Posters are a great way to add colour and life to any room. Whether you have a favourite movie, a favourite concert, a favourite destination or even a favourite superhero, these will likely all have a poster to promote and remember them by. It’s fair to say that posters like this have become part of modern culture and even influence our identity, style and our interior decor.
We all have a special poster or two that we’d love to frame, and a framed poster can be the perfect personal touch to decorate your walls. So, whether it is a movie poster, a concert poster or even a travel poster, a framed poster displayed on your wall can provide that unique inspiration which reflects your personality and style.
There are several aspects to consider when it comes to framing a poster and choosing a poster frame. You want your poster to look great like an artwork, but you also want it to last a long time, which raises several questions you might need answers for.
For example: “What style of frame too choose?”, “What size frame is right?” and even, “How can I remove wrinkles and creases from a poster?”.
In this article, we will provide expert tips on how to frame a poster that will help you create a stunning display in your home or office. From selecting the right type of poster frames to choosing the appropriate size, we’ll cover everything you need to know about framing your posters like a pro. Keep reading and you’ll be hanging your new poster frame in no time!
Where can I buy a new art poster?
There are plenty of places you can buy posters online. Firstly, there are marketplaces like Etsy and eBay who offer a wide range of different styles of poster artworks to suit any taste and budget. There are also some popular websites worth browsing such as www.redbubble.com or www.zazzle.com.au, both of which can ship to Australia. However, if you just Google your specific interest, such as ‘travel posters’ or ‘concert posters’, you will be sure to find plenty options.
You can also get personalised poster prints from online stores like The Night Sky, who can create a night star map print of any date in time.
If you're after something stylish and on-trend, then Profile also offers beautiful collection of designer wall art prints and posters, which are available in popular poster sizes to suit your space and decor.
When it comes to buying a poster online, you may be given the option to choose the type of paper it can be printed to. Our advice would be to choose a premium paper quality that is thicker. In fact, the thicker the paper, the easier the poster will be to frame, the flatter it will stay and the longer it will last.
Thicker paper will make the poster safer to handle, helps avoid any creases and kinks, and can also stay flatter than cheaper, thinner paper. We would recommend a thickness of 230gsm or thicker.
You can also find places online that will even print your own image into a poster as well. This concept is ideal for your transforming your favourite travel photos or Instagram photos into framed pieces of art.
What sizes do poster frames come in?
Poster frames come in a variety of sizes to accommodate different poster dimensions. The most common sized options for framed posters would be as follows:
- A1 Frames (59.4x84.1cm)
- A2 Frames (42x59.4cm)
- A3 Frames (29.7x59.4cm)
- 50x70cm Frames
- 61x91cm (24x36 inches) Frames
These standard sizes are popular and readily available in most major chain stores and online retailers. Note that poster frames can also be hung in either portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal) orientations as well.
It is essential to choose the right size of the frame for your poster to ensure it fits perfectly without any gaps or overlaps. When selecting a frame size, consider both the dimensions of your poster and the space where you intend to hang it. If you're unsure about which size frame will work best for your poster, measure the dimensions yourself before making a purchase.
You can also refer to our helpful frame sizes conversion chart to see a list of common frame size options which includes the most popular poster sizes.
If you have an irregularly sized poster, you may have to consider for custom-made frames or cut-to-size matboards that can be tailored to fit your specific needs.
How can I frame an odd sized poster?
If you happen to have an odd or unusual size poster, then no problems – you could still use a standard-sized poster frame. Just choose a poster frame that is a bigger size than your poster, and then separately order an extra border mat for this, commonly called a matboard.
A matboard can be cut to a variety of common, custom sizes and will help centralized and balance your poster print inside the poster frame.
Profile Australia offers a great range of cut-to-size custom matboards in a range of colours.
This solution can be more affordable than getting a custom-made picture frame and save you money. It will also look great too!
What if my poster is a really large size?
If you happen to have a poster that is larger than 61x91cm, then this is a rare size. It will likely require a specialized, custom-made picture frame. In this case, we would recommend that you take this to a custom framer.
Depending on the value of the poster, it may be advisable to have it professionally mounted down flat, especially if you don’t want to see any cockling or buckling over time. However, if the poster is a collectable and high value item, then you may wish to request that it be treated with a removeable and conservation mounting method such as hinging.
