You've found the image you love. Now comes the question that stalls almost everyone: what poster size actually suits your wall? Too small and it drifts on a big white surface. Too big and it swallows a compact bedroom. The good news is that a handful of simple rules covers almost every case. Here's how to choose the right size and layout above a bed, over a desk or on an empty wall.
Proportions: why tall formats suit walls
Before thinking in centimetres, think in proportions. A tall, slim sheet with a 3:5 ratio, like our current 30 × 50 cm format, is longer than most everyday paper formats and very close to the golden ratio of roughly 1 to 1.618. That's part of why it simply looks right, even if you can't say why.
The height works in the image's favour. A samurai standing his ground, a rain-soaked Tokyo alley, a striker with both arms raised to the stands: anything vertical gains presence. Turn the same sheet sideways and it becomes a small panorama, ideal for a car sliding through a drift or a long skyline.
The width matters too. Think about viewing distance: the image should still read clearly from two or three metres away, which is about the distance between a bed and the opposite wall. At the same time, a slim poster fits between a window and a wardrobe, where a big frame never would.
Choosing poster size by location
Interior designers lean on one reliable rule: whatever hangs above a piece of furniture should span about two-thirds of its width. Any less and it looks lost; any more and it spills over. Measure the furniture, take two-thirds of its width, then work out how many posters fill it. The examples below use posters 30 cm wide, our current format.
Above the bed
- 90 cm single bed: two posters side by side, 3 to 5 cm apart, cover 63 to 65 cm. Right on target.
- 140 cm double bed: three posters with 3 cm gaps come to 96 cm, almost exactly two-thirds.
- 160 cm bed: three posters spaced 6 to 8 cm apart (102 to 106 cm), or four tight at 3 cm (129 cm) for a bold banner.
Leave 15 to 25 cm between the top of the headboard and the bottom of the posters. That's enough room to lean back without brushing them, and close enough that they still belong to the bed.
Over a desk or gaming setup
Most desks are 100 to 140 cm wide. Two posters suit a compact desk; three fill out a dual-monitor setup. Keep the bottom edge about 10 cm above the top of your screen, otherwise the monitor hides them the moment you sit down.
On an empty wall
With no furniture to anchor to, aim for eye level: the centre of the poster, or of the whole group, between 145 and 155 cm from the floor. Many galleries hang at roughly that height, and it translates perfectly to a home. In a bedroom where you mostly sit or lie down, dropping it by 10 cm feels more natural.
How many posters should you hang?
A few benchmarks based on the width you have:
- Under 1 metre (between two doors, beside a window): a single poster, or two stacked vertically.
- 1 to 2 metres: two to four posters in a row, or a three-panel wall set.
- Over 2 metres: a grid of six or nine, or a looser gallery-style arrangement.
Odd numbers give you a natural centre and a livelier feel. Even numbers bring a calmer, graphic order that looks sharp in a grid. If you're torn between several designs, our step-by-step guide to planning a gallery wall will help you decide.
One image, several posters: going big without a giant print
Want a large image but your wall won't take an oversized print? Wall sets split a single artwork across several posters, hung 3 cm apart. A three-panel triptych spans 96 cm, while a four-panel frieze stretches to 129 cm. The thin strips of wall between panels become part of the design, a bit like the gutters between manga panels. Our article on split wall sets and triptychs walks through every layout.
The paper template trick
Before any nail goes in, cut rectangles the size of your posters from brown paper, old cardboard or newspaper taped together. Stick them up with masking tape and live with them for two or three days. You'll quickly see whether the layout is too high, too cramped, or begging for one more poster.
Think about light as well. A poster facing a window that takes the strong Tunisian afternoon sun will fade over the years. A side wall, lit at an angle, keeps colours vivid for much longer.
Quick recap
- Pick a size that reads from across the room and still fits the space: portrait for tall subjects, landscape for panoramas.
- Cover roughly two-thirds of the furniture's width.
- Centre at 145–155 cm on an open wall; bottom edge 15–25 cm above the headboard.
- 3 cm gaps for a wall set, 5 to 8 cm between separate posters.
All that's left is choosing your world, from anime to football. And if you'd rather not drill, follow our guide to hanging posters without damaging walls.
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