Small posters are a powerful and budget-friendly way to share your message in places where your audience already spends time. Whether you are promoting an event, advertising a sale, or sharing important information, small poster printing helps you communicate clearly and professionally without the cost of large-format signage. Their compact size makes them easy to display, distribute, and update as needed.
Available in popular sizes such as 12" x 18", 11" x 17", and 8.5" x 11", small posters are ideal for both indoor and semi-outdoor use. These sizes are commonly used on school campuses, community boards, offices, retail stores, and public buildings.
Your designs are printed on high-quality paper stocks, including 100# Gloss Text, 100# Gloss Cover, 12pt Cover Stock, and 16pt Cover Stock, ensuring vibrant and professional results. Gloss finishes enhance colors and images, while heavier cover stocks provide added durability for longer display life. Multiple printing options - full color or black and white, single-sided or double-sided - let you match your design and budget exactly.
| Sizes | 8.5" x 11", 11" x 17", 12" x 18". |
| Minimum Quantity | 50 posters per order. |
| Paper Type | 100# Gloss Text, 100# Gloss Cover, 12pt Cover Stock Gloss, or 16pt Cover Stock Gloss. |
| Printed Side | Full Color Front (Blank Back), Full Color Both Sides, Full Color Front with Black and White Back, Black and White Both Sides, or Black and White Front (Blank Back). |
| Bleed | Available as an option if your design extends to the edge of the poster. |
| Turnaround | 3 to 5 business days standard from file approval. Rush production available - contact us before ordering to confirm availability. |
| Page Size | Match your chosen size exactly: 8.5" x 11", 11" x 17", or 12" x 18". |
| Bleed | If selecting bleed, add 0.125" on all four sides - for example 11.25" x 17.25" for the 11" x 17" size. Select no bleed if your design has a clean white or solid border that does not need to extend to the trim edge. |
| Safe Zone | Keep all critical text and images at least 0.125" from the trim edge on all sides. |
| Resolution | 300 DPI minimum at final print size - posters viewed up close need the same resolution standard as smaller print pieces, even though the format is larger. |
| Color Mode | CMYK for full-color printing. Convert any RGB images to CMYK before submitting to avoid unexpected color shifts. |
| File Format | Print-ready PDF preferred with fonts embedded and transparency flattened. We also accept AI and EPS with embedded fonts and links. |
| Schools and Campuses | Event announcements, club promotions, and informational notices posted across bulletin boards and hallways. |
| Retail and Restaurants | In-store sale announcements, new menu items, and seasonal promotions displayed at the point of sale. |
| Community Organizations | Event posters for fundraisers, meetings, and community programs posted at libraries, community centers, and notice boards. |
| Offices and Public Buildings | Informational signage, safety notices, and internal announcements displayed in common areas. |
| Event Promotion | Concert, class, and local event posters placed in high-foot-traffic areas where the target audience already spends time. |
We print small posters in three sizes: 8.5" x 11", the same size as standard letter paper, useful for indoor notices and information sheets posted in offices or community boards; 11" x 17", a common tabloid-style poster size that gives more visual impact while remaining easy to handle and post; and 12" x 18", the largest of our small poster sizes, offering the most visual presence while still being far more affordable to produce than true large-format signage. If you need a size outside these three options, contact us to discuss custom dimensions and pricing.
100# Gloss Text is a lighter-weight gloss paper, well suited for posters that will be posted temporarily and replaced often, such as weekly promotions or short-run event announcements. 100# Gloss Cover is heavier and more rigid while keeping the same vibrant gloss finish, giving a more substantial feel for posters that need to hold up to handling. 12pt and 16pt Cover Stock are our heaviest options, similar in thickness to a sturdy postcard or business card - these are the best choice when a poster will be displayed for an extended period or handled frequently, since the thicker stock resists curling, creasing, and wear far better than a standard text-weight paper.
Full color is the right choice for almost all promotional and event posters, since vibrant color draws attention in a way black and white simply cannot match in a busy environment. Black and white is a practical, lower-cost option for informational notices, internal announcements, or text-heavy signage where the message matters more than visual impact. Double-sided printing is useful if your poster will be displayed in a location where both sides are visible, such as a hanging poster or one displayed in a window that can be seen from both inside and outside. For posters that will be mounted flat against a wall or board, single-sided printing is sufficient since only the front will ever be seen.
You need bleed only if your background color, image, or any design element extends all the way to the edge of the poster with no border. If your design has a clean white margin or a solid border around the content, no bleed is needed since there is nothing that needs to extend past the trim line. When bleed is needed, add 0.125" of extra background or image beyond the final trim size on all four sides, so that any slight variation in trimming does not leave a visible white sliver at the edge.
The minimum order is 50 posters. This makes small poster printing accessible for a single event, a short promotional run, or a campaign across just a handful of locations, without requiring a large bulk commitment. If you are distributing posters across many locations - for example, a school district, a chain of retail stores, or a citywide event campaign - larger quantities reduce your per-unit cost. Contact us for volume pricing if you are planning an order of several hundred posters or more.
Small posters work well anywhere your target audience already spends time and is likely to stop and look - bulletin boards, retail windows, community center walls, office break rooms, school hallways, and notice boards in libraries or municipal buildings. They are best suited for indoor or semi-outdoor protected display, such as under an awning or inside a covered entryway, rather than fully exposed outdoor locations where weather exposure would degrade the paper over time. If you need a poster for sustained outdoor display, ask us about weather-resistant substrates as an alternative to standard paper stock.
You can upload your own print-ready artwork if you already have a design prepared, or our graphic design team can help you create a poster from your existing logo, photos, and brand colors if you do not have a print-ready file. A typical small poster design includes a headline, key details such as date and location for events, and a clear call to action - simple, readable layouts generally perform better than crowded designs when the poster needs to communicate its message quickly to someone walking by. Contact us if you would like design assistance and we can quote that separately from your printing order.
Standard production time is 3 to 5 business days from file approval, not including shipping transit time. Rush production is available on request - contact our team before placing your order if you have a deadline to confirm availability and pricing. Copies America ships small posters to any address in the contiguous United States from our Plainview, New York production facility. If your posters need to be distributed to multiple locations rather than shipped to a single address, contact us before ordering to discuss fulfillment options for a multi-location order.
Configure your size, paper, and printing options above, or call us at 1-800-423-2679 if you have questions about stock or design. Our team responds within 2 hours on business days - Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST.
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