How Much Does It Cost to Print a Poster?

A printed poster is still one of the cheapest ways to get your message in front of people.

In fact, it works anywhere, be it a store window, a concert venue wall, a trade show booth, or a movie theater lobby.

But how much does it cost to print a poster today?

The short answer is: it depends.

On the flip side, most posters cost $5 to $50 (or a bit more) each on the market when you print just a few.

Bulk orders change the math completely. For example, at ChilliPrinting, 1,000 posters in 24″ x 36″ cost $0.64 each, and 1,000 posters in 11″ x 17″ cost just $0.22 each.

Read on to discover all the factors that impact poster printing costs, including size, paper type, finish, delivery, etc.

How Much Does It Cost to Print a Poster?

Usually, posters cost $5 to $50+ each when you order one to ten copies.

It doesn’t sound like much (for a small quantity).

If you order a few hundred, you can print posters in bulk and drop the cost to around $1 each or less. When pushing into the thousands with offset printing, it gets even better, since our smallest size costs about 12 cents per poster at 5,000 copies.

Our experts analyzed 16 market players and compared their ranges with our own bulk prices for full-color posters on 100 lb. Text Stock Gloss Premium, printed on the front only, no finish, Eco production, excluding shipping. Our prices are highlighted like this and update live from our configurator:

1. 11×17 Posters: $0.89 each for 100, $0.38 each for 500, and $0.22 each for 1,000 at ChilliPrinting. The market average is $2 to $6 each for 1 to 10 copies.
2. 18×24 Posters: $1.49 each for 100, $0.68 each for 500, and $0.46 each for 1,000. Most printers charge $1 to $4 each in runs of 500+.
3. 24×36 Posters: $2.49 each for 100, $1.02 each for 500, and $0.64 each for 1,000. The market range is $2 to $6 each in runs of 500+.
4. 27×40 Movie Posters: $3.88 each for 100, $1.23 each for 500, and $0.75 each for 1,000. Elsewhere, runs of 500+ usually cost $2 to $5 each.
5. Large Format Posters (32×48 and 39×55): $1.47 to $2.02 each for 1,000 copies with us, while single large prints on photo paper run $65 to $190+ on the market.

Above all, the variable part for all posters is paper, ink, trimming, and packing. That’s why your price per poster keeps falling as quantity grows, while your total bill rises much more slowly.

Since the most common and popular large poster size in the United States is 24 x 36 inches (often referred to as a standard poster), let’s explore the pricing details below.

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How much does it cost to print a 24×36 poster?

The 24×36 is the classic large poster. It’s the type of poster you see in store windows, on A-frame sidewalk signs, at trade show booths, and in wild posting campaigns.

For 1 to 10 copies, the market charges $15 to $40 each on quality text stock, and specialty conference shops ask around $35 for a single 24×36 on satin photo paper.

Bulk orders are where the price really drops. On our configurator, 100 posters cost $249.00 ($2.49 each), and 1,000 posters cost $642.50 ($0.64 each). That’s much lower than the $2 to $6 per poster most printers charge for 500+ copies.

One tip from our printing team: always compare nearby quantities. On Eco production, 25 posters at this size cost $282.40, so 100 posters actually cost less than 25.

Here’s a table that explains the cost of printing 24×36 posters in bulk:

Let’s Explore the Factors Influencing Poster Printing Costs

Every poster quote has two parts (factor categories):

• There’s a fixed setup cost
• And there’s a variable cost for each poster you print

Once you see that split, any quote becomes easy to read.

Setup mainly covers file checks, printing plates for offset jobs, and getting the press and cutter ready.

So if, as an example, setup on an offset run costs $250, on 25 posters that adds $10 to every piece. But on 1,000 posters, it adds just $0.25.

Digital vs. offset printing

Digital presses skip plates entirely, which makes them the cheapest choice for small runs. Wondering how much it costs to print out a poster for a single presentation? Digital is your answer, at the single-copy prices listed above.

Offset printing indeed wins on volume.

At ChilliPrinting, orders of fewer than 25 posters print digitally, while bulk orders from 25 to 20,000 posters run on offset presses with gang-run pricing.

You may also like: Gang Run Printing: Meaning, Benefits & Best Use Cases

Size, paper, and finishes

Size is the biggest driver here, after quantity. Price roughly follows print area, and a 24×36 poster has 864 square inches compared with just 187 on an 11×17. On our configurator, 1,000 posters cost $219.00 in 11×17 and $642.50 in 24×36.

