Swiss size - Weltformat - Format mondial – Galerie 1 2 3

Swiss size - Weltformat - Format mondial

There are countless poster formats, but one is more important than the others in Switzerland, where it has been adopted as the standard: the Swiss size (Weltformat in German, Format mondial in French).

Originally created to standardise the dimensions of posters for the 1914 Swiss National Exhibition, the Swiss size quickly became popular with graphic designers, poster artists and collectors alike, who appreciate its ideal dimensions, neither too large nor too small (90.5 x 128 cm).

For 110 years, this has been the format of advertising posters that can be seen on billboards all over Switzerland.

Weltformat 15 Plakatfestival Luzern

2015 – Melchior IMBODEN

CHF 330.–

Swiss National Exhibition Bern 1914

The Swiss size or Weltformat.

Originally developed as a system for rationalising the different sizes of paper used for posters and printing, the Swiss size (Weltformat in German) has become the format of choice for Swiss posters.

Exposition Nationale Suisse, Berne

1914 – Emil CARDINAUX

CHF 1760.–

Faced with the need to standardise the size of posters to promote the Swiss National Exhibition in Bern in 1914, the Société Générale d'Affichage (SGA APG) and the exhibition's organising committee decided in 1913 to impose the format 90.5 x 128 cm for all advertising posters displayed throughout Switzerland.

This large format, based on a system invented by Wilhelm Ostwald, will simply be called Weltformat in German, Format mondial in French and Swiss size in English.

Created by Emil Cardinaux, this poster in the style of Hodler for the 1914 Swiss National Exhibition in Bern is the first official Swiss poster in the Weltformat.

THE FIRST SWISS SIZE POSTERS

The famous printer J.E. Wolfensberger in Zurich began printing posters in a similar format (around 92/95 x 121/125 cm) in 1909. Among others, we can mention the PKZ or Forster posters by B. Mangold, Maskenball by E. Cardinaux, Gottfried Keller or Gebr Fretz by C. Moos.

In 1913, the year SGA-APG adopted the Swiss size, Otto Baumberger, then artistic director of the Wolfensberger printing works, printed his first posters in this format. The switch to the Weltformat was made easier by the fact that the workshop's presses already operated in a similar format.

Zürich, Restaurant Du Pont

1913 – Otto BAUMBERGER

CHF 2420.–

Zürich, Restaurant St-Gotthard

1913 – Otto BAUMBERGER

CHF 2930.–

Zürich, Specks Cinema, Haus du Pont

1913 – Otto BAUMBERGER

CHF 2420.–

Other famous artists followed suit:

Hôtel Saint-Gotthard, Zürich

1915 – Erwin ROTH

CHF 1250.–

Teppishhaus Schuster & Co, St.Gallen & Zürich

1916 – Emil CARDINAUX

CHF 2650.–

Gebrüder Scholl, Zürich

1916 – Erwin ROTH

CHF 3230.–

It was also at this time that the billboards were standardised to the Swiss size.

Origins of the Swiss size

In 1911, the German scientist and philosopher Wilhelm Ostwald, winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1909, developed a system of paper formats to rationalise the printing and distribution of books and other printed matter.

In this system, called 'Weltformat', the ratio between the width and height of the sheets of paper is constant, based on the square root of 2
(1:√2, a ratio of approximately 1:1.41).

Weltformat, Graphic Design Festival, Luzern

2022 – Erich BRECHBÜHL, Felix PFÄFFLI

CHF 170.–

A SWISS SIZE FOR THE SWISS MARKET

This system was not as successful as expected and was superseded in 1922 by the DIN formats (A0... A4...).

Only Switzerland adopted one of Ostwald's formats, number XIV (128 x 90.5 cm), as the standard for advertising posters displayed on Swiss territory.

L'apéritif Amer Picon

1928 circa – Severo POZZATI, PUBLIVOX

CHF 1590.–

Also known to poster and paper manufacturers as Raisin4 or R4 in French, B4 in German and F4 in Italian, World Format has become the basic format for the majority of advertising campaigns in Switzerland.

