A3 poster printing

When an office printer is not enough

Many office machines can produce A3, so why order it? Three reasons come up. Most desktop devices leave a white border, whereas a trimmed print can run colour right to the edge. Copier paper is light and tends to curl, while a proper poster stock has more body. Large solid colours may band on office devices, which matters for brand colours. If your poster is a quick internal notice, an office print is fine. For anything facing customers, compare it with our poster printing stocks.

Small format, close inspection

People read this size from less than a metre away, and they notice soft images and awkward type. Use 300 pixels per inch at final size, which is about 3508 x 4961 pixels, and keep body copy at a comfortable reading size. Do not simply shrink a bigger design, because the small print may become unreadable. Rework it instead, removing anything that is not needed. Set 3mm of bleed if colour runs to the edge, as our artwork guide shows, and keep text well back from the trim.

Counters, lifts and framed sets

Where it goes shapes what you should order. A poster in a counter-top holder or lift frame needs to match the holder's slot, so check its size and how thick a sheet it takes. Wipe-clean environments, such as clinics and kitchens, may benefit from a laminate, which you can read about under mounting and laminating. A framed series of small prints, hung in a row, can have more presence than one large sheet. Keep the same paper and border widths across the set for a consistent look.

Related topics

• Theatre poster printing
• Matt or gloss posters
• Blue-back poster paper