Conference Poster Sizes, to Scale: A0, A1, A2, A3 and 36 × 48 in
Every common conference poster size on one chart, drawn to scale, with the millimetres, inches and PowerPoint slide size for each.
Made by the print studio that prints research posters for conferences at the SEC and the Glasgow universities. If you are presenting in Glasgow, see our conference poster printing in Glasgow service: we print it here and deliver it free to the SEC or your hotel.
- A0 is 841 × 1189mm, 33.1 × 46.8 in
- A1 is 594 × 841mm, 23.4 × 33.1 in, exactly half an A0
- US 36 × 48 in is 914 × 1219mm, wider and taller than A0
- PowerPoint custom slide sizes for each, in centimetres
- Studio:
- 36-38 Washington Street, G3 8AZ
- A0 conference poster:
- £50
- Delivery:
- Free to the SEC or your hotel
Poster sizes, side by side
36×48in · US
- Millimetres
- 914 × 1219
- Inches
- 36.0 × 48.0
- PowerPoint, cm
- 91.4 × 121.9
- Plain print from
- Quote
North American meetings, often asked for landscape as 48 × 36 in.
A0
- Millimetres
- 841 × 1189
- Inches
- 33.1 × 46.8
- PowerPoint, cm
- 84.1 × 118.9
- Plain print from
- £25.99
The standard conference poster in the UK, Europe and Australia, usually portrait.
A1
- Millimetres
- 594 × 841
- Inches
- 23.4 × 33.1
- PowerPoint, cm
- 59.4 × 84.1
- Plain print from
- £12.99
Smaller poster boards, dissertation and departmental posters. Exactly half an A0.
A2
- Millimetres
- 420 × 594
- Inches
- 16.5 × 23.4
- PowerPoint, cm
- 42.0 × 59.4
- Plain print from
- £8.49
Notice boards, lab doors and open-day displays. Half an A1.
A3
- Millimetres
- 297 × 420
- Inches
- 11.7 × 16.5
- PowerPoint, cm
- 29.7 × 42.0
- Plain print from
- £3.99
Handouts and take-away copies of a poster. Half an A2.
Plain prints are single sheets from our A0, A1 and A2 printing service. A conference poster is £50 at A0 and comes with a file check and fix, 20 A4 handouts, a tube and free delivery to the SEC or your hotel. Download this chart as a PNG to share with your lab or students, a link back to this page is appreciated.
Poster sizes at a glance
- A0
- 841 × 1189mm, 33.1 × 46.8 in, 84.1 × 118.9cm in PowerPoint.
- A1
- 594 × 841mm, 23.4 × 33.1 in, 59.4 × 84.1cm in PowerPoint.
- A2
- 420 × 594mm, 16.5 × 23.4 in, 42.0 × 59.4cm in PowerPoint.
- A3
- 297 × 420mm, 11.7 × 16.5 in, 29.7 × 42.0cm in PowerPoint.
- US board
- 36 × 48 in is 914 × 1219mm, 91.4 × 121.9cm. Often landscape, 48 × 36 in.
- Print in Glasgow
- Conference posters £50 at A0 with free delivery to the SEC or your hotel. Plain A0 prints from £25.99. Studio at 36-38 Washington Street, G3 8AZ.
Which size will my conference ask for?
The author instructions always win, but this is what most meetings ask for.
UK, Europe and Australia: A0 portrait
Most meetings ask for A0 portrait, 841 × 1189mm, on a board a little bigger than the sheet. A1 is the usual second choice when boards are smaller or posters share a board.
North America: 48 × 36 in landscape
Many US and Canadian meetings give each presenter a 4 × 8 ft board and ask for 48 × 36 in landscape or 36 × 48 in portrait. An A0 file will fit inside that space, a 48 × 36 in file will not fit an A0 board.
Landscape or portrait: read the board
Orientation matters more than size. A landscape poster on a portrait board hangs off the edge. The author instructions give the board size and orientation, so design to that, not to habit.
