Studios printed posters in several standard sizes, each made for a different spot in or around the theater. Knowing them helps you know what you're buying, and is one of the easiest ways to spot a reproduction.
One sheet
27 x 41 inches (until the early 2000s) or 27 x 40 inches (from the mid-1980s on). From the mid-1980s many films were printed in both sizes, because theaters changed their light boxes at different times, so 27 x 41 posters were still being made into the early 2000s. This is the classic movie poster, the one hung in theater display cases, and the size collectors want most. Some collectors store them away, while others frame them or have them linen-backed. Modern one sheets are usually double sided. You'll often see versions called advance or teaser (released early, often with simpler artwork) and final (the main design).
Insert
14 x 36 inches. A tall, narrow poster, mostly used from the 1940s to the 1980s. The paper is a little heavier than a one sheet, about the same thickness as a lobby card, but still thin enough to roll. Most inserts were folded, so they usually ship flat, though some ship rolled. Inserts fit neatly in narrow spaces and look great framed.
Half sheet
22 x 28 inches, usually horizontal. Like inserts, half sheets are about the same thickness as a lobby card and were usually folded. They were common in lobbies through the early 1980s and often have different artwork from the one sheet.
Lobby cards
11 x 14 inches. Small cards, usually issued in sets of eight, showing scenes from the film. Collectors love them for the variety of images, and they're an affordable way to own vintage material.
Window card
14 x 22 inches. Posters about the same thickness as a lobby card, with a blank space at the top where local theaters printed their name and show dates. Most window cards weren't folded, and they ship flat. We list window cards under Insert.
Mini posters
Smaller promotional posters, often around 11 x 17 or 13 x 20 inches, given out at theaters, conventions and in stores.
Three sheet
41 x 81 inches. A large poster, often printed in two or three sections, made for theater fronts and walls.
Bus shelter
About 48 x 70 inches. Huge posters made for bus stops and outdoor displays. Many are double sided, but not all. They're dramatic on a big wall.
Banners
Banners made for theater lobbies and ceilings, mostly vinyl, in a range of sizes. Many are double sided.
British quad
30 x 40 inches, horizontal. The standard theatrical poster in the UK, often with artwork you won't find on the US one sheet.
Every listing at Movie Art Arena shows the poster's size, plus whether it's single or double sided and rolled or folded.