Custom poster prints: sizes, paper and frames

A custom poster print or a photo poster print can show fine detail when the photo is large enough, so the size, the paper and the photo itself matter more than on a small product. This guide also covers framed photo prints, if you want a custom poster with a frame.

Semi-glossy or matte paper

• Premium Semi-Glossy Poster: premium photo paper with a pearly, semi-glossy finish that keeps glare down. Colors look rich and sharp, which suits travel photos and bright portraits.
• High-Quality Matte Poster: a matte paper with less shine than the semi-glossy paper, for a less glossy look that you may prefer for black-and-white photos or artwork.

Both come in 12 sizes, from 20 × 30 cm to 60 × 80 cm, in square, upright and landscape shapes.

Framed photo prints

The framed versions put the same papers in a wooden frame, black or white. They come in 21 × 30, 30 × 40, 40 × 50 and 50 × 70 cm. A black frame gives a photo a strong outline; a white frame looks lighter on a pale wall.

Match the size to your photo

Each size has an aspect ratio, and some sizes share one. With Fill, a photo of a different shape is cropped to cover the poster; with Fit, the whole photo shows on a background color. Some useful pairs:

• Phone photos (3:4): 30 × 40 cm and 60 × 80 cm show them almost uncropped.
• Camera photos (2:3): 20 × 30 and 40 × 60 cm.
• Square images: 25 × 25, 30 × 30, 40 × 40, 50 × 50 and 60 × 60 cm.

The designer previews the crop, and Turn to landscape turns the poster on its side for a wide photo.

How large your photo should be

We make the print file at the size the printer needs. A key factor in sharpness is your original photo. The print guideline for photos is at least 150 dots per printed inch, so what matters is how many pixels your photo has, not the file's DPI setting. As a guide, the shorter side of your photo should have at least:

• about 1,200 pixels for 20 × 30 cm,
• about 1,800 pixels for 30 × 40 cm,
• about 2,400 pixels for 40 × 60 cm,
• about 3,000 pixels for 50 × 70 cm,
• about 3,500 pixels for 60 × 80 cm.

Many full-resolution photos from a recent phone camera are large enough for sizes up to about 50 × 70 cm; for the largest posters, check the designer's warning before you order. A picture saved from a chat app or social media is often far smaller, so use the original from your camera roll. The designer warns you if a photo is small for the size you chose.

Placing the photo

Keep faces and text inside the dashed safe line, a little in from the edge, and leave some room around the main subject. Use Fill to cover the whole poster or Fit to show the whole photo on a background color.

Ready to print?

Compare the papers and frames on the posters page, then open the designer. A poster also goes well with a photo mug in a gift.

Questions