Not sure? Go one size down
A poster a little smaller than the board looks deliberate, one that is too big cannot be pinned. If the instructions only give a maximum, A0 portrait or 36 × 48 in portrait is the safe choice.
Setting up the poster in PowerPoint
Most research posters are made in PowerPoint. Four steps get the file right before it reaches the printer.
Set the slide size first
Design, then Slide Size, then Custom Slide Size. Type the PowerPoint numbers from the table above, for A0 portrait 84.1cm wide by 118.9cm high, and pick portrait or landscape.
Design at full size
Work at the final size from the start. Scaling a 16:9 slide up to A0 later is the most common reason a poster prints soft. Keep photos at 150dpi or better at the size they will print.
Use poster-sized type
As a rule of thumb at A0: title around 85 to 100pt, section headings 40 to 50pt, body text no smaller than 24pt. At A1 multiply by 0.7. Body text should read from about two metres away.
Export a PDF
File, Export, PDF, with the best quality setting. Leave at least 10mm between your content and the edge. Send that PDF to the printer rather than the working file if you can.
Presenting in Glasgow?
Glasgow hosts international conferences at the SEC and the universities all year. If you are travelling in, there is no need to carry a poster tube on the plane. Send the PDF before you fly and we print it in our studio on Washington Street, minutes from the SEC.
Conference posters are delivered free to the SEC, your hotel reception or your conference booth, with 20 A4 handout copies and a poster tube, and the file is checked and fixed before it prints. Or collect it from the studio, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week. See conference poster printing in Glasgow for prices and how to order, or the SEC event printing page for what is on at the SEC.
Event and exhibition printing
Everything an exhibitor, speaker or organiser in Glasgow tends to need, printed at our Washington Street studio a short walk from the SEC.
Poster sizes, common questions
What presenters ask most before they design or print a poster.
What size is an A0 poster in inches?
A0 is 841 × 1189mm, which is 33.1 × 46.8 inches, or 84.1 × 118.9cm. It is the standard conference poster size in the UK and most of Europe.
Is A0 the same as 36 × 48 inches?
No. A 36 × 48 in poster is 914 × 1219mm, so it is 73mm wider and 30mm taller than A0. The shapes differ too: A sizes have sides in the ratio 1 to 1.414, 36 × 48 in is 3 to 4. An A0 design scaled to 36 × 48 in leaves a strip of white space down one side unless it is redesigned.
What size is an A1 poster?
A1 is 594 × 841mm, 23.4 × 33.1 inches, exactly half an A0. A design made at A0 prints at A1 with no cropping, everything just comes out at 71 percent of the size, so check the smallest text is still readable.
What PowerPoint slide size should I use for an A0 poster?
Set a custom slide size of 84.1cm wide by 118.9cm high for A0 portrait, or swap the numbers for landscape. PowerPoint allows slides up to 142.24cm on a side, so every size in the table fits without scaling.
What resolution does a conference poster need?
Photos and figures should be at least 150dpi at the size they print, 300dpi is better for fine detail. Charts exported as vector graphics, for example as PDF or SVG, stay sharp at any size.
Can you print a 36 × 48 inch poster in Glasgow?
Yes. Our Epson SureColor P9000 takes paper up to 44 inches wide, so 36 × 48 in and 48 × 36 in posters print in-house in Glasgow, as well as every A size. Send the file and the size and we will confirm the price within the working day.
I am flying in to a conference in Glasgow. Can I get my poster printed there?
Yes, and it saves carrying a poster tube through the airport. Send the PDF before you travel, we check it, print it and deliver it free to the SEC, your hotel reception or your conference booth, with 20 A4 handouts and a tube. Conference posters are £50 at A0.
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Glasgow GFX Print Studio
- Visit
- The Pentagon Business Centre
Unit 204b, 36–38 Washington Street
Glasgow G3 8AZ - Call
- 0141 345 5841
- Hours
- Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00
Sat 10:00–18:00
Sun closed - Service area
- Glasgow, Hamilton, Paisley, East Kilbride, Motherwell. Free delivery across Central Scotland on orders over £50.