What style of picture frame will make my poster look great?
When it comes to choosing a style of frame for your poster, there are a few considerations:
- Do you want it to suit your style and decor?
- Do you want it to suit the colours, style or subject of the poster?
- Do you want it to suit both?
Most posters are usually quite vivid, bold and colourful. As a result, the most popular colours of poster frames used are generally neutral tones, such as black, white or timber, which do not have any underlying colours. A neutral-coloured poster frame will safely avoid competing with any of the colours or highlights in the poster, which is also where you want your eyes to focus first.
Keep in mind that if you have any accent colours in the poster or print, then these will stand out themselves against the contrast of a neutral black or white tone. For example, a bright red or yellow accent in your image, will be even more pronounced when surrounded by a black poster frame.
Also consider your furniture style and décor as well. Black frames are popular but can also be striking with a bolder impact. This makes a black frame ideal for something you might want to highlight or feature. A white poster frame, however, can be lighter and brighter, which can be ideal for open spaces with a softer ambiance. Whereas natural timber poster frames can be more homely, earthy, and warm.
There’s no wrong or right when it comes to choosing a picture frame for a poster or print. Most posters can look great any almost any style of picture frame. At the end of the day, you just want the final result to make you feel good.
Do I need a matboard?
A matboard is a cardboard border with a window cut-out, which surrounds the artwork inside a picture framing.
As previously mentioned, matboards are ideal if you have an odd sized poster that you want to fit inside a standard sized poster frame. You can buy a standard sized poster frame, and then you can get a pre-cut matboard for it to suit the size of the poster. The window of the matboard will be centered to position the poster in the middle of the picture frame.
A matboard can also help enhance a framed image, by providing visual distance between the edges of the artwork and the inside edges of the picture frame, to help provide an aesthetic balance and proportion for viewing poster.
A mat board also helps to protect the poster by slightly lifting the glass away from any direct contact with the artwork or photo inside a picture frame. When glass directly touches artwork inside a frame, it can possibly stick and permanently laminate itself to the poster print over time. So, if your poster is valuable, you may want to use a matboard for added protection.
Matboards can also come in a variety of colours as well. The most popular options are pure neutral tones such as white and black. If you choose a solid, brighter colour of matboard, the overall impact becomes bolder and brighter. This can be suitable for a more contemporary design style, but be aware that in some cases, a bright colored matboard could also compete with your image for attention and focus, which you may wish to avoid.
- To learn more read out blog - What is a Matboard?
Popular matboard and frame size combinations for posters?
There’s are a couple popular combination for posters and matboards into standard sized frames. For example:
- An A4 poster can fit well inside an A3 or 12x16inch (30.6 x 40.6cm) frame with a matboard.
- An A3 poster can fit well inside an A2 or 16x20inch (40.6x50.8cm) frame with a matboard.
- An A2 poster can fit well inside an A1 or 50x70cm frame with a matboard.
How can I attach my poster to a matboard inside a frame?
There are a several techniques to attach photos to a matboard. The safest method is the T-Hinge technique. Just use tabs of acid-free hinging tape evenly spaced every 20-30cm placed the top edge of the photo behind the matboard window and just allow your photo to suspend and hang down naturally inside the frame. Don't apply tape all along the top edge, as this won't allow the print to expand and contract without rippling.
We’ve created a helpful guide to demonstrate one method on how you can do this yourself.
- To learn more read out blog - How to Attach a Print to a Matboard
What type of frame will last the longest?
Check the quality of the poster frame you’re choosing. A poster frame made from solid timber may be a little more expensive than cheaper options such as plastic, but it is the best choice for something you want to frame properly and last a long time. Solid timber doesn’t degrade over time.
Some cheaper imported poster frames can be made from a reconstituted form of chipboard-style MDF which is a lower quality material than solid timber. This cheaper, engineered timber is weaker and can be vulnerable to easy chipping and even swelling from moisture absorption over time.
How can I remove any creases or folds in a poster?
Sometimes a poster may have some creases, folds or kinks which can develop from improper storage and handing, such as rolling and unrolling. Sometimes creases are caused from being folded, such as a pull-out style poster from a magazine.
