Sizes

 

There were many different poster sizes in use in Hungary during the 20th century. Some of them were quite common, others very rare. However, there are a few important ones, which were the most widely used. Several posters were printed in various sizes, but some were printed in just one size.

Most posters are vertically oriented, but there are also a few examples of horizontally oriented ones. Before World War II, the so-called Swiss standard paper sizes were in use. After the Second World War, there was a switch to the DIN 476 standard, but for a few years, during the late 1940s, both sizes were made in paralell.

 

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1. Pre-WWII sizes (used between the 1880s - the second half of the 1940s):

 

1/2 Sheet - cca. 63 x 48 cm (24.8" x 18.9") 

Insert - cca. 95 x 31 cm  (37.4" x 12.2")

1 Sheet - cca. 95 x 63cm (37.4" x 24.8")

2 Sheet - cca. 126 x 95 cm (49.6" x 37.4")

3 Sheet - cca. 186 x 95 cm (73.2" x 37.4")

4 Sheet - cca. 186 x 125 cm (73.2" x 49.2")

 

 

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2. After World War II, the sizes were switched to DIN 476 standard, which was in use until the 1990s:

 

1/16 Sheet - 21 x 15 cm (8.3" x 5.9")

1/8 Sheet - 30 x 21 cm (11.8" x 8.3")

1/4 Sheet - A3 - 42 x 30 cm (16.5" x 11.8")

1/2 Sheet - A2 - 59 x 42 cm (23.2" x 16.5") 

1 Sheet - A1 - 84 x 55 cm (33.1" x 21.7")

2 Sheet - A0 - 119 x 84 cm (46.9" x 33.1")

 

Less commonly, but these sizes were also used (especially B2 and B1):

 

B3 - cca. 50 x 35 cm (19.7" x 13.8")

B2 - cca. 70 x 50 cm (27.6" x 19.7")

B1 - cca. 100 x 70 cm (39.4" x 27.6")

B0 - cca. 141 x 100 cm (55.5" x 39.4")

 

 

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3. Tram posters - small-sized posters that were displayed on trams (widely used between around 1900 and until around 1980 - before and after WWII as well):

 

Tram Poster - B5 - 24 x 17 cm  (9.8" x 6.7")

Double Tram Poster - B4 - 34 x 24 cm (13.8" x 9.8")

 

Many of these posters were also printed in larger sizes (especially in the case of the Tram Poster), but some of them were only made in these smaller sizes.