- History: Added in recent years, used in bus shelters and kiosks.
Australia
Day Bills
- Size: 13" x 30"
- Type: Almost always folded twice.
- History: Often printed for American-made movies, Australian day-bills most often have different artwork than the American distribution for the same film.
