Poster Size Guide: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 in Inches and cm

Poster sizes like 11×14 or 18×24 are easy to say and hard to picture. This guide translates every size into inches and centimeters, shows where each one fits in a typical home, and explains how to frame them.

The quick chart

Size	Inches	Centimeters	Roughly the size of	Best for
8×10	8 × 10	20.3 × 25.4	A little smaller than a sheet of letter paper	Shelves, desks, bathrooms, gallery-wall fillers
11×14	11 × 14	27.9 × 35.6	A large hardcover book, opened flat	Above a nightstand, kitchen, small hallways
16×20	16 × 20	40.6 × 50.8	A small window pane	Pairs and trios, above a dresser, entryways
18×24	18 × 24	45.7 × 61	A classic print-shop poster	Above a bed or a smaller sofa, feature walls
24×36	24 × 36	61 × 91.4	A standard movie poster	Statement wall, above a large sofa or sideboard

Same size in every format. A 24×36 poster, canvas and wooden framed print all measure 24 × 36 inches, so you can plan the wall first and choose the format afterwards.

Why these sizes are easy to frame

All five are standard US frame sizes, so ready-made frames and mats are easy to find in any home store. The proportions vary a little from size to size (8×10 and 16×20 are 4 : 5, 18×24 is 3 : 4, 24×36 is 2 : 3), which is worth knowing if you want several sizes of the same design on one gallery wall: matching proportions, such as 8×10 with 16×20, look the most like one image scaled up.

Choose by viewing distance

A simple rule: the farther away people usually stand, the bigger the print needs to be.

Under 4 ft (desk, bathroom, beside a bed): 8×10 to 11×14 in.
4–8 ft (bedroom wall, hallway, dining nook): 16×20 to 18×24 in.
Over 8 ft (living room wall seen from the sofa or doorway): 18×24 to 24×36 in.

Choose by furniture width

When art hangs above furniture, size it to about two-thirds of the furniture’s width. A 36 in dresser suits art around 24 in wide (an 18×24 in print hung landscape, or two 11×14 in prints side by side). A 72 in sofa suits about 48 in (two 24×36 in prints in portrait, or two 18×24 in prints in landscape). For sofas specifically, see how to choose the right wall art size above a sofa.

Prices by size and format

Size	Poster (no frame)	Canvas	Wooden framed
8×10 8 × 10 in	$12.99	$32.99	$62.99
11×14 11 × 14 in	$17.99	$47.99	$82.99
16×20 16 × 20 in	$22.99	$62.99	$102.99
18×24 18 × 24 in	$29.99	$82.99	$152.99
24×36 24 × 36 in	$37.99	$132.99	$192.99

Standard print prices. Personalized and custom designs can differ; the exact price is always shown on the product page.

Posters are the most affordable way to try a larger size. Framed prints and canvases arrive with a hanging kit. Our comparison of framed posters vs canvas explains what each format includes.

Framing an unframed poster

Because every poster is a standard US size, it fits ready-made frames. Two tips:

Want a mat (white border)? Buy a frame one size up with a mat cut for your poster size, for example a 16×20 frame with an 11×14 opening.
Shopping for frames? Search by the size name, for example “11×14 frame”. All five sizes are common stock sizes, so there is no need for custom framing.

Prints that look good in every size

Typography, maps and simple graphic designs hold up from 8×10 all the way to 24×36, which makes them a safe first purchase if you are unsure about size.