Paper comes next. 80 lb. gloss text is the budget pick, while 100 lb. and 120 lb. text stocks cover most retail and event posters. Heavy 140 lb. gloss and photo papers sit at the premium end, and 90 lb. BlueBack is the standard for outdoor wild posting.

Extras each add a line to your quote. Film lamination, double-sided printing, folding, and custom trimming all raise the price per poster.

You may also like: Paper Weight Guide: Chart, How to Choose Thickness & More

Turnaround time

Rush production is the fastest way to inflate your bill.

On our bulk configurator, 100 posters in 24×36 cost:

• $249.00 on Eco production
• $330.50 on Standard
• And $354.70 on Next Day (that’s 42% more, just for speed)

On larger runs, the gap gets smaller. 1,000 posters of the same size cost $642.50 on Eco and $723.70 on Next Day, about 13% more. If your deadline allows it, our team always recommends Eco for bulk orders.

So, how much does it cost to print a poster once everything is added up? It comes down to these four levers, plus shipping, which we cover further down.

Poster Prices by Size & Quantity

Size and quantity explain most of the gap between a cheap quote and an expensive one. The cost to print posters climbs with every step up in size, then falls hard as your order grows.

Here’s what the most requested formats cost at ChilliPrinting (100 lb. Text Stock Gloss Premium, front only, Eco production, excluding shipping), compared with typical market prices.

How much does it cost to print 11×17 posters?

The 11×17 is the budget size for flyers-turned-posters, bulletin boards, and counter displays. On the market, single copies usually cost $2 to $6 each.

In bulk, for 100 posters it will cost you $89.00 ($0.89 each), 1,000 will cost $219.00 ($0.22 each), and 5,000 will cost $618.80, which is about 12 cents per poster.

How much does it cost to print an 18×24 poster?

The 18×24 is the workhorse for events, concerts, menus, and retail notices. It’s big enough to read from across a room, yet small enough for crowded bulletin boards and standard window panes.

On the market, an 18×24 poster runs $5 to $15 for 1 to 10 copies and roughly $3 to $5.50 each at 100 copies. With our offset presses, 100 posters cost $149.00, or $1.49 each.

Larger runs take it lower. 500 posters cost $338.00 ($0.68 each), 1,000 cost $463.30 ($0.46 each), and 5,000 cost $1,217.90 ($0.24 each). That’s well below the $1 to $4 per poster most printers charge for 500+ copies.

What’s the price to print 27×40 movie posters?

The 27×40 one-sheet is the official theatrical size. It fits cinema light boxes and lobby frames, which is why theaters and distributors order it by the hundreds.

On the market, single digital copies start around $20 to $50 each, and runs of 500+ typically cost $2 to $5 per poster. At ChilliPrinting, 25 posters cost $350.90 ($14.04 each), while 100 posters cost $388.00 ($3.88 each).

Bulk runs bring the price down further. 500 movie posters cost $613.10 ($1.23 each), and 1,000 cost $751.30 ($0.75 each).

Light box posters cost a bit more. They’re printed on both sides, with the back mirrored, so the image stays rich when it’s lit from behind.

How much do large format posters cost?

Large format prints of 36×48 and up usually cost $65 to $190+ each on the market as single copies on photo paper.

Our largest sizes are built for bulk. A 32×48 poster costs $5.36 each at 100 copies and $1.47 each at 1,000. Our biggest format, 39×55, costs $7.21 each at 100 copies and $2.02 each at 1,000.

What About Delivery? How Much Does it Cost to Ship a poster?

Shipping, proofs, and last-minute reprints can add more than you expect to the final price.

For example, a single rolled poster in a cardboard tube usually costs $6 to $12 to ship with USPS Ground Advantage within the US. Faster services like Priority Mail push that to roughly $10 to $18.

Bigger orders ship differently. Bulk runs are shrink-wrapped in stacks and boxed flat, while smaller orders go out in rigid mailers or tubes. On our configurator, you pick Standard Shipping (4-5 business days), 3-Day Select, or 2nd Day Air, and each one is a flat rate shown upfront, so you see the full delivery cost before checkout.

When you ask how much it costs to print a poster, include shipping in the answer. On a small run, it can add 20% or more to your total.

You may also like: Standard Poster Sizes & Dimensions

Why Print Your Bulk Posters With ChilliPrinting

Since 2014, our printing team has been printing posters for brands, venues, schools, and film distributors across the US. Our gang-run offset presses spread setup costs across every order, which keeps your poster printing cost much lower than typical market prices for businesses of all sizes, without cutting corners on quality. 

We cover 11 sizes – from 11” x 17” to 39” x 55” and print up to 20,000 posters or even more and provide fast turnaround time and reliable delivery.