Originally Posted by nebbit
What are Lobby Cards
Movie Posters | Other Paper Products | Non-Paper Products
Movie Poster Art Descriptions
North America || United Kingdom || France || Australia || Other Foreign Countries
Following are brief descriptions of the more common forms of movie poster art. Andy the Usher, your assistant at MovieGoods, will show you the relative size of each. You can search the MovieGoods site for products in these sizes.
Movie studios produced as many as 12 different kinds of advertising collateral from the years 1940 — 1985. This was done primarily because each theatre displayed only one film on one screen. As a result there was a need to have numerous different sized movie posters, lobby cards and scene stills promoting the film throughout the theatre.
With the emergence of the multiple screen cinemas the studios chose to phase out many of the older styles. More screens meant the space to advertise had to be divided between more films. Currently in North America today the principal advertising size for a movie poster is 27" x 40" commonly referred to as the one sheet. There are still various different sized posters with different artwork for films released in countries overseas which we detail below.
Many of the older items (i.e. mid-1980s and earlier) for sale at MovieGoods have actually been displayed in a theatre or cinema. Given the nature of their use, many products will have some wear. If a pristine copy of a product for a particular film is important to you, be sure to ask us about the condition before you buy your product.
More detailed information about movie poster art and collecting can be found in our help/learn section.
North America
Mouse over the links to see an example of each size
1. One-Sheet >>description
2. Two-Sheet >>description
3. Three-Sheet >>description
4. Six-Sheet >>description
5. Twelve-Sheet >>description
6. Twenty-Four Sheet >>description
7. Half-Sheet >>description
8. Insert >>description
9. Lobby Card >>description
10. Window Card >>description
11. Still >>description
12. 30 x 40 >>description
13. 40 x 60 >>description
ONE-SHEET
Size: 27" x 41" (typically pre - 1985); 27" x 40" (typically post - 1985)
Type: Printed on paper stock. Before 1985, usually folded; after 1985, usually rolled.
History: Traditionally, the one-sheet (OS) is the "standard" size for movie advertising in North America. The one sheet is undeniably the most popular size for collectors and consumers alike. Most new movie releases since 1985 were advertised using this size
In addition to the regular release One-Sheet poster produced for most movies, there are also "special" versions made for some films. They are as follows:
Advance: Sometimes called "Teasers", Advance One-Sheets are released before the film comes out. Some of the Advance posters have completely different artwork than the poster accompanying the final release version. Some are identical to the release One-Sheet, with the only difference being the word "Advance", "Coming Soon", or a specific date will be printed along the bottom.
Anniversary: These one-sheets mark the anniversary of the original release date of an all-time favorite movie, such as "Casablanca" or "Gone with the Wind". They can be elaborate with different artwork than the original release One-Sheet.
Awards: Award One-Sheets indicate somewhere on the poster that the movie has either won an award, or been nominated for an award.
Different Versions: Sometimes a film will have a series of One-Sheets as part of its advertising campaign. You might see many styles of One-Sheets for the same film, called Style A, B, etc. Each of these styles will have different artwork.
Double-Sided: Many of the One-Sheets that are currently produced are double-sided, meaning that they have printing on both the front and the back of the poster. These can be used in light boxes in movie theater lobbies.
Lenticular: Lenticular posters are three-dimensional, holographic designs. An example of a Lenticular poster is "The Lost World: Jurassic Park"
Limited Edition: Limited Editions contain original artwork and are released in limited numbers. Some are even individually numbered.
Re-Release: If a film is re-released, you will often find different artwork for each release. Examples of this are "Gone with the Wind" and "Star Wars".
Review: These One-Sheets have very little artwork or credit information, and contains mostly quotes from movie critics, newspapers and magazines.
Video Release: Often the artwork on a poster that is produced for the Video Release of a film differs from the One-Sheet artwork produced for the theatrical release.
>>Return to relative size guide
HALF-SHEET
Size: 28" x 22"
Type: Printed on card stock, usually not folded
History: First used in the 1910s and discontinued in the mid 1980s. Used for special sized displays. Artwork tends to differ slightly from the one-sheet for the same film. Typically less expensive than one-sheets this size continues to be a popular vintage product.
>>Return to relative size guide
INSERT
Size: 14" x 36"
Type: Printed on card stock, usually not folded
History: One of the earliest of movie paper sizes, inserts were first used in the 1910s and were used extensively until the 1980s. Used in special sized displays. Like the half-sheet the insert is generally less expensive than the equivalent one-sheet from the same film. Also the insert is still a popular collectible product category.
>>Return to relative size guide
LOBBY CARDS
Sizes:
11" x 14" (standard)
8" x 10" (mini)
14" x 17" (jumbo)
Type: Printed in color on heavy card stock.
History: One of the oldest forms of movie poster art. Lobby cards were first introduced in the 1910s in theatre lobbies. A display fixture in most theatres for 75 + years. Although still available for some films, they are typically used only in foreign markets. Lobby cards remain a very popular collectible product today.
I have the 11" x 14" style.
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