What Is the Standard Size of Poster Board?

Smaller poster board works well for presentations that require travel.

A traveling businessman needs a different-size poster board than a high school student creating a presentation for science class. Poster board comes in a wide range of sizes to accommodate the different purposes it may serve.

Small

Most small poster board measures about 19 inches by 24 inches. This matte board comes in a variety of colors, from white to beige to blue, and trims down easily due to its lightweight, flexible nature. These poster boards transport easily and work well for mounting standard sheets of paper and photographic prints.

Medium

Medium-size poster board has a wider range of sizes capable of serving a wider range of purposes. For example, a poster board measuring 36 inches by 56 inches effectively displays slides in an orderly manner. A poster measuring 42 inches by 48 inches works best for information divided into columns.

Large

Large poster board generally measures 4 feet by 8 feet. Presenters and manufacturers sometimes refer to this type of board as tack board, while others market it simply as cork poster board. These boards often work best for conferences and conventions.

References

• The American Physiological Society: How Do You Prepare a Research Poster?
• Swarthmore College: Advice on Designing Scientific Posters
• Eastern Kentucky University: Poster Presentations
• Southern Oregon University: The Poster Session
• University of Washington: Making Conference Posters

Resources

• American Association of Petroleum Geologists: Poster Guidelines