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Poster Sizes: 24×36 Is Exactly Twice the Area of 18×24, and 27×40 Does Not Fit a 24×36 Frame
The three poster sizes compared
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Print industry standard
18×24 in poster
18 × 24 in (457 × 610 mm)
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Print industry standard
24×36 in poster
24 × 36 in (610 × 914 mm)
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MPAA one-sheet standard
27×40 in poster (one-sheet)
27 × 40 in (686 × 1016 mm)
The short answer
- 18×24 in457×610 mm — aspect ratio 3:4 — 432 in² (2787 cm²)
- 24×36 in610×914 mm — aspect ratio 2:3 — 864 in² (5574 cm²), exactly twice 18×24
- 27×40 in686×1016 mm — aspect ratio 27:40 — 1080 in² (6968 cm²), the standard US movie one-sheet
- Key difference27×40 is 3 in (76 mm) wider and 4 in (102 mm) taller than 24×36, so it does not fit a 24×36 frame
See the sizes in AR (shown as boxes)
The three sizes as boxes at their published dimensions
Preparing 3D…
1 18×24 poster2 24×36 poster3 27×40 one-sheet
On a phone, the "View in your room (AR)" button places the boxes in your room. The boxes are locked to the published dimensions and cannot be resized. They show size only and are not 3D replicas of the products.
Drawn to the same scale
Dimensions side by side
| Size | Inches | Millimeters | Aspect ratio | Area | Area vs 18×24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18×24 | 18×24 in | 457×610 mm | 3:4 | 432 in² (2787 cm²) | 100% |
| 24×36 | 24×36 in | 610×914 mm | 2:3 | 864 in² (5574 cm²) | 200% |
| 27×40 | 27×40 in | 686×1016 mm | 27:40 | 1080 in² (6968 cm²) | 250% |
Millimeters converted at 1 in = 25.4 mm exactly and rounded to the nearest mm. The sizes themselves are defined in inches. Aspect ratios are written width first. Area in cm² uses 1 in² = 6.4516 cm².
What the numbers mean
18×24 and 24×36 have different aspect ratios (3:4 and 2:3), so artwork made for one is not the same shape as the other. Scaled from 18 in wide to 24 in wide, the height reaches 32 in — 4 in short of the 36 in frame. The top and bottom each gain 2 in of empty space, or the image is enlarged slightly and the sides are cropped.
24×36 covers exactly twice the area of 18×24: 864 in² divided by 432 in² is exactly 2. The relationship comes from the dimensions: 24 = 18 × (4/3) and 36 = 24 × (3/2), which multiply to a factor of 2 in area.
27×40 is 3 in (76 mm) wider and 4 in (102 mm) taller than 24×36. A standard 24×36 frame does not hold a 27×40 poster; a 27×40 frame is required. The 27:40 aspect ratio does not simplify to a common fraction, so a 27×40 poster scaled to 24 in wide reaches only 35.6 in tall — 0.4 in short of 36 in — and scaled to 36 in tall extends to 24.3 in wide, 0.3 in past the 24 in frame edge.
Product links
FAQ
Is 24×36 exactly twice the size of 18×24?
Yes. 18×24 in has an area of 432 in² (2787 cm²). 24×36 in has an area of 864 in² (5574 cm²). 864 is exactly 432×2, so a 24×36 poster covers exactly twice the area of an 18×24 poster.
Will a 27×40 movie poster fit in a 24×36 frame?
No. A 27×40 in poster is 3 in (76 mm) wider and 4 in (102 mm) taller than 24×36 in. A 24×36 frame is too small on both sides. A 27×40 frame is required.
What is the aspect ratio of each poster size?
18×24 in is 3:4 (width:height). 24×36 in is 2:3. 27×40 in is 27:40. The three sizes have three different shapes, so artwork designed for one size will be cropped or have white borders if printed at a different size without adjustment.
What is a 27×40 movie poster in millimeters?
27×40 in converts to 685.8×1016.0 mm at 1 in = 25.4 mm exactly. This size has been the standard US theatrical one-sheet since the mid-1980s, when studios moved from the earlier 27×41 in format.
See also: Photo Print Sizes: 4×6, 5×7, 8×10, 11×14, 16×20 — five photo print sizes drawn to the same scale. Arch Paper Sizes A–E — Arch C is 18×24 in and Arch D is 24×36 in.
Sources
- 18×24 in and 24×36 in as standard poster sizes: Clash Graphics, "Standard Poster Sizes Guide" (clashgraphics.com/printing-tips/standard-poster-sizes-guide/), checked 2026-10-04. Lists 18×24 in = 457.2×609.6 mm and 24×36 in = 609.6×914.4 mm.
- 27×40 in as the US theatrical one-sheet standard: Gold Image Printing, "Standard Poster Size" (goldimageprinting.com/content/standard-poster-size.html), checked 2026-10-04. Lists 27×40 in = 685.8×1016.0 mm; calls it "One Sheet Movie Poster." Posteritati Movie Poster Gallery, "Poster Sizes" (posteritati.com/poster-sizes), checked 2026-10-04: notes 27×40 in is the current standard one-sheet, replacing the earlier 27×41 in format used through the 1980s.
- Millimeter values are converted from the inch sizes at 1 in = 25.4 mm exactly and rounded to the nearest mm.
- Credit card: ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1, 85.60×53.98 mm (rounded to 85.6×54 mm in the figure caption).