Framing · Updated September 2026
How to Frame a Poster
Seven steps from a rolled tube to a poster on the wall, and the four places where a valuable poster needs to be handled differently from a $20 one.
By the Austin Gallery editors · September 24, 2026
The short version
Measure the poster, buy a frame at exactly that size, flatten the poster, clean the acrylic, and let the backing hold the poster in place. If the poster is signed, vintage or rare, add three things: an acid-free mat or spacers, UV-filtering acrylic, and hinges instead of tape. Never glue or dry mount a poster you might want to sell.
Everyday poster or valuable poster
Decide this first, because it changes almost every step. A reprint you can replace for $20 needs a frame and ten minutes. A signed screen print, a vintage one-sheet or a limited run needs archival materials. This is the difference, step by step:
| Step | Everyday poster | Valuable poster |
|---|---|---|
| Frame | Ready-made at the poster's size | Solid wood, deep enough rabbet for a mat |
| Mat | Optional | Acid-free cotton rag, or spacers |
| Glazing | Clear acrylic | UV-filtering acrylic, 99% or better |
| Mounting | Held by the backing, or tape hinges | Japanese tissue and wheat starch paste |
| Backing | Whatever came with the frame | Acid-free board, sealed dust cover |
| Never | Glue or spray adhesive | Dry mounting, tape on the front |
The seven steps
1.Measure the poster, not the listing
Measure the paper edge to edge with a tape measure. Posters are sold as 11 x 17, 18 x 24 and 24 x 36, and movie one-sheets as 27 x 40, but printed sizes drift by a fraction of an inch, and older one-sheets are 27 x 41. The frame size you buy is the poster size, because ready-made frames are sold by the size of the art they hold. Every standard size, with its centimeter equivalent, is in our standard poster sizes chart.
2.Choose flush or matted
Flush means the poster fills the frame edge to edge. It is how most posters are framed and the right look for anything graphic. Matted means a larger frame with a window mat around the poster: an 18 x 24 in a 22 x 28 frame, or an 11 x 17 in an 18 x 24, each with an even border. A mat does two jobs. It makes the poster read as art, and it holds the poster off the glazing, which the Northeast Document Conservation Center says an object should never touch. If you want flush framing on a valuable poster, spacers along the frame edge do the same job invisibly.
For a valuable poster, the mat should be 100% cotton rag board, which is what NEDCC specifies for window mats and backing. Our mat width guide covers proportions, and if you cut your own, the best mat cutters are ranked here.
3.Pick the glazing: acrylic, and UV if it matters
At poster sizes, acrylic beats glass. A 24 x 36 sheet of glass is heavy and shatters across the poster if the frame falls; acrylic weighs a fraction as much and does not shatter. Glass scratches less, which is why it still turns up on smaller frames. The spec that matters more is UV filtering: per NEDCC, normal glass and regular acrylic do not block UV, and it recommends glazing that filters at least 99%. That is the upgrade for anything that would hurt to see fade. The detailed comparison is in acrylic vs glass framing.
4.Flatten the poster
A poster that has lived in a tube wants to curl, and a curled poster ripples behind the glazing. Unroll it face up on a clean table, lay a sheet of clean paper over it, and weigh it down with books for a day or two. Do not iron it and do not force it into a reverse roll. Handle it with clean, dry hands or cotton gloves; skin oil leaves marks that show up later. A folded vintage poster is different: the creases are part of its history and a conservator should flatten or linen-back it.
5.Mount it: backing pressure, hinges, never glue
For an everyday poster in a flush frame, you usually do not need to attach it at all. The backing board presses it against the front sheet and holds it. If it slips, two hinges along the top edge hold it straight.
For a valuable poster, use hinges made of Japanese tissue and wheat starch paste. It is the standard conservation method because it is reversible: a conservator can remove it with moisture and leave no trace. Hinge along the top edge only, so the poster hangs freely and can expand and contract with humidity. NEDCC notes that the aging of self-adhesive “archival” tapes is not fully known, so save those for posters you could replace.
Do not dry mount a collectible poster. Dry mounting bonds the whole sheet to a board with heat-activated adhesive. It makes a poster perfectly flat, and it is effectively permanent, which removes most of the value from anything a collector would buy. The same goes for spray adhesive, rubber cement, and masking or cellophane tape.