Nowadays, it is known throughout Switzerland as F4 (F for format).

SGA-APG currently prefers slightly smaller posters (128 x 89.5 cm), which can be expanded when stuck to billboards or placed in light boxes.

Hotel St-Gotthard, Zürich

1917 – Otto BAUMBERGER

CHF 1240.–

Fête des Fleurs, Genève

1928 – Edouard ELZINGRE

CHF 2870.–

Weisflog der Magenstärker

1933 – RENO

CHF 2340.–

Posters in Swiss size 1914 - 1939 >

A sensational size

Since 1914, thousands of Swiss posters have been printed every year in the Swiss size/Weltformat.

In an increasingly busy urban landscape, the size of the Weltformat means that graphic designers can convey their message in a highly visible way, imposing their style and highlighting the motifs represented.

Kinagin, le vermouth au Quina et au Gin

1941 – Eugene PATKEVITCH

CHF 980.–

General Dynamics, L'atome au service de la paix, hydrodynamics

1955 – Erik NITSCHE

CHF 2670.–

SBB, Ihre Wagen

1957 – Peter BIRKHAUSER

CHF 2840.–

Swiss size posters 1940 - 1959 >

Framed Nitsche poster

1960 – Erik NITSCHE

A favourite format among collectors of vintage posters, the Swiss size is large enough to make a strong visual impact, yet small enough for the walls of modern interiors, making it ideal for personalising and giving a unique character to your home.

Genève, Salon International de l'Auto 1964

1964 – Michel MARTINA

CHF 1240.–

Genève et Lausanne, Championnats du monde de hockey sur glace

1961 – Lucien & Jean ONGARO

CHF 490.–

Sinalco, Prix de l'affiche Suisse 1968

1968 – Ruedi KÜLLING

CHF 1170.–

Swiss size posters 1960 -1979 >

Bier, Bière, Birra

1970 – Elvira VOMSTEIN

CHF 470.–

Bataclan, cabaret le plus sexy

1973 circa – ASLAN

CHF 540.–

Pepita

1972 – Herbert LEUPIN

CHF 930.–

Travel poster

Tourism promotion campaigns for Switzerland very often use posters printed in the Swiss size/Weltformat.
Switzerland is probably the country that has produced the highest number of large-format tourism posters in the world.
A singularity that is now the delight of Swiss tourism poster collectors.

La Ligne du Simplon

1949 – Emil CARDINAUX

CHF 4650.–

Arosa, Berg-Strandbad, Schweiz

1933 – Johannes HANDSCHIN

CHF 4650.–

New

Jungfrau-Bahn, Berner Oberland Schweiz.

1924 – Emil CARDINAUX

CHF 6370.–

If the advertiser had a sufficient budget, the image was sometimes printed in two formats: once in Swiss size for the domestic market, and once in the smaller International Travel size (English double royal 102 x 64 cm) or in the small Italian size for Ticino posters (100 x 70 cm).

Swiss travel posters in Weltformat >

F12

The large horizontal F12 posters (128 x 270 cm) that we see in Swiss streets or on train station platforms are made up of three F4 sheets stuck next to each other.

Poster for the 1995 Willisau Jazz Festival by Niklaus Troxler >

jazz-in-willisau-kronos-quartet-45687-couleur-vintage-poster.jpeg

Poster for the Benetton fashion brand in 1997 by Oliviero Toscani >

h0711_united_colors_of_benetton_affiche_ancienne_originale.jpeg

A Swiss peculiarity!

Despite its "universal" name (Weltformat = World Format), and as the English translation points out (Swiss size), this format only exists in Switzerland!

Contemporary Swiss size posters >

Weltformat, Plakatfestival Luzern

Since 2009, the "Weltformat, Plakatfestival Luzern" exhibition has been presenting an annual selection of posters in the Swiss size/Weltformat:

Swiss Style posters >

Schweppes >