There are a couple of simple ways you can try to remove these types of imperfections:
Steaming an art poster or print
You can use steam to help flatten a poster, using a process called humidification. Simply place your poster print face down onto a large flat board or even a flat piece of box cardboard. Then take this into your bathroom where you can use your shower to create some humidity. Rest the board and poster on a flat surface in your bathroom, and then turn on your shower and close the door. Leave this for about half an hour.
Afterwards, remove the board and poster and take it back into a normal environment to dry. At this stage you want to place another flat board or piece of cardboard on top of your poster to help it stay flat as it gradually dries.
You can also add some heavy weight to the top of the cardboard cover, such as some books to help keep it flat. This may take a few hours to dry properly, but hopefully it will be much flatter than when you started.
Ironing a poster or art print
If required, you could also use an iron and ironing board to help smooth out any creases or wrinkles in a poster.
Firstly, lie your poster face down on a firm piece of cardboard which is the same size of the poster or bigger. Then completely cover the back of the poster and cardboard with a piece of cloth, such as a tea towel, so that you do not burn anything. Keep in mind that paper and heat can burn so you never want the iron to come into direct contact with the poster or the cardboard. Set the iron on the lowest heat setting possible without any steam.
Now just gradually iron the cloth and always keep the iron moving in circular motions around back of the poster. Periodically check the poster and observe the results. It usually doesn’t take much time. To iron out creases and wrinkles.
How to flatten a rolled-up poster print for framing?
Posters can commonly be rolled up as they are shipped and stored in tubes. As a result, the poster may have a memory and want to stay curled up even when removed from a tube.
One trick to flatten a rolled-up poster, is to carefully re-roll it in the opposite direction to the curl. The safest way to do this with less risk of creasing or kinking, is to roll the poster around the outside of the tube in the opposite direction, and then use some rubber bands to hold it in place and leave it set for a while. A couple of hours should usually be enough.
When you remove the poster, it should be flatter. But if it is still wavy, you could leave it set face down on a clean, flat surface with a large flat board and some heavy weights on top to hold it down, such as some books. In another couple of hours, it should be flat and ready for you to frame.
How can I hang my framed poster?
We’ve created a helpful guide to take you through the steps of hanging a picture or poster frame onto a wall.
- Read our blog – How to Hang a Picture Frame on Your Wall
Buying a good quality poster frame?
Framed posters are a great way to decorate any wall.
Profile offers a unique range of Australian made poster frames in a range of sizes and styles, created especially for your iconic posters and prints. So have a think about your favourite icon, movie or concert and get something up on your wall to start your framed poster collection today.
We also offer a designer curated collection of designer wall art posters and prints, which can be customised to suit your space, style and decor. Our wide range of premium poster sized art prints are available either unframed or custom framed ready to hang.
Choosing Australia's Best Poster Frames Online with Profile
Explore the complete range of Picture & Poster Frames from Profile Australia. Whether you're looking for poster frames, timber frames, natural oak frames, metal frames, black frames or even specialty frames like shadow-box frames, we offer a full range of poster framing solutions in all types of styles, shapes and sizes.
All Profile poster frames are proudly made in Australia with eco-sustainable timbers and a lifetime guarantee!
Conclusion
Framing a poster is a simple and creative way to showcase your personality and add a touch of elegance to your home or office décor. By following the expert tips provided in this article, you can choose the right frame style, matting, and mounting techniques to preserve your poster for years to come.
Remember to consider the size and colour scheme of your space when selecting a poster frame and take the time to carefully measure and align your poster before mounting it. With these helpful tips in mind, you can create a stunning display of framed posters that will impress visitors and inspire you every day.
Want to learn more? You may also like:
- Picture Frame Gallery Wall Ideas for Beginners
- Photo Frame Ideas for your living room wall space
- How to Choose the Right Wall Art for Your Home or Office
Shop Now! - Explore the range of Australian made Poster Frames online from Profile Australia. All are made using the finest quality of eco-sustainable materials and come with our famous Lifetime Guarantee.
This article was written by Jared Davis. Jared is one of only a few qualified Master Certified Picture Framers in Australia with over 30 years of custom framing experience.
Jared is published author, writer and an industry-recognised educator who teaches classes and workshops to professional picture framers all around the world.
