Poster Sizes in Singapore: A0, A1, A2, A3 and B Sizes

Standard poster sizes in Singapore follow ISO 216: A4 is 210 × 297 mm, A3 is 297 × 420 mm, A2 is 420 × 594 mm, A1 is 594 × 841 mm and A0 is 841 × 1189 mm. Choose the size by how far away the poster will be read, because that distance also sets the type size and the file resolution. B sizes and other dimensions are printed as custom sizes cut from the same rolls and sheets.

What are the standard A0, A1, A2, A3 and A4 poster sizes in mm?

The A series runs from A4 at 210 × 297 mm up to A0 at 841 × 1189 mm. Each size is exactly half the one above it, cut across the long side, so the proportion never changes and a design scales cleanly from one size to the next. What changes is the distance the poster is read from, which decides the type and resolution.

An A4 poster is a notice, read at arm’s length with normal body copy. A3 is a lift-lobby or counter notice. A2 is a shop window or corridor poster. A1 is the standard event poster. A0 is read from three metres or more, and anything to be read closer than that belongs on a flyer beside it rather than on it. For more on matching type to distance, see poster artwork and reading distance.

What are the B poster sizes, and can they be printed?

The B series sits between the A sizes: B1 at 707 × 1000 mm falls between A1 and A0, and B0 at 1000 × 1414 mm is larger than A0. B sizes follow the same halving rule, so B2 is 500 × 707 mm and B3 is 353 × 500 mm. They are printed as custom sizes rather than as the standard A sizes.

Custom sizes are cut to any size within the sheet or roll width. When you order a B size, or any non-standard poster, state the finished size in millimetres and whether it will be trimmed square, rather than the size name alone. Above A0 the job becomes large-format printing, and the substrate changes from paper to a vinyl, fabric or board; that work is covered on the large-format printing page.

Which poster paper or board should you choose?

Choose the stock by where the poster will hang. Behind glass, almost any paper will do. The defaults are 128–157 gsm gloss art paper for indoor display, 310–350 gsm matt art card where the poster stands on its own, and 200 micron synthetic stock for damp locations such as lift lobbies, kitchens and wash areas.

• Gloss art paper, 128–157 gsm. The default indoor poster. It rolls without cracking, lies flat once taped, and holds colour under fluorescent light. Right for retail promotions, event notices and anything replaced within a month; wrong anywhere it will be handled repeatedly or anywhere damp.
• Matt art card, 310–350 gsm. A poster that stands up on its own in a frame or on an easel without curling forward. No glare, which matters under downlights and in a photographed room. Do not roll it for transport: a heavy card takes a set in the tube and will not lie flat again.
• Synthetic stock, 200 micron. Not paper. It does not absorb water, does not tear along a fold, and does not go soft in humidity. It suits anywhere outdoors under cover, and is the answer when a poster has to cope with moisture.

Finishing is a separate decision from the stock. Mounting is not lamination: film protects the face, and a board gives it rigidity. A poster can have one, both or neither.

How should you set up poster artwork files?

Set the file up at final size with the bleed for that size, keep type inside the safe margin, and match the resolution to the viewing distance rather than the sheet. Supply PDF/X-4 at final size, or at a stated fraction of it with the scale written in the file name, with fonts outlined or fully embedded.

1. Artboard. Trim plus 3 mm bleed up to A2, and 5 mm at A1 and A0. An A1 poster is 594 × 841 mm with 5 mm bleed.
2. Safe margin. Keep text and logos 10 mm from the trim, and 25 mm where corner eyelets are being fitted.
3. Resolution. 300 dpi to A3, 200 dpi at A2, 150 dpi at A1, 100 dpi at A0, at final size.
4. Type. 24 pt minimum at A1 and above, with headlines from 60 pt at A1. Hairlines at 0.5 pt minimum.
5. Colour. Build in CMYK and name large flat brand colours as Pantone references so they can be matched. Build large gradients in CMYK rather than converting from RGB, or they band across a metre.
6. Very large files. Send the file at half size at double the resolution and say so in the file name. It scales exactly and opens on the day it is needed.

If the poster is going into a frame or a lightbox, say so with the enquiry. A poster lit from behind needs a denser build than one lit from the front, and a backlit poster on ordinary art paper looks grey rather than lit. For general file checks, read how to prepare artwork for print.

Decision checklist: what to confirm before ordering posters

Confirm four things before the file goes in: the size, the stock, the quantity, and what the poster is fixed to. The fourth is the one most often left out, and it decides whether the job is a print or a print plus a mount. Then check the viewing distance against the type and resolution, and settle the date.

