U.K. Movie Posters - Names and Sizes...
In the first of our 'Poster Names and Sizes' blog posts we focussed on U.S. movie poster sizes. In the second of the series, we move closer to (our) home and explore U.K. movie poster formats.
In our Catalogue of original movie posters, you will come across the term 'quad' while looking at some U.K. movie posters. This, together with 'mini quad' and the (fast becoming ubiquitous) 'one sheet', will cover the majority of U.K. posters that you come across, but, there are other formats.
We'll start with the most common ones and then move on to some of the others that you may encounter...
Quad - 30 in x 40 in (76.2 cm x 101.6 cm)
The quad has long been the most common U.K. poster format. Early on (pre Second World War) quads were issued in portrait (i.e., long side vertical). These were known as 'quad crowns'. Far more common post-war are the landscape, 'broadside quads', now widely known as simply 'quads'.
Earlier quads will most commonly have been issued folded. More recent examples, rolled.
The format of the quad gives artists a wider canvas to work upon. This has lead to many instances where bespoke art has been used on the quad, differentiating it from its U.S. one sheet partner. A great example is the original Star Wars film from 1977.
Mini Quad - 12 in x 16 in (30.5 cm x 40.6 cm)
Issued since the 1990s and now very common, especially for major releases, the mini quad poster is used in both portrait and landscape format. It provides a great poster size for small spaces, or, to put together a 'cluster' wall of smaller posters.
British One Sheet - 27 in x 40 in (68.6 cm x 101.6 cm)
No doubt to drive efficiency and reduce the costs associated with producing posters of different dimensions, the British One Sheet began to appear in the 1960’s. It will now be seen as commonly as the quad format, providing a portrait format to complement the landscape of the quad.
British Half Sheet - 22 in x 28 in (55.9 cm x 71.1 cm)
In use from the 1930s to 1960s in landscape format. No longer used.
Double Crown - 20 in x 30 in (50.8 cm x 76.2 cm)
The term 'crown' is taken from a U.K. standard for paper sizing. The double crown, being twice the size of a crown. Now rarely used.
Three Sheet - 40 in x 90 in (101.6 cm x 228.6 cm) and 40 in x 85 in (101.6 cm x 215.9 cm)
One of the earliest U.K. formats, used in portrait. Now very rarely seen.
Six Sheet - 80 in x 120 in (203.2 cm x 304.8 cm)
Used up until the 1960s, few pre Second World War examples remain.
There may not seem to be a lot of rhyme or reason to those names (many are based on paper industry sizes), so here's a useful table, giving sizes in both centimetres and inches.
A final warning - always measure your poster...
As we've said in a previous post, despite the definition of standards, movie posters do often vary in size. Please always re-measure your poster before ordering a frame. It may save you the cost of an unwanted frame, and, protect your poster from being squeezed in to too small a space.
As you can see, U.K. movie posters come in a range of sizes. Their formats, in particular the quad, can work well in home settings, particularly over sofas or sideboards.
In future blog posts, we'll cover the most common poster sizes used by other countries. Coming shortly, French poster sizes.
If you'd like to take a look at some fantastic U.K. posters, you can use the 'filter by' option in our Catalogue and then choose 'U.K.'. This will filter your view to posters for films released in the U.K., and, films produced there too.
We hope you find something you love.
Adam and the Art of the Movies team
