Movie posters are created with the intention of advertising films. As the name suggests, horror movie posters are posters advertising horror movies. Horror movie posters have been around since the earliest public exhibitions of horror movies. They were used as placards listing the horror movies that were being shown in the theater. It was in the early 1900s, that horror movie posters began to feature illustrations of scenes from horror movies.

Nowadays, horror movie posters are issued in small print runs that are discarded when the film ends. However, previously, with large runs for most titles, horror movie posters were stored in production companies or advertising warehouses, with a few kept as souvenirs by theater owners. It was after the interest in pop art in the late 1960s that people started collecting horror movie posters as a hobby. Because they are rare, the supply is dwindling, and private collectors are willing to pay top dollar for collectables.

Horror movie posters come in different sizes and style that vary according to the country. In the United States, horror movie posters are found as inserts, three sheets, six sheets, one sheet and 22 inches by 28 inches sizes. The United Kingdom sizes are quad, double crown and three sheets. In Australia, most of the horror movie posters come in a size called daybill.

Nowadays, you can make your own horror movie posters. You become the director and executive producer of your own super-blockbuster with the poster as proof. All you need is a photo from a digital camera and Flickr and a poster making software.