Print PDF as A0, A1 or large format poster — how it works

2 min read·25 July 2026

Want to enlarge an A4 PDF to A1 or A0 for a poster, banner or exhibition panel? This guide covers how to set scaling, what resolution is needed and how to supply a PDF to a print shop.

Understanding formats: A0 to A4

The A-format system: A0 (841×1189 mm) is 16 times the area of A4. A1 (594×841 mm) is 8 times A4. A2 is 4 times A4. Each format is half the previous. Enlarging from A4 to A0 means scaling 400% — this places high demands on source resolution.

Resolution: how high does it need to be?

For print: 300 dpi at the final format. An A0 poster requires a minimum image of 9933×14043 pixels at 300 dpi. If your source is an A4 PDF at 300 dpi, it is only 2480×3508 pixels — giving you a poster of only 75 dpi at A0, which is too low for quality print. For display viewed from 2+ metres, 72–100 dpi is sometimes acceptable. For close-up viewing: minimum 150 dpi.

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Scale PDF via PDFrust

Use PDFrust Page Size to scale the PDF to A1 or A0. Set the target format and choose "Fit". The content is enlarged — but pixel quality decreases. This works well for text (vector) but not for low-resolution images.

Tile printing on an A4 printer

No A0 printer? Print your poster as tiles on a regular A4 printer using PDFrust Poster Print. Choose the number of tiles (3×3 for A0 on A4). You print 9 A4 sheets that you join together into a large poster.

Supply to a print shop

Print shops typically require: • Colour profile: CMYK (not RGB) • Bleed: 3–5 mm extra space beyond the format • File format: PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 • Minimum resolution: 150 dpi at final format Use InDesign or Illustrator for professional export. PDFrust can help with resizing and flattening for the printer.