• Size. A standard A size, or a custom size in millimetres?
• Viewing distance. Arm’s length, a metre, two metres, three metres or more? It sets the type size and the resolution.
• Where it hangs. Behind glass, on a corridor wall, near a kitchen or lift lobby, or in a lightbox?
• Stock. Gloss art paper, matt art card, or synthetic stock.
• Fixing. Taped, framed, mounted to foam PVC, foam board or fluted polypropylene, or eyeletted.
• Sides. 4C single-sided is standard; double-sided where the poster hangs in a window.
• Quantity. The minimum run is 1.
• Date. Standard turnaround is 7–14 working days, mounted or loose. Express is quoted per job.

What mistakes should you avoid when printing posters?

The commonest poster mistakes are a file built at the wrong resolution, type too small for the distance, the wrong stock for the location, and a heavy card rolled for transport. Each comes from deciding the poster by its size instead of by where it hangs and how far away it is read.

1. A 300 dpi file at A0. It carries far more resolution than the eye can use at three metres, and the file becomes too heavy to handle on the day it matters.
2. Body copy at 12 pt on an A1 poster. Read from a distance it is a grey smear; the smallest useful type there is around 24 pt.
3. Unlaminated art paper near a kitchen, a lift lobby or an entrance. It goes wavy in Singapore humidity. Laminate it, mount it to a board, or print it on synthetic stock.
4. A heavy matt card rolled for transport. It takes a set in the tube and will not lie flat again. Send it flat, or choose a lighter sheet.
5. No bleed at A1 or A0. The larger sizes need 5 mm, not 3 mm.

Worked example: specifying A1 event posters

Hypothetical planning example. Actual production timing, paper availability, and logistics are confirmed individually upon artwork and specification review. An organiser needs posters for an event venue, taped inside existing frames and replaced after the event. Because they hang behind glass and come down after a short run, the plain indoor specification is the right one, with no film and no board.

• Quantity and size: 20 A1 posters, 594 × 841 mm.
• Stock: 157 gsm gloss art paper.
• Colour: 4C single-sided.
• Finishing: No lamination, no mounting.
• File: Print-ready PDF at 150 dpi at final size, with 5 mm bleed and type kept 10 mm inside the trim.
• Timing: Standard 7–14 working days.

If the same posters had to stand on easels in a meeting room instead, the specification would change to 350 gsm matt art card at A2, matt laminated, which sits in an easel frame without curling and photographs without glare. If they were going near an entrance or lift lobby, synthetic stock would replace the art paper.

Frequently asked questions about poster sizes and printing in Singapore

What are the A0, A1, A2 and A3 poster sizes in mm?

A0 is 841 × 1189 mm, A1 is 594 × 841 mm, A2 is 420 × 594 mm and A3 is 297 × 420 mm. Each size is half the one above it, so the proportion never changes and a design scales cleanly between them.

What resolution should a poster file be?

It depends on the viewing distance, not on the size: 300 dpi at A3 and closer, 200 dpi at A2, 150 dpi at A1 and 100 dpi at A0 read from three metres. A 300 dpi A0 file carries detail nobody will see and is too heavy to handle.

How much bleed does a poster need?

3 mm bleed up to A2, and 5 mm at A1 and A0. Keep text and logos 10 mm inside the trim, or 25 mm where corner eyelets are being fitted.

What paper is best for posters?

157 gsm gloss art paper for indoor display on a monthly cycle, 310–350 gsm matt art card where the poster has to stand in a frame without curling, and synthetic stock anywhere it will meet moisture.

Can you print B1 or other non-A poster sizes?

Yes, as a custom size. Custom sizes are cut to any size within the sheet or roll width, so state the finished size in millimetres, such as B1 at 707 × 1000 mm, and whether it will be trimmed square.

Print posters in any size with EZ Print

EZ Print prints posters in Singapore, and has done since 2017, from A4 to A0 and custom sizes, on gloss art paper, matt art card or synthetic stock, laminated, mounted to foam PVC or board, and eyeletted. See stocks, sizes and file settings on the poster printing page, and the signage printing page for rigid signs.

Send the size, the stock, the quantity and what the poster is being fixed to, and request a quote. EZ Print quotes from the specification and confirms the production schedule in the quotation.

Same-day and urgent printing available. Subject to artwork approval, payment, print type and production availability. Timing confirmed per job.