Skip to content
HangHue

Hang & Hue

Frames & Sizing

Buy the frame once. The charts below turn a print size into a frame size and a mat opening without any measuring errors.

Stacked wooden and black picture frames leaning against a plaster wall

Measure the artwork, not the wall. The print size sets the mat opening, the mat border sets the frame size, and the glazing sets how you can hang it. Done in that order it is arithmetic. Done backwards — buying a frame you like and hoping the print fits — it is a returns problem.

An 8x10 print in an 11x14 frame with a standard mat. A 24x36 poster in a 24x36 frame with no mat, or a 30x42 frame if you want a mat. Those two step-ups cover most of what people actually buy.

At a glance

Most-stocked photo sizes
4x6, 5x7, 8x10, 11x14
Available unmatted and matted from almost every brand.
Most-stocked poster sizes
18x24, 24x36
24x36 is the single most common poster size sold.
Movie one-sheet
27x40 in
27x41 before the 1980s. Check a vintage poster before buying.
Commercial poster size
22.375x34 in
The size AllPosters and Trends International print at. Not 24x36.
Mat border, small art
2-2.5 in
11x17 and 12x18 prints.
Mat border, medium art
2.5-3.5 in
18x24 prints.
Mat border, large art
3-4 in
24x36 prints.
Glazing for adhesive hanging
Acrylic, not glass
Roughly half the weight. It is what keeps a big frame under 16 lb.

Frame and poster dimensions are the sizes the industry actually stocks; mat border ranges follow published custom-framing guidance.

Standard frame sizes and what they hold

Frame sizeUnmatted, holdsMatted, holdsTypical use
5x7 in5x74x6Desk and shelf photos
8x10 in8x105x7The most common gift-frame size
11x14 in11x148x10Standard wall photo; the workhorse size
16x20 in16x2011x14Statement photo, small art print
18x24 in18x2412x18Standard medium poster
20x24 in20x2416x20Large photo prints
24x36 in24x3620x30The most common large poster size
27x40 in27x4024x36Modern movie one-sheet
The matted column is the standard step-down most brands ship in the box. Custom mats can open to any size.

The full sizes chart extends this to every stocked size including the awkward ones, and the mat sizing chart gives the print-to-opening-to-frame matrix in full. The two tables are a pair — most framing questions are answered by reading across both.

What the mat is actually for

A mat does three jobs, and only one of them is decorative. It holds the artwork off the glazing so the print cannot stick to it in a humid room; it gives the eye a rest between the image and the frame; and it lets a smaller print fill a larger frame, which is the cheapest way to make inexpensive art look considered.

Border widths that work: 2 to 2.5 inches around a small print, 2.5 to 3.5 inches around an 18x24, and 3 to 4 inches around a 24x36. Wider than the frame molding, always — a 1 inch mat inside a 1.5 inch frame reads as a mistake.

Buy acid-free mat board if the artwork matters. Ordinary board yellows and, worse, transfers that discolouration onto the paper in a visible bevel line within a few years. How to mat a print covers doing it yourself, and the matted frame roundup covers buying it already done.

Glass or acrylic — and why renters should care

Glass is harder, so it resists scratching and stays optically flatter over large spans. Acrylic is lighter, does not shatter, and is the only sensible choice above about 20x30 in a household with children or in a hallway where a frame gets knocked. The full acrylic versus glass comparison has the trade-offs side by side.

Which frame to buy

The honest position: at standard sizes, in a normal room, the difference between a budget frame and an expensive one is the glazing material, the mat quality and the depth of the molding. Nothing else is visible from three feet away.

Common questions

What are the standard picture frame sizes?

The most widely stocked sizes are 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 18x24, 20x24, 24x36 and 27x40 inches. The first four cover almost all photographs; 18x24 and 24x36 cover most posters; 27x40 is the modern movie one-sheet.

What size mat do I need for an 8x10 print?

An 8x10 print sits in an 11x14 frame with a standard mat, which gives a border of about 1.5 inches on each side. For a more generous 2.5 inch border, use a 13x16 or 16x20 frame with a custom-cut 8x10 opening.

What size frame do I need for a 24x36 poster?

A 24x36 frame with no mat. If you want a mat border, step up to roughly 30x42, which gives a 3 inch border on each side. Check the poster first: commercial posters are often printed at 22.375x34 inches rather than 24x36, and a 24x36 frame will leave a visible gap.

What is the difference between a picture frame and a shadow box?

Depth. A picture frame holds flat artwork against a backing board with a few millimeters of clearance. A shadow box has a deep rebate, usually an inch or more, so a three-dimensional object such as a medal, a jersey or a pressed flower can be mounted without being crushed against the glazing.

Can you frame a poster without glass?

Yes. Acrylic glazing is the usual substitute and weighs about half as much, which matters if you are hanging with adhesive strips. Frameless options such as magnetic poster hangers and clip frames also work, though they leave the paper exposed to dust and humidity.

Is acrylic or glass better for picture frames?

Acrylic for anything large, anything hung with adhesive strips, and anywhere breakage is a risk, because it weighs roughly half as much and does not shatter. Glass for smaller frames where scratch resistance and optical flatness matter more than weight.

Sources for the figures on this page

All frames guides

Standard frame sizes, mat openings for every common print, and the frame lines worth buying at each size.

Disclosure: Hang & Hue earns commission from qualifying purchases made through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It does not change which products we recommend or the order they appear in — read our editorial policy and full affiliate disclosure.