Most poster regret isn't about the art. It's about the size. A print that looked commanding on your phone ends up floating like a postage stamp over the sofa, or a big piece swallows a narrow hallway. Here's how we'd pick, if we were standing in your room.
Start with the wall, not the poster
Measure the space you want to fill—or the furniture it will hang above. A good rule of thumb: art over a sofa, bed, or console should span roughly two-thirds of the furniture's width. A single piece that's much narrower than that tends to look like an afterthought. If one poster can't get there, two or three can.
Our sizes, in plain terms
Our posters use a 2:3 ratio (taller than wide), the same proportion as most classic vintage posters.
- 12×18″ — Made for pairs, trios, and small walls. Hallways, bathrooms, beside a window, above a desk. On its own over a sofa it will look small; in a row of three it looks intentional.
- 16×24″ — The all-rounder. Big enough to stand alone on most walls, small enough to pair. If you're unsure, this is the safe choice.
- 24×36″ — The statement. Anchors a living room, a bedroom wall, or a big empty stretch of drywall. Many vintage posters were originally printed close to this size, so it's the most true-to-life way to hang them.
Some of our fine art comes in a square format instead: paper prints at 12×12″, 16×16″, and 20×20″, and canvas at 20×20″ and 24×24″. Squares are great for breaking up a row of tall posters or filling a wall that's wider than it is tall.
Tape it out before you buy
This is the single best thing you can do. Cut paper or painter's tape to the exact size and stick it on the wall where the poster will go. Live with it for a day. Walk past it. Sit on the sofa and look at it. If it feels too small, it is—size up. Almost nobody tells us their poster turned out too big.
Hang it at the right height
Aim for the center of the poster around 57–60″ from the floor—roughly eye level. Above furniture, leave about 8–10″ between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame so the art and furniture read as one group instead of two separate things.
Singles, pairs, and sets
One large poster is calm and bold. Two or three smaller ones are more playful and fill wide walls better. When you group, keep the gaps equal—2–3″ between frames is a good starting point—and line up either the tops or the centers.
Some collections simply look better in multiples. Our racing posters, for example, look best at 12×18″ hung in pairs or sets of three or four: the colors build on each other, and they hold their own against busy backdrops like exposed brick.
Complete the wall with an Accent Set
If you love a poster but the wall needs more, our Accent Sets are four small prints, each a detail cropped from posters in the same collection. They're designed to sit around a main poster so the whole arrangement looks planned, not pieced together. Look for them on the product page of the poster you're buying.
Framed or unframed?
Framed is the easiest path—it arrives ready to hang, and you don't have to hunt for a frame in an unusual size. Choose black for graphic, high-contrast posters and modern rooms; white for bright, airy spaces; natural wood for warmth and anything with a mid-century or travel feel. Unframed is the way to go if you already have frames or want a specific look.
What you're getting
Every paper print is made on 200gsm Premium Matte paper—much thicker than ordinary paper, close to the feel of a greeting card. The matte finish keeps glare off and lets the colors look deep and rich instead of glossy and flat.
Still on the fence?
Go back to the tape on your wall. If it makes you smile when you walk past it, you've found your size. And if you have a question about a specific wall, send us a message—we're happy to help.