THE PRINT LAB · 12 × 18 IN · PRINTABLE REFERENCE
Poster cheat sheet.
Posters are read from across the room first and up close second. Plan for both distances: a headline that lands at ten feet, details that reward two feet.
Solid line: trim edge. Shaded band: bleed. Dashed line: safe area.
| Trim size | 12 × 18 inThe finished size after cutting. |
|---|---|
| Full bleed size | 12.25 × 18.25 inSet your document to this. Backgrounds must reach this edge. |
| Safe area | 11.5 × 17.5 inKeep text and logos inside this. |
Keep essential copy 0.25 in inside the trim edge. Let art bleed freely.
Three things that matter most.
- Test the headline at 10 percent zoom on screen. If it is unreadable there, it is unreadable across the room.
- Mounting and framing eat edges. The safe area is not optional for framed posters.
- Dark, full bleed backgrounds show every scuff. Handle proofs by the edges.
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