A2 or A1 is the question I get asked more than any other, and the honest answer is that it depends less on your wall than on how much is drawn on the map. A2 measures 594 x 420 mm. A1 measures 841 x 594 mm. Both are landscape, both are the same Giclée print on the same paper, and the difference between them is not quality. It is how many names you can read from the sofa.
This guide sets out what each size holds, using the actual station and musician counts from my own research files, so you can match the size to the map rather than guessing.
The Two Sizes, in Numbers
| Size | UK and Europe | US, Canada, Australia | Orientation |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2 | 594 x 420 mm | 24 x 18 in | Landscape |
| A1 | 841 x 594 mm | 36 x 24 in | Landscape |
A1 is exactly twice the area of A2. That is worth holding on to, because it is not a marginal step up. It is double the surface for the same drawing.
A2 or A1 Depends on the Density of the Map
Every one of my maps uses the same grammar: each album is a station, each credited musician is a named line calling at the albums they played on. What varies enormously is how many of each there are, and that is the number that should decide your size.
Here are four maps from my own research files, at different points on that range.
My Smiths map plots four albums and seven credited musicians: the four band members, Paul Carrack and Annalisa Jablonska on the 1984 debut, and Stephen Street on Strangeways, Here We Come. That is a spacious diagram. Every line has room, the labels are generous, and at A2 you can read the whole thing standing three metres back.
My Manic Street Preachers map plots fifteen albums and 80 credited musicians. Still comfortable at A2, but the one-song guest lines, the people who board for a single track, start to get small.
My Kinks map plots 24 albums, with per-album credited counts running from four on Phobia up to fourteen on Preservation Act 2. At A2 the overall shape reads beautifully. At A1 you can actually find Jimmy Page's twelve-string credit on the 1964 debut without leaning in.
My Rolling Stones map is the other end entirely. When I counted the credits across that catalogue the total came to 374. There is no version of that diagram that is comfortable at A2. Go A1.
A Simple Rule I Give People
If the map has fewer than about 20 stations and fewer than about 60 credited names, A2 will serve you well.
Above that, or if the person receiving it is the kind of fan who reads liner notes for pleasure, go A1. The detail is the point of these prints, and on a busy map A2 asks you to walk up to the wall to get the reward.
There is also a plain practical test. Stand where the print will actually hang, whether that is a desk, a sofa or a hallway, and measure how far away you will usually be. Under two metres, A2 is fine for most maps. Over two metres, or across a room, A1 every time.
Three Maps That Come in A1 Only
Of the 80 maps in the range, 77 are made in both sizes. Three are produced in A1 only, because the amount plotted on them does not survive being reduced:
- The Beatles Discography Tube Map
- The Beatles Discography Tube Map, black edition
- The Levellers Discography Tube Map
On those three the choice is made for you. I would rather remove the option than sell somebody a version of a map they cannot read.
Framed or Unframed at Each Size
Both sizes are sold unframed, or ready to hang in a black wood frame. Black is the only frame colour I offer, and unframed lets you match a frame to the room, which matters more than people expect with a print this wide.
If you are buying unframed with the intention of framing it later, buy the size first and worry about the frame second. Stepping up from A2 to A1 is a small addition to the print itself. Reframing later, or buying a second frame because the first one was the wrong size, costs considerably more than that.
Buying From Outside the UK
The A series is a European paper standard, so for buyers in the USA, Canada and Australia I list the two nearest imperial sizes instead. A2 becomes 24 x 18 in and A1 becomes 36 x 24 in. The artwork is the same, so everything in this guide applies equally.
What Does Not Change Between the Sizes
Both sizes are printed as museum-quality Giclées on 230gsm premium acid-free fine art paper with a textured matte finish. Both are hand-designed by me without AI, drawn from album sleeves and session archives. The full technical detail is on my print specifications page.
Choosing A2 is not choosing a lesser print. It is choosing a smaller one.
Questions People Ask About Size
Is A1 worth going up to?
On a dense map, yes. On a sparse one it is a matter of wall space rather than legibility. The step up from A2 to A1 is a modest one on the print, and on a busy map it usually buys more readability than the difference suggests.
What is the difference between A2 and A1 in inches?
A2 is roughly 23 x 16 in and A1 is roughly 33 x 23 in. The US, Canadian and Australian listings use 24 x 18 in and 36 x 24 in, which are separate formats rather than direct conversions.
Are the maps portrait or landscape?
Landscape. A discography runs along a timeline, so the drawing is always wider than it is tall.
Can I order a size that is not listed?
Not as standard. The two sizes are what the artwork has been prepared and proofed for, and I would rather keep the print quality consistent than scale a file to fit an unusual space.
How do I tell how dense a map is before I buy?
Every product page lists the album count and the span, and most of the maps have a blog post behind them that gives the credited musician count as well. If the numbers are high, size up.
Which size should I buy as a present if I am not sure?
If you cannot check their wall, a Mike Bell Maps gift card avoids the problem entirely and lets them pick the map as well as the size.
Before You Order
Every map in the range is listed with its sizes and current prices on the product page, so the quickest check is simply to look at the options before you decide. If you want the wider set of things worth checking before buying a print from anyone, I have written that up separately in where to buy art prints online. For how the maps themselves work, there is how to read a music map.
The maps themselves are in my Music Wall Art Prints collection.