6.Clean, assemble and close
Clean both sides of the acrylic with an acrylic cleaner and a soft microfiber cloth; glass cleaner with ammonia and paper towels haze and scratch it. Peel any protective film. Then stack in order: frame face down, acrylic, mat or spacers, poster, backing board. For a valuable poster, add a sheet of acid-free board behind the backing, seal the edges of the package with archival frame sealing tape, and finish the back with a paper dust cover. Close the frame with its tabs or points; if you fit frames often, a point driver makes this a one-minute job, covered in our point drivers guide.
7.Hang it where the light is kind
Hang the frame out of direct sun, away from a heating vent and off a bathroom wall. A large acrylic poster frame is light enough for two picture hooks; a large frame with glass needs a stud or a rated anchor. Our guide to hanging a poster covers both framed and unframed, and tools for hanging art like a pro covers the hardware.
Which frame to buy
For the frame itself, our best poster frames guide picks one at every standard size, including the 27 x 40 movie poster size, a matted solid wood frame, and museum-grade UV acrylic for posters worth protecting. If you are setting up to frame more than a poster or two, the DIY framing and matting starter kit lists every tool in one place.
The supplies
What we would keep on the framing table
The four supplies this guide keeps coming back to. Prices were checked on Amazon on September 24, 2026 and move often; links go to Amazon with our affiliate tag.
Lineco
Lineco Archival Frame Sealing Tape, 1.25 in x 85 ft
Seals the edges of the frame package against dust and humidity swings, the step NEDCC describes for works on paper.
$17.99 · Check price on Amazon
Lineco
Lineco Archival Hinging Tissue, Self-Adhesive, 1 in x 35 ft
The convenient hinge for everyday posters. Not a substitute for paste on a valuable one.
$15.99 · Check price on Amazon
NOVUS
NOVUS Plastic Clean & Shine #1, 8 oz
Cleans acrylic without the scratches and haze that glass cleaner and paper towels leave.
$10.98 · Check price on Amazon
Logan
Logan 301-1 Compact Classic 32 inch Mat Cutter
Cuts bevelled mats up to 32 inches, which covers an 18 x 24 poster in a 22 x 28 frame.
$120.99 · Check price on Amazon
When to take it to a framer
Take it to a framer who does conservation work if the poster is rare, folded, torn, oversized, or worth more than a few hundred dollars. The same applies if you want a sealed package for a humid room. Prices vary a lot by size and glazing; our custom framing cost guide breaks them down, and in Austin, see the best frame shops in Austin.
Conservation guidance on this page follows the Northeast Document Conservation Center's preservation leaflet on matting and framing works on paper, and the Library of Congress guide to matting and hinging works of art on paper.
Frequently asked questions
How do you frame a poster without damaging it?
Use a frame at the poster's size, keep the poster from touching the glazing, and hold it with the backing pressure or with hinges on the back, never with glue, spray adhesive or tape on the front. For a valuable poster, add an acid-free mat, UV-filtering acrylic, and hinges made from Japanese tissue and wheat starch paste, which can be removed later.
Should I put a mat on a poster?
Most posters look right framed flush, edge to edge, especially movie and band posters. A mat makes a poster read as art and keeps it off the glazing, which matters for valuable prints. An 18 x 24 poster in a 22 x 28 frame with a 2 inch mat is the common matted combination.
Is acrylic or glass better for framing a poster?
Acrylic, at most poster sizes. A sheet of glass at 24 x 36 is heavy and shatters if the frame falls; acrylic is far lighter and does not. Glass resists scratches better. Regular glass and regular acrylic do not block UV, so for a valuable poster choose a UV-filtering acrylic.
Should I dry mount a poster?
Only if it is an inexpensive poster you want perfectly flat forever. Dry mounting bonds the poster to a board with heat-activated adhesive and cannot be safely reversed, so it lowers the value of anything collectible. Use hinges for any poster that is signed, vintage, limited or sentimental.
How do I flatten a rolled poster before framing?
Unroll it face up on a clean table, cover it with a sheet of clean paper, and weigh the edges and center with books for a day or two. Do not iron a poster or roll it backwards hard against the curl, which can crack the ink. A folded vintage poster is a job for a conservator, who may line it on linen.
Can I frame a poster myself or should I go to a framer?
Frame everyday posters yourself; a ready-made frame at the right size takes ten minutes. For a rare or valuable poster, or one that is folded, torn or oversized, a framer who does conservation work is worth the cost. Custom framing prices are covered in our custom framing cost guide.