Description
A3 Sign Board Printing
A3 sign board printing gives you a practical 297 × 420 mm (11.7 × 16.5 inches) rigid display that offers twice the printable area of A4 while remaining compact enough for doors, counters, reception walls, shop displays and smaller commercial spaces.
An A3 board covers approximately 1.34 sq ft. This makes the format particularly useful where A4 would feel too much like a small notice but A2 would take up more space than the message requires. Retail promotions, menus, safety information, event directions, reception signage and price displays all sit naturally at A3.
Printed Today produces A3 signs in four materials: 5 mm Foamex PVC, 3 mm ACP/Dibond aluminium composite, 4 mm Correx and 5 mm KT Soft Board. Each gives you the same 297 × 420 mm finished dimensions, but their rigidity, lifespan, outdoor suitability and cost differ considerably.
Every A3 printed sign board is direct UV printed in-house. The ink cures immediately under ultraviolet light, creating sharp detail, dense colour and a durable printed surface. The same process also allows both faces of a single board to be printed, so double-sided A3 signs remain the same physical thickness as single-sided versions.
What Size Is an A3 Sign Board?
A finished A3 board measures:
| Measurement | A3 Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Millimetres | 297 × 420 mm |
| Centimetres | 29.7 × 42 cm |
| Inches | 11.7 × 16.5 in |
| Approximate area | 1.34 sq ft |
A3 can be printed in either orientation:
- Portrait — 297 mm wide × 420 mm high.
- Landscape — 420 mm wide × 297 mm high.
Portrait is particularly useful for menus, promotional graphics, instructions and poster-style information. Landscape suits directional arrows, horizontal branding, counter signage and information displayed above desks or service points.
A3 provides exactly twice the area of A4, which gives considerably more room for stronger headings, larger photographs, QR codes, pricing and supporting information without making the layout feel crowded.
Where Does A3 Sign Board Printing Work Best?
A3 is a close-to-medium viewing-distance format. It can attract attention from across a room, aisle, reception area or walkway while still providing enough space for detailed information once the viewer approaches.
Typical applications include:
- Retail promotions — special offers, product launches, prices and seasonal campaigns.
- Restaurant and hospitality signage — menus, service instructions, offers and collection information.
- Reception signage — visitor instructions, check-in information and branded notices.
- Safety notices — workplace instructions, warning information and mandatory signage.
- Directional signage — entrances, exits, room directions and short wayfinding messages.
- Event signage — registration information, schedules, directions and table information.
- Office signage — policies, department information and internal communications.
- Property signage — temporary notices, access information and commercial property displays.
The format is particularly useful where the message needs more visual presence than A4 but still needs to remain easy to position in a relatively compact space.
Which Material Is Best for an A3 Sign Board?
The correct material depends primarily on where the sign will be installed and how long it needs to remain there.
A3 Foamex Board Printing — The General-Purpose Choice
A3 Foamex board printing is the most versatile specification for professional A3 signage.
Foamex is 5 mm rigid expanded PVC with a smooth, solid and non-porous printing surface. It is substantially different from lightweight foam-core display board: Foamex is a self-supporting plastic panel designed to remain rigid.
Its smooth face is particularly valuable at A3 because this size frequently combines a prominent heading with detailed supporting information.
A3 Foamex reproduces:
- Small and medium-sized text
- Photographs
- Logos
- QR codes
- Gradients
- Brand colours
- Pricing information
Typical uses include retail POS, menus, reception notices, exhibition graphics, safety signage, indoor wayfinding and customer information.
Foamex can also be used for short-to-medium-term exterior signage. Lamination is worth considering when the board will be weather-exposed, frequently cleaned or subjected to repeated handling.
A3 Dibond Printing — For Permanent Exterior Signs
Choose A3 Dibond printing when the sign needs long-term exterior durability.
Printed Today’s 3 mm aluminium composite panel consists of two aluminium skins bonded to a polyethylene core. This gives the board excellent rigidity, resistance to moisture and far greater long-term dimensional stability than temporary board materials.
At A3, Dibond is particularly suitable for:
- Exterior door signs
- Permanent safety notices
- Building identification
- Commercial premises information
- Industrial signage
- Property management notices
- Permanent directional signs
The aluminium surface is also extremely smooth, allowing logos, detailed text and brand colours to reproduce cleanly.
For permanent installation against brick, timber, metalwork or another solid surface, four-corner drill holes are normally the most practical specification.
A3 Correx Board Printing — Temporary and High-Volume Signage
A3 Correx board printing is designed for temporary signs where low cost and easy handling matter more than premium rigidity.
Correx is a 4 mm fluted polypropylene sheet. Its internal ribs keep it extremely lightweight while the plastic construction remains waterproof.
A3 Correx is particularly useful for:
- Construction notices
- Temporary safety signs
- Event directions
- Contractor information
- Warehouse identification
- Campaign signage
- Temporary property signs
- Short-term promotions
The fluted surface is less refined than Foamex or Dibond. Bold lettering, clear arrows and high-contrast graphics therefore work particularly well.
If an A3 Correx board will be used outdoors in an exposed location, four-corner fixing gives better support than suspending it from the top alone.
A3 KT Soft Board Printing — Lightweight Indoor Displays
A3 soft board printing is the lightweight indoor choice.
KT Soft Board uses a foam core faced with smooth outer liners. The result is a rigid-looking display that remains exceptionally easy to carry, mount and reposition.
At A3 it works well for:
- Exhibition information
- Conference graphics
- Retail POS
- Presentation boards
- Mounted photography
- Event signage
- Temporary indoor promotions
KT Soft Board must remain indoors. Moisture can penetrate the facing and core, causing the board to warp or delaminate.
Where any weather exposure is possible, choose Foamex, Correx or Dibond instead.
A3 Sign Board Materials Compared
| Material | Thickness | Best A3 Application | Outdoor Suitability | Rigidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foamex PVC | 5 mm | Retail, menus, information and general signage | Short to medium term | High |
| ACP / Dibond | 3 mm | Permanent exterior signage | Excellent | Very high |
| Correx | 4 mm | Temporary and volume signage | Good for short-term use | Low to medium |
| KT Soft Board | 5 mm | Portable indoor displays | Not suitable | Medium |
A3 or A4 Sign Board?
A3 provides twice the surface area of A4.
Choose A3 when:
- The main heading needs to be more prominent
- The sign contains more supporting information
- Prices or QR codes need to be larger
- The board needs to attract attention from across a room or aisle
- A4 would feel too small within the installation space
A4 remains better for compact door notices, small instructions and information intended solely for very close viewing.
A3 or A2 Sign Board?
A2 has twice the printable area of A3.
A3 generally makes more sense for counters, doors, receptions, smaller shop displays and locations where viewers remain reasonably close.
Choose A2 instead where:
- The sign must be noticed from further away
- The headline needs significantly more scale
- The artwork depends on a larger photograph
- The board needs to compete with surrounding displays
- More information needs to remain comfortably readable
A3 is therefore a useful midpoint between compact information signage and larger promotional panels.
A3 Sign Board Printing Prices
An A3 board covers approximately 1.34 sq ft.
For a single board on standard 5-working-day delivery, single-sided and without lamination, Printed Today’s current reference prices are:
| Material | A3 Size | Approx. Area | Reference Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Correx 4 mm | 297 × 420 mm | 1.34 sq ft | £4.66 |
| KT Soft Board 5 mm | 297 × 420 mm | 1.34 sq ft | £5.47 |
| Foamex PVC 5 mm | 297 × 420 mm | 1.34 sq ft | £10.95 |
| ACP / Dibond 3 mm | 297 × 420 mm | 1.34 sq ft | £17.09 |
These figures are reference points. Double-sided printing, lamination, fixing options, quantity and faster turnaround can change the final price.
Ordering A3 Sign Boards in Quantity
There is no minimum order.
Because each A3 board contributes approximately 1.34 sq ft, quantities build total order area relatively quickly.
| Quantity | Approx. Total Area |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1.34 sq ft |
| 5 | 6.70 sq ft |
| 10 | 13.40 sq ft |
| 25 | 33.50 sq ft |
| 50 | 67.00 sq ft |
| 100 | 134.00 sq ft |
Since Printed Today prices according to combined order area, ordering a known requirement together can move the job into lower square-foot rate bands.
This is particularly useful for:
- Retail chains
- Office buildings
- Construction sites
- Events
- Property portfolios
- Hospitality venues
Different A3 designs can also be included within the same order. Clearly name each artwork file and state the required quantity for each version.
Single-Sided or Double-Sided A3 Printing?
The installation determines whether the reverse needs printing.
- Single-sided A3 printing — appropriate for walls, doors, windows, counters, frames, fences and other locations where the reverse remains hidden.
- Double-sided A3 printing — suitable for suspended, projecting and freestanding signs visible from more than one direction.
Printed Today UV prints both faces directly onto one sheet, so double-sided production does not increase the physical board thickness.
The second face can also carry completely different artwork, making double-sided A3 particularly useful for directional signage.
Fixing an A3 Sign Board
A3 remains compact enough to support several installation methods, but proper fixing becomes more important where the board is outdoors.
Drill Holes
Choose pre-drilled holes when screws or bolts will hold the board against a solid surface.
- No drill holes — for frames, adhesive mounting or custom on-site fixing.
- Top drill holes — suitable for hanging an A3 sign from two fixing points.
- Four-corner drill holes — suitable for secure permanent or exterior mounting.
Eyelets
Eyelets create reinforced fixing points for cable ties, cord, hooks and similar fittings.
- Top eyelets — useful for suspended indoor or sheltered signage.
- Four-corner eyelets — preferable where an A3 board will be tied against fencing, barriers or temporary structures.
For exterior Correx signage, four-corner fixing helps reduce movement and corner lift.
Matt or Gloss Lamination for A3 Signs
Lamination is optional on all four materials.
- Matt lamination reduces glare from shop windows, spotlights and overhead lighting. It is especially useful for A3 menus, information boards, schedules and text-heavy signs.
- Gloss lamination increases colour saturation and contrast, making promotional imagery and brand colours more prominent.
- No lamination is suitable for many temporary indoor displays where additional protection is unnecessary.
Outdoor Foamex and Dibond signs can also benefit from the additional protective film over the printed surface.
Artwork Specifications for A3 Sign Board Printing
Prepare portrait artwork at 297 × 420 mm or landscape artwork at 420 × 297 mm.
| Specification | A3 Requirement |
|---|---|
| Finished size | 297 × 420 mm |
| Resolution | 150–300 dpi at final size |
| Bleed | 3–5 mm on all sides |
| Colour mode | CMYK preferred, RGB accepted |
| Preferred formats | PDF, AI, EPS |
| Also accepted | PSD, PNG, JPEG, TIFF |
| Fonts | Outlined or converted to curves |
A3 artwork should establish a clear hierarchy between the main message and supporting information. Use the additional area over A4 to increase prominence and spacing rather than simply adding more copy.
Printed Today’s pre-press team manually checks artwork before production and contacts you if dimensions, resolution, bleed or colour setup need correcting.
No Finished A3 Artwork? You Can Still Order
Choose the artwork option that matches your situation.
- Print-ready artwork — upload the completed A3 file during checkout.
- Artwork to follow — place the order now and send the final file afterwards.
- Existing design needs adjustment — Printed Today can resize artwork, add bleed, correct resolution or adapt an existing design to A3.
- Design support required — supply your wording, logo, brand colours, images and design direction and the in-house team can create the artwork free of charge.
Where one campaign needs A4, A3, A2, A1 and A0 boards, each layout can be adapted individually so typography, spacing and image scale remain suitable for the finished format.
A3 Sign Board Delivery Options
Production turnaround begins from artwork approval.
- Standard — 5 working days — the base-rate service for planned jobs.
- 72-hour — three working days from approval.
- 48-hour — two working days from approval.
- 24-hour — express production for urgent signage.
- Same-day collection — available from Bolton or London subject to current production capacity.
A3 is approximately 1.34 sq ft per board. Same-day collection is available for qualifying orders up to 64 sq ft, but daily capacity should always be confirmed through the calculator or customer service team.
How to Order an A3 Printed Sign Board
- Select the material — Foamex PVC, ACP/Dibond, Correx or KT Soft Board.
- Use A3 dimensions — 297 × 420 mm.
- Choose portrait or landscape artwork.
- Enter the required quantity.
- Select single- or double-sided printing.
- Choose no lamination, matt or gloss.
- Add eyelets or drill holes where required.
- Select the turnaround.
- Upload artwork or choose your artwork status.
- Review the live specification and place the order.
Why Order A3 Sign Boards From Printed Today?
Printed Today produces Foamex, Dibond, Correx and KT Soft Board in-house at its UK facility using direct UV printing.
A3 benefits particularly from this process because the format frequently needs to perform at two viewing distances: a headline or image should catch attention first, while prices, instructions or supporting information remain sharp when the viewer approaches.
Producing all four materials through the same workflow also allows the substrate to be selected according to its real application rather than automatically specifying the most expensive board.
Need Help Choosing an A3 Sign Board?
If A3 is the correct size but you are uncertain about material, finishing or turnaround, contact Printed Today before ordering.
- Telephone: 0208 077 1994 — 8am–12am weekdays, 11am–7pm weekends.
- Live chat — 8am–10pm daily.
- Email: [email protected]
Tell the team where the board will be installed, whether it is indoors or outdoors, how long it needs to last and how you plan to fix it. Those details are normally enough to identify the correct A3 specification.