Movie Poster Description • All Movie Replicas

1 Sheet or One-Sheet

Until the 1980’s movie posters and other associated advertising materials were printed in very limited quantities. Filmmakers offered different sizes depending on the needs of the studio or theatres. American theatres actually rented them from the studios. These promotional materials were not meant to be saved. Most forms arrived at the theatre from the studio supplier folded. Considered a disposable form of advertising, after their initial use they were supposed to be returned to the studio or destroyed.

The most common and “most collectible” type of American movie poster. Nearly all one sheets printed before 1985 measure a full 27″x41″. Most recent one sheets are approximately 27″x40″ and always in a vertical format. Up until the early 1980’s, most (not all) were issued folded with one vertical and three horizontal creases. Some posters were issued tri-folded, and are still used in theaters today. The standard U.S. poster is now always issued rolled.

Size: Typically 27″ x 41″ in size before 1985; 27″ x 40″ in size after 1985
Type: Printed on paper stock. Pre-1985 posters are usually folded; post-1985 posters are usually rolled.

Advance 1 Sheet
Original 1 Sheets released before the film comes out. Some of the Advance posters have completely different artwork than the poster accompanying the final release version.

DS or Double Sided 1 Sheet
Original 1 Sheet that has printing on both the front and the back of the poster (printing on back side is a mirror image of printing on the front side).

Reproduction 1 Sheet
Are re-creations of an original movie poster. Reproductions are usually lower in price and are brand new and in excellent condition. Please note: 1 Sheet reproduction posters are generally 27″ x 40″ in size but these measurements are not always precise. The exact width of a reproduction poster ranges from 25.75″ to 27″, and the exact height varies from 36″ to 40″. If you are planning on framing a reproduction poster, please check the exact poster measurements first.

Lenticular
These are special “3-D” original posters. They are normally 27″ x 40″ in size and have a hard plastic cover. When you view the posters from different angles, you see 2 completely different images in the poster.

Re-Release
Original posters. If a film is re-released, you will often find different artwork and posters for each release date. Examples of re-released films are “Gone with the Wind” and “Star Wars”.

Video Poster
Original posters printed to promote the VHS or DVD release of a movie. Often the artwork on a video poster differs from the 1 Sheet artwork produced for the theatrical release.

International Style Poster:
A poster made in the U.S. for international use. Often featuring different artwork. Sometimes the artwork/photos are more risque’ and sometimes they feature an alternate title. Usually lacks a RATING (G, PG, or R) because foreign countries do not use the U.S. movie ratings system.

Style A, B, C, D:
Studios often issued many different styles of one sheets for the same movie. They still do. To differentiate them they were often marked as “Style A” or “Style B” etc.

Bus Stop/Shelter:

A vertical format American movie or advertisement poster usually measuring 45″x70″, and designed for display in glass-enclosed corner bus stop shelters. These posters normally feature very colourful, eye-catching and different artwork and are printed on a coated card stock or vinyl like paper. Many are double-sided, and come in a series, and are made for outside display. Movie studios frequently use them for major productions. They are very large making them very hard to handle and display, although they are popular with some collectors. Still used today, they are usually shipped rolled.

30×40:

Extremely rare when compared to an one sheet. A vertical format American movie poster measuring 30″ x 40″ printed on a very heavy card stock material. Most 30″ x 40″ posters feature the same artwork as the one sheet and are issued rolled to the theatre exchanges. The National Screen Service number is normally found on the side of the poster, as opposed to the lower bottom as is the case with the one-sheets. These posters are difficult to find in near mint condition because the card stock can crease easily.

40×60:

Extremely rare when compared to an one sheet. A vertical format American movie poster measuring 40″x 60″ printed on a heavy card stock material. Most 40″x60″ posters feature the same artwork as the one sheet and were issued rolled. They are primarily offered for major motion pictures only and are displayed both inside and outside of the theatres. A 40 x 60 poster display would cost the theatre up to 20 times as much as an one sheet to rent. Only a few hundred of these are printed, and it is only printed once. Unlike the one sheet which are printed in quantities of 10,000 and up. The NSS number is normally found on the side of the poster, as opposed to the lower bottom as is the case with the one-sheets. These posters are very difficult to find in Near Mint condition because the card stock can crease easily.
Half-Sheet

Size: 28″ x 22″
Type: Original items; printed on card stock, usually not folded

Insert

Size: 14″ x 36″
Type: Original items; printed on card stock, usually not folded

Lobby Card

Size: 11″ x 14″ (standard), 8″ x 10″ (mini), 14″ x 17″ (jumbo)
Type: Original items, printed in color on heavy card stock. Lobby cards can be priced by the set or individually.

Window Card

Size: 14″ x 22″ (standard), 10″ x 18″ (mini), 22″ x 28″ (jumbo)
Type: Original items, heavy card stock, usually not folded

Still Photos

Size: 8″ x 10″
Type: Color, or Black and White. 8″ x 10″ refers to the physical size of the item – the image size may not take up the entire available space on the photograph.

Masterprint Poster

Size: 11″ x 14″, or 11″ x 17″ (exact size is always stated in the product description)
Type: Reproductions, printed on glossy heavy card stock paper.

Movie Poster Print

Size: approximately 27″ x 40″ (if the poster size differs significantly, it will be stated so in the item description)
Type: Reproductions, printed on satin finish paper.

Trailer

Trailers are 35mm movie previews, typically 2 to 3 minutes in length, depicting scenes of coming attractions.

Press Book

Press books were first used in the 1910s, and are still widely used today. They are part of the press kit, and contain information a studio chooses to release about a particular film. These are original items.