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History

Poster sizes

Posters came in a number of different sizes in the Second World War:

Name Size in inches Size in centimetres
Quarter Crown (Unknown) (Unknown)
Demy 8 ½” x 5 ½” 21 ½ x 13 cm
Mini Quad 12” x 16” 31 x 41cm
(Unknown) 13” x 9” 33 x 23 cm
Crown 15” x 20” 38 x 50cm
Single Crown 15” x 20” (same as Crown) 38 x 50cm (same as Crown)
Crown Folio (CF) 15” x 10” 38 x 26cm
Double Crown (DC) 30” x 20” 76 x 51 cm
Royal 20” x 25” 50 x 64 cm
British half sheet 22” x 28” 56 x 76cm
British one sheet 27” x 40” 74 x 151cm
Quad Crown (QC) 30” x 40” 76 x 102 cm
Double Royal (DR) 40” x 25” 102 x 64 cm
Quad 40” x 30” 102 x 75 cm
Quad Crown Broadside 40” x 30” 102 x 76cm
Quad Royal (QR) 40” x 50” 102 x 127 cm
4 sheet 40” x 60” 151 x 101cm
Single Sheet 60” x 40” 152 x 102 cm
16 sheet 120” x 80” 200 x 300 cm
32 sheet 120” x 160” 304 x 406 cm
48 sheet 120” x 240” 304 x 609 cm

Vertical dimensions should precede width, although in some cases this was not clear.

Information for this table is taken from: Moriarty, C., Rose, J., and Games, N., Abram Games: Graphic Designer – Maximum Meaning, Minimum Means, 2003, p.187; Onslow’s Auctions, Catalogue, PS3103/99, March 31 1999, P&D, ‘Print and Display Ltd. – Design Den – Outdoor Specs’, http://www.printanddisplay.ie/new_designDen_outdoorSpecs1.htm, accessed August 17 2002; Primedia ‘Primedia Outdoor – Material Specs’, http://www.primeoutdoor.co.za/material.cfm, accessed August 17 2002; Learn About Movie Posters ‘British Posters’, http://www.learnaboutmovieposters.com/index/foreign/british.asp, Accessed August 17 2002; Gleeson, J., Miller’s Collecting Prints & Posters, 1997, p.150; ‘Paper Sizes’, Livingston, A. and Livingston, I., The Thames and Hudson Encyclopaedia of Graphic Design and Designers, 1992, p.150, 162; Edkins, J., ‘Printing Terms’, http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/units/print.htm, accessed August 17 2002.