Movie Poster Size — 27 × 40 in
The 27 × 40 inch format is the US standard cinema one-sheet poster. At 300 DPI it's 8100 × 12000 pixels. Used in cinema lobbies, music venues, and large-format promotional displays. Its tall portrait proportions make it distinctive and highly visible in standard cinema display frames.
Specifications
| Pixels | 8100 × 12000 px (at 300 DPI) |
| Millimetres | 685.8 × 1016 mm |
| Centimetres | 68.6 × 101.6 cm |
| Inches | 27 × 40 in |
| Aspect ratio | 27:40 |
| Colour mode | CMYK |
| Bleed | 0.125 in (3 mm) |
| Safe zone | 0.5 in (12.7 mm) from trim |
Movie Poster (27×40) in Pixels at Different DPI
The pixel count changes with DPI setting — choose the right one for your output.
| DPI | Width (px) | Height (px) | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | 1,944 | 2,880 | Screen preview, PDF viewers |
| 96 | 2,592 | 3,840 | Windows screen standard, digital documents |
| 150 | 4,050 | 6,000 | Medium-quality print, home printers |
| 300 | 8,100 | 12,000 | Professional print, commercial offset |
Design Tips
- →Cinema lobby frames are sized exactly for 27×40 — if you're designing for a cinema display, the artwork must hit this exact dimension including any safe zone adjustments.
- →The tall 27:40 ratio (approximately 1:1.48) means a strong vertical composition — subject matter in the upper half and title/credits at the bottom is the standard cinematic layout.
- →For non-cinema use at this scale, ensure all background imagery is sourced at 8000+ px width to prevent upscaling at 300 DPI.
How to Make Movie Poster (27×40) Designs in Playyy
Three steps, no design software. Set the size once — from the size options or straight in your prompt — and every design comes out at 8,100 × 12,000 px.
- 1
Open Playyy
Playyy runs in your browser, so there's nothing to download. Sign in and you'll land on the Home page.
- 2
Type your prompt and set the Movie Poster (27×40) size
Describe what you want in the input box on the Home page, then set the size whichever way is quicker. Pick Movie Poster (27×40) from the size options right underneath — print, poster, and social formats are all in that list. Or just say it in your prompt, like "Movie Poster (27×40) at 8,100 × 12,000 px", and Playyy matches it. Either way you get 8,100 × 12,000 px at 300 DPI, with no converting from millimetres or inches.
- 3
Create your Movie Poster (27×40) design and export it for print
Playyy generates the design at the full 8,100 × 12,000 px — that's Movie Poster (27×40) at 300 DPI, the resolution commercial print expects. Allow 0.125 in (3 mm) of bleed and export a print-ready PDF. Colour mode: CMYK.
Create Movie Poster (27×40) designs with Playyy
Type a prompt, pick Movie Poster (27×40) from the size options underneath it, and export at 8100 × 12000 px — no design software needed.
Start designing free →Frequently Asked Questions
What is movie poster size in inches?+
A US movie one-sheet poster is 27 × 40 inches (685.8 × 1016 mm). At 300 DPI, that's 8100 × 12000 pixels. This is the standard size for cinema lobby frames and large promotional displays.
What size is a real movie poster?+
The standard US theatrical one-sheet is 27 × 40 in (685.8 × 1016 mm), or 8100 × 12000 px at 300 DPI. This has been the industry standard since the mid-1980s; older one-sheets from before then were 27 × 41 in.
What is a one-sheet?+
A one-sheet is the industry term for the standard 27 × 40 in theatrical poster displayed in cinema lobbies and light boxes. The name dates from when poster sizes were measured in multiples of a single printing sheet — a three-sheet and a six-sheet were larger outdoor formats.
Why are movie posters 27×40?+
It is the size cinema light boxes and lobby frames were built for, so the format persists for compatibility rather than for any design reason. The 27:40 ratio is unusually tall — narrower than 2:3 — which is why one-sheet layouts stack the title block, cast list, and billing credits vertically.
What is the billing block on a movie poster?+
The dense credit text at the bottom of a one-sheet, listing studio, cast, and crew in contractually agreed order and type size. It typically occupies the lower 10–15% of the 27 × 40 in sheet, so keep artwork and title out of that band when designing.