Poster printing covers everything from one A1 academic poster for a conference to a hundred A3 posters for a market day. A poster has to work from a few metres away, so it needs big images, few words and the right paper for where it hangs. Whether it is a shop window special, a church event or a print for your wall, a print shop near you can print it from your file. Send one request and local printers quote you directly, free and with no obligation.
Poster sizes and types
Posters follow the A sizes: A3 (297 x 420 mm), A2 (420 x 594 mm), A1 (594 x 841 mm) and A0 (841 x 1189 mm). A3 and smaller can run on a digital press; A2 and up are usually printed off the roll on a wide format printer. Common types:
- Promotional posters for shop windows, notice boards and taxi ranks
- Academic posters for conferences and university presentations
- Event, concert and church posters
- Photo and art prints; for a framed look see canvas printing
Choosing paper and finish
Matt paper around 125 to 170 gsm is cheapest and fine for indoor notices. Silk or satin shows photos well without glare; gloss gives the richest colour but reflects light. For posters that will be handled or reused, ask for lamination or a heavier stock. Indoors, paper is fine; outdoors or in a sunny window, print fades and curls, so ask about UV-resistant ink, a banner or a rigid board instead.
Custom poster printing files
A big print shows every flaw. Build the file at the final size, or exactly in proportion, with 3 mm bleed. Photos need about 150 to 300 dpi at full size, so a small phone picture stretched to A1 will look soft. Use CMYK and embed fonts. For an academic poster exported from slides, check the page size before you export, because widescreen slides do not match A proportions and leave white bands. Thin lines and small text look fine up close on an A1 but vanish from across a room, so keep the main message large.
What affects the price and what to ask
Size and paper set most of the price; lamination, mounting on board and rush work add to it. Several of the same poster cost less each. Ask:
- What paper and weight is quoted?
- Can it be laminated or mounted?
- Will it come rolled in a tube or flat?
For flyers to match, see flyer printing.
What to include in your request
- Size: A3, A2, A1 or A0
- How many of each design
- Paper: matt, silk, gloss or photo
- Indoor or sunny window
- Laminated, mounted or rolled
Poster Printing for different clients
- Families and individuals: photo prints, a birthday poster or a matric farewell display for the wall
- Small businesses and start-ups: window specials and opening posters for a salon, takeaway or hardware store
- Companies and offices: safety notices, office posters and training charts for walls and canteens
- Shops, restaurants and salons: promotional posters for shop windows, aisles and point of sale stands
- Events, conferences and clubs: posters for concerts, sports days, races and festivals around town
- Schools, churches and NGOs: academic posters, classroom charts and church event posters each term
- Government and municipalities: health and awareness posters for clinics, libraries and municipal offices
- Designers, agencies and resellers: wide format poster runs for designers and agencies delivered unbranded
Frequently asked questions
How much does A1 poster printing cost?
Where can I find poster printing near me?
What resolution does a poster need?
How long does poster printing take?
Poster Printing by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg