A one sheet movie poster is a specific size (typically 27 by 41 inches (69 cm × 104 cm) before 1985; 27 by 40 inches (69 cm × 102 cm) after 1985) of film poster advertising. Multiple one-sheets are used to assemble larger advertisements, which are referred to by their sheet count, including 24-sheet billboards, and 30-sheet billboards.
The term is also used as synonym for the poster artwork and the film poster itself. Since a one sheet is used in the official advertising for a film, they are prized by both collectors of memorabilia for specific films and of film posters themselves. Film posters sold in general retail are in poster size, 24 by 36 inches (61 cm × 91 cm). Prior to 1985, the majority of film posters sent to cinemas were folded before mailing, although, on rare occasions, they were instead rolled and shipped in tubes. While today there are several ways to eliminate these fold lines, many purists prefer film posters in their used conditions.
One sheets are typically designed to be eye-catching and to convey the main elements of the film, such as the title, cast, and release date. They may also include taglines or quotes from critics or audiences.