Research Poster Size Guide: Standard Scientific and Academic Poster Sizes

A0, A1, 48 x 36, 36 x 48, 42 x 42: what each standard poster size means, which conferences use which, and how to set up your file so it prints sharply.

Choosing the wrong poster size is one of the most common, and most avoidable, conference mistakes. A poster that is too big will not fit the board; one that is too small looks lost and forces you to shrink every font. This guide covers the standard research poster sizes, how conference rules usually work, and how to set up your file so it prints cleanly.

The short answer

Always use the size in your conference's poster instructions. If the instructions give only a maximum board size, design slightly smaller than that maximum so the poster fits with room for pins. If you have no instructions at all, these are the safest defaults:

International and European meetings: A0 portrait, 841 x 1189 mm (33.1 x 46.8 in)
North American meetings: 48 x 36 in landscape (121.9 x 91.4 cm)
Smaller departmental or student sessions: A1 portrait, 594 x 841 mm (23.4 x 33.1 in), or 36 x 24 in

Each of the three main sizes has its own page with layout advice and a template that opens at that size: A0 posters, 48 x 36 in landscape posters and 36 x 48 in portrait posters.

Is there a standard research poster size?

There is no single worldwide standard, but there are two clear norms. The standard scientific poster size at international and European meetings is A0 portrait. The standard academic poster size at North American meetings is 48 x 36 in landscape, with 36 x 48 in portrait as the usual vertical alternative. Research, scientific and academic poster sizes are the same thing under different names: the conference decides, and these defaults cover the large majority of calls for posters.

Standard ISO (A-series) poster sizes

The A-series is defined by the ISO 216 standard and is used almost everywhere outside the United States and Canada. Every size has the same 1 : 1.414 proportion, and each step down halves the area, which makes it easy to scale a design between sizes.

A0: 841 x 1189 mm (33.1 x 46.8 in). The default research poster size at most international conferences. Usually portrait.
A1: 594 x 841 mm (23.4 x 33.1 in). Common for smaller symposia, student sessions and wall displays in departments.
A2: 420 x 594 mm (16.5 x 23.4 in). Too small for most poster sessions, but useful for handouts, lab notice boards and printed copies to bring home.
B1: 707 x 1000 mm (27.8 x 39.4 in). Occasionally requested by European meetings; check carefully because B1 is not the same as A1.

When instructions say "A0 portrait", they mean the long side is vertical. "Landscape A0" (1189 x 841 mm) appears less often but is used by some engineering and computing conferences.

Standard US poster sizes (inches)

North American conferences usually specify posters in inches, and the boards they provide are often 4 x 8 ft or 4 x 6 ft. The most common sizes are:

48 x 36 in (landscape): the most widely used academic poster size in the US. Fits comfortably on a 4 ft high board.
36 x 48 in (portrait): the same paper turned on its side. Required by some medical and clinical meetings that use vertical boards.
42 x 42 in (square): sometimes requested by meetings with smaller or square boards, and a good choice if you want to avoid the wide-and-short look.
56 x 42 in and 60 x 36 in: larger landscape formats for meetings with generous boards.
72 x 36 in and 96 x 48 in: very wide formats used when a whole 4 x 8 ft or 3 x 6 ft board is allocated to one poster. These are less common and usually explicitly requested.
36 x 24 in and 24 x 36 in: smaller formats for class projects, undergraduate research days and some regional meetings.

Remember that the order of numbers matters. Most US printers write width first, so 48 x 36 is landscape and 36 x 48 is portrait. When in doubt, check the orientation drawing in your conference instructions or ask the organisers.

How conference poster rules usually work

Conference instructions normally give one of three things:

An exact size, for example "A0 portrait". Use exactly that size.
A maximum size, for example "posters must not exceed 48 in wide by 36 in high". Design at that size or slightly smaller.
A board size, for example "boards are 4 ft x 8 ft". The usable area is a little smaller than the board because of frames and pins, so leave a margin of 1 to 2 in on each side.

If the instructions mix units, convert carefully: 1 in = 25.4 mm. An A0 poster (33.1 x 46.8 in) does not fit on a board that is 36 in wide in landscape orientation, for instance, but fits easily in portrait.

Choosing between portrait and landscape

Portrait posters read naturally in two or three columns and are the norm for A0. Landscape posters suit three to five columns, wide figures, timelines and process diagrams, and they keep important content at eye level, which matters because people rarely read the bottom 30 cm of a tall poster. If you have the choice, pick the orientation that keeps your key result between roughly 1.2 and 1.8 m from the floor.

Font sizes for each poster size

Text needs to be readable from at least 1.5 to 2 m away. A useful rule of thumb for A0 or 48 x 36 in posters:

Title: 85 to 120 pt
Authors and affiliations: 48 to 60 pt
Section headings: 40 to 60 pt
Body text: 24 to 32 pt (never below 20 pt)
Captions and references: 18 to 24 pt

For A1, scale these down by about 30 percent. For a 72 x 36 in poster, scale up slightly, because the poster will be read from further away. Print one section at 100 percent on an office printer and read it from two metres; it is the quickest real-world test.

Resolution, bleed and file setup

Set up your file at the final physical size, not as a small slide that will be enlarged. Then:

Images: aim for 300 dpi at the printed size for figures with fine detail and text. Large photographs can look fine at 150 dpi at a viewing distance of one metre or more.
Charts and diagrams: export as vector formats (SVG, PDF or EMF) when possible, so lines stay sharp at any size.
Bleed: posters printed edge-to-edge sometimes need a bleed of 3 to 5 mm (about 0.125 to 0.25 in). Many poster printers trim a white border instead, so ask your printer before adding bleed.
Colour: design in RGB unless your printer asks for CMYK, and avoid relying on very bright neon greens and blues that print duller than they appear on screen.
Final file: most printers want a PDF. Export at high quality and open the PDF to check fonts, images and edges before sending.

PowerPoint size limits

PowerPoint cannot create a slide larger than 56 x 56 in (142.24 cm). A0 and 48 x 36 in fit easily. For larger posters, design at exactly half size (for example 36 x 18 in for a 72 x 36 in poster) and ask your printer to enlarge to 200 percent, using images with enough resolution to survive the scaling.

Quick reference

A0 portrait: 841 x 1189 mm / 33.1 x 46.8 in
A0 landscape: 1189 x 841 mm / 46.8 x 33.1 in
A1 portrait: 594 x 841 mm / 23.4 x 33.1 in
48 x 36 in landscape: 1219 x 914 mm
36 x 48 in portrait: 914 x 1219 mm
42 x 42 in square: 1067 x 1067 mm
56 x 42 in landscape: 1422 x 1067 mm
72 x 36 in landscape: 1829 x 914 mm
36 x 24 in landscape: 914 x 610 mm

Set the size once and design with confidence

In the PosterScientist editor you choose from A0, A1 and A2 in both orientations and more than twenty standard US sizes, and the layout reflows when you switch, so you can change size late without starting over. The download is an editable PowerPoint file at the real dimensions. Open the free research poster maker to get started, or browse research poster templates by style.