How Loud Is Too Loud — Decibel Chart Print

A decibel scale from the threshold of hearing to the threshold of damage, with the safe exposure time marked at every level that has one. Not a novelty chart — the numbers are the ones that matter.

Eighty-five decibels is kerbside traffic and eight hours. A violin under your own ear is ninety-four and one hour. Front row at a rock gig is a hundred and ten, and two minutes. Decibels are not a straight line: every ten of them is roughly twice as loud again, which is why the gap between a rehearsal and a gig is not a small one.

Hearing loss from noise is permanent, and painless while it is happening. This print exists to make that visible on a wall where musicians will see it.

How it is made

Unframed prints are made in the UK on 170gsm silk poster stock, rolled in tissue and sent in a rigid tube.

Framed editions are a step up: the same design printed on 200gsm enhanced matte fine art paper, set in a classic moulding behind a perspex glaze — lighter than glass, safer in a room where people play, and it survives the post. No mount, so the image runs full bleed to the frame. Arrives ready to hang.

Sizes

A4 is 21 × 29.7 cm, A3 is 29.7 × 42 cm, A2 is 42 × 59.4 cm. A2 is the one most people mean by "a proper poster" — if it is going above a desk or a record player, that is the size to pick. Our print sizes guide has the full measurements and hanging heights.

Made to order

Every print is made when you order it, so allow 3–5 working days before it ships. Nothing sits in a warehouse fading.