Poster · Large format
24 × 36 poster
24 × 36 inches (609.6 × 914.4 mm) is the standard full wall-poster size in North America — used for film and concert posters, retail promotion, exhibition graphics and large-format printed art. With 0.25 in of bleed the export size becomes 24.5 × 36.5 in.
Trim, bleed and safe area
| Unit | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Millimetres (mm) | 609.6 | 914.4 |
| Centimetres (cm) | 60.96 | 91.44 |
| Inches (in) | 24 | 36 |
| Pixels @ 72 DPI | 1,728 | 2,592 |
| Pixels @ 96 DPI | 2,304 | 3,456 |
| Pixels @ 150 DPI | 3,600 | 5,400 |
| Pixels @ 200 DPI | 4,800 | 7,200 |
| Pixels @ 300 DPI | 7,200 | 10,800 |
| Pixels @ 600 DPI | 14,400 | 21,600 |
24 × 36 in
Common uses
- · Concert and music tour posters
- · Film one-sheets and lobby promotion
- · Retail point-of-sale displays
- · Art prints and gallery installations
- · Exhibition and trade-show graphics
When 150 DPI is enough
For posters viewed from 2+ m away, the human eye cannot resolve 300 DPI detail. 150 DPI looks identical at viewing distance and halves the file size. For posters that will be inspected up close (museum prints, art books, framed prints) stick with 300 DPI.
Preparing the print file
Bleed at this scale is typically 0.25 in per side (export 24.5 × 36.5 in) — large-format trimming is coarser than small-press work, so the small-format 0.125 in habit leaves white slivers. Confirm the shop’s figure; blueback and satin poster stocks sometimes differ.
Stock guide: 150–200 gsm satin for indoor display, blueback 115–130 gsm for paste-up walls (the blue back stops the old layer showing through), and laminated or encapsulated prints for anything outdoors longer than a week.
Frequently asked questions
How big is a 24 × 36 inch poster?
24 × 36 inches is 609.6 × 914.4 millimetres — about 61 × 91 cm. It is roughly the size of a standard cinema lobby poster and is the most common large-format size in North America.
How much bleed does a 24 × 36 poster need?
Typically 0.25 inch (6.35 mm) of bleed on every side, making the export size 24.5 × 36.5 inches. Some large-format printers want 0.5 inch — confirm with your printer before exporting.
What image resolution is required?
At 300 DPI, a 24 × 36 poster is 7200 × 10 800 pixels — about 78 megapixels. At 150 DPI (often acceptable for wall posters viewed from a distance) it is 3600 × 5400 pixels. Source images as large as you can.
How far away does it read from?
A 24 × 36 poster with a 4–5 cm tall headline is comfortably readable from across a room (5–6 m). For street-level outdoor posters viewed from 10+ m, headlines should be at least 8–10 cm tall.
How do I print one at home?
You generally do not. Wide-format printing this size needs either a large-format inkjet (uncommon outside design studios) or an online large-format print service. Most online services accept PDF at the export size including bleed.
What resolution does a 24 × 36 poster need?
150 DPI is the production standard: exactly 3600 × 5400 pixels (19.4 MP), whole numbers because the size is inch-defined. A 300 DPI file balloons to 7200 × 10800 px (77.8 MP) with no visible gain at the 2 m+ distances this size is viewed from — 100 DPI (2400 × 3600) is acceptable beyond 3 m.
Is 24 × 36 the movie-poster size?
Close but no — the cinema “one-sheet” is 27 × 40 in. 24 × 36 is the standard retail poster and frame size in North America, which is exactly why licensed posters are commonly reprinted at 24 × 36: the frames are everywhere and cheap.
What is ARCH D?
The architectural-series name for this sheet: ARCH A 9 × 12, B 12 × 18, C 18 × 24, D 24 × 36, E 36 × 48. Plotter drivers and reprographics shops list 24 × 36 as ARCH D — useful to know when the order form has no plain-inch option.