Framing a poster yourself, or ordering it framed
A poster rolled in a tube stays rolled in a tube. The real question is who frames it and where — and for British buyers there is a sizing trap worth knowing before you order.
The sizing trap, if you are buying from Britain
Our five sizes — A4, then 30 × 40, 40 × 60, 50 × 70 and 70 × 100 cm — are, A4 apart, the continental European standard, the sizes any framer in France, Germany or Scandinavia stocks off the shelf. Britain is the exception in Europe: the high street works in A-sizes and inches, and A2 is not 50 × 70.
The trap is specific, so here it is plainly. A 40 × 60 print will not go into an A2 frame. A2 measures 42 × 59.4 cm — wider, but six millimetres shorter, and six millimetres is not something you can trim off a printed margin. Continental sizes are easy enough to find in Britain, in the Scandinavian-leaning home shops and online; they are simply not what the shop on the corner will hand you.
| Size | Print alone | Framed | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | €19.90 | €38.90 | €19 |
| 30 × 40 cm | €29.90 | €58.90 | €29 |
| 40 × 60 cm | €44.90 | — | — |
| 50 × 70 cm | €49.90 | — | — |
| 70 × 100 cm | €69.90 | — | — |
Matt paper, and why not gloss
The paper is a 250 gsm matt, printed with pigment inks. Gloss does give deeper blacks, and that is precisely why it is not used: behind glazing you then have two reflective surfaces instead of one, and the picture turns into a mirror the moment there is a window opposite.
The 250 grams is the weight below which a large sheet starts to ripple inside its frame. At 170 a 70 × 100 waves visibly in raking light; at 250 it lies flat without being so stiff it cannot be rolled.
Glass or acrylic, which is a question about weight
This is the choice a framer makes for you unless you ask. Glass is harder, barely scratches and does not attract dust with static; it also weighs about two and a half times what acrylic does, and it breaks.
Up to 40 × 60 the question is academic — either will hang on an ordinary wall plug. Past that it becomes the main question: a 70 × 100 behind glass wants a solid wall or proper expansion fixings, not a picture hook in plasterboard.
The size where framing locally makes more sense
A frame changes what the parcel is. A rolled print travels in a tube and weighs a few dozen grams; framed, the same thing becomes flat, rigid, heavy and breakable — and from 70 × 100 the parcel is over a metre long.
That is the one size where I would honestly tell you to order the print on its own and have it framed where you live. It costs no more, it takes no longer, and a large frame that travels is a large frame that can arrive out of true. Below that, framed travels perfectly well.
If the frame is already on the wall
Common, and the cheapest case of all: there is already a frame, empty or holding something you would rather replace. The print on its own is all you need — check the size written on the back of the frame before you order, and measure if it is not.
The other route, for the impatient or the particular, is the file to print yourself. All five sizes arrive as PDFs and PNGs at 300 dpi and can be taken to any printer — useful if you want an unusual paper, or a substrate we do not offer.
Frequently asked questions
Will a 50 × 70 poster fit a British frame?
Only a frame actually sold as 50 × 70, which is a continental size rather than a British one. It is widely available online and in Scandinavian-style home shops, but it is not an A-size and will not fit an A1 or A2 frame. If you would rather stay with A-sizes, order the print-it-yourself file and scale it at the printer.
What size suits a living room?
50 × 70 in most rooms: it reads from a couple of metres away and does not overwhelm a sofa. 70 × 100 wants a clear wall and about three metres of standing-back room, otherwise you never see the whole thing at once.
Is glazing really necessary?
Not strictly, but it changes how long the print lasts. Pinned to a wall it yellows sooner, collects dust and curls at the corners. Behind glass or acrylic none of that happens. If budget is the issue, an inexpensive off-the-shelf frame with an acrylic sheet already protects the important part.
Should I use a mount?
Not needed: the posters are composed with their own margins and the artwork never runs to the edge. A mount adds breathing room and makes the image look larger, but it means going up a frame size — allow a 50 × 70 frame to present a 30 × 40 print.