Mat Sizes for Standard Prints
The print-to-opening-to-frame matrix nobody publishes in full, plus the border widths that make a mat read as deliberate.
By Janet H. · Published
Mat border of 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. The matrix below turns any standard print into a mat opening and a frame size.
One rule that makes almost every mat work: the mat should be visibly wider than the frame itself. A 1 inch mat inside a 1.5 inch frame reads as an error, even to someone who could not say what was wrong.
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Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Golden State Art Pre-Cut Mat Board Acid-free board with a bevelled opening in the standard step-down pairs, usually with backing and a sleeve. The default for filling frames you already own. | Best pre-cut mats | |
| 2 | Frametory Pre-Cut Mat Board Acid-free pre-cut mats in white and ivory, sold in multi-packs — the cheapest route to a consistent mat across a whole wall. | Best budget mats | |
| 3 |  Golden State Art Matted Picture Frame Skips the separate mat order entirely: standard step-down openings with acid-free mats on the archival lines. | Best frame with the mat included | |
| 4 | Americanflat Matted Picture Frame The mat lifts out, so one frame serves a matted print now and a full-size print later. Useful when you are not sure yet. | Best removable-mat option |
The full matrix
The mat opening is cut slightly smaller than the print — usually about a quarter inch on each side — so the paper edge is held behind the board rather than sitting flush with it. The figures below are the frame sizes, which is what you actually buy.
| Print size | Standard frame + mat | Border | Generous frame + mat | Border |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4x6 | 5x7 | 0.5 in | 8x10 | 2 in |
| 5x7 | 8x10 | 1.5 in | 11x14 | 3 in |
| 8x10 | 11x14 | 1.5 in | 16x20 | 3 in |
| 8.5x11 | 11x14 | 1.25 in | 16x20 | 3.75 in |
| 11x14 | 16x20 | 2.5 in | 18x24 | 3.5 in |
| 12x16 | 16x20 | 2 in | 20x24 | 4 in |
| 12x18 | 18x24 | 3 in | 20x26 | 4 in |
| 16x20 | 20x24 | 2 in | 24x28 | 4 in |
| 18x24 | 24x30 | 3 in | 26x32 | 4 in |
| 20x30 | 24x36 | 2 in | 28x38 | 4 in |
| 24x36 | 30x42 | 3 in | 32x44 | 4 in |
How wide the border should be
Published guidance from custom framers, by artwork size:
| Artwork | Border width | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 11x17 and 12x18 | 2 to 2.5 in | Small prints are swallowed by a wide border |
| 18x24 | 2.5 to 3.5 in | The most common medium poster |
| 24x36 | 3 to 4 in | Large work needs proportionally more space |
| 27x40 one-sheet | 2.5 to 3 in | Any wider and the frame becomes unmanageable |
| 22x28 half-sheet | 3 in | The conventional treatment |
Acid-free, or do not bother
Ordinary mat board yellows over a few years, and it does not do it politely: it transfers the discolouration to the print along the bevel, leaving a permanent brown line exactly where the eye goes.
Acid-free board costs marginally more and does not do this. On anything you would be annoyed to lose — a photograph of a person, an original, anything signed — it is not optional.
Double mats
A second mat behind the first, revealing a thin line of a different color around the opening — usually a quarter inch. It is the single clearest signal of considered framing and it costs very little.
Keep the inner reveal narrow and the color restrained: a thin dark line inside a white mat lifts a print; a thick colored reveal makes it look like a certificate.
How to mat a print covers cutting your own, and the matted frame roundup covers buying it done.
Mats on a gallery wall
A consistent mat across every frame is the strongest unifier available on a gallery wall. It is also the cheapest fix for a wall of mismatched frames: the mats become the repeated element and the frames become texture.
Matching versus mixed frames covers why that works, and gallery wall frame sizing covers making the totals add up once mats are in the equation.
The picks in full
Each entry states what it is for, the specification that decides it, and who should skip it.
1. Best pre-cut mats
Golden State Art Pre-Cut Mat Board
Golden State Art
Acid-free board with a bevelled opening in the standard step-down pairs, usually with backing and a sleeve. The default for filling frames you already own.
- Cut
- Pre-cut bevel opening, standard step-down sizes
- Material
- Acid-free board with backing and a clear sleeve on most packs
- Sizes
- Common pairs such as 11x14 matted to 8x10
- Packs
- Singles and multi-packs
The spec that decides it: Pre-cut bevel openings on acid-free board, in standard pairs such as 11x14 to 8x10.
Skip it if: Your opening is non-standard — pre-cut mats only come in stock pairs.
2. Best budget mats
Frametory Pre-Cut Mat Board
Frametory
Acid-free pre-cut mats in white and ivory, sold in multi-packs — the cheapest route to a consistent mat across a whole wall.
- Cut
- Pre-cut bevel opening
- Material
- Acid-free board with backing
- Colors
- White and ivory
- Packs
- Singles and multi-packs
The spec that decides it: Pre-cut bevel openings, acid-free, white and ivory, multi-pack.
Skip it if: You want a colored or double mat — these lines are plain white and ivory only.
3. Best frame with the mat included
Golden State Art Matted Picture Frame
Golden State Art
Skips the separate mat order entirely: standard step-down openings with acid-free mats on the archival lines.
- Common openings
- 11x14 frame matted to 8x10; 16x20 matted to 11x14
- Mat
- Acid-free on the archival lines
- Glazing
- Glass or acrylic by line
- Packs
- Often sold in multi-packs
The spec that decides it: Common pairings such as 11x14 matted to 8x10 and 16x20 matted to 11x14.
Skip it if: You want a generous 3 in border — in-box mats give roughly 1.5 to 2 in.
4. Best removable-mat option
Americanflat Matted Picture Frame
Americanflat
The mat lifts out, so one frame serves a matted print now and a full-size print later. Useful when you are not sure yet.
- Common openings
- Standard step-down sizes with the mat in the box
- Mat
- Removable — the frame also takes the full size unmatted
- Glazing
- Shatter-resistant plexiglass
- Orientation
- Wall or tabletop
The spec that decides it: Standard step-down openings with a removable mat and shatter-resistant plexiglass.
Skip it if: You are certain of the print size — a fixed matted frame is usually cheaper.
Common questions
What size mat do I need for an 8x10 print?
An 11x14 frame with a standard mat gives a border of about 1.5 inches. For a more generous 3 inch border, use a 16x20 frame with a custom-cut 8x10 opening. The mat opening itself is cut about a quarter inch smaller than the print on each side.
What size mat for an 11x14 print?
A 16x20 frame with a standard mat gives a 2.5 inch border, which is the conventional treatment. An 18x24 frame gives a more generous 3.5 inches.
What size mat for a 24x36 frame?
Working the other way: a 24x36 frame with a standard mat holds a 20x30 print with a 2 inch border. If you want a 24x36 print matted, you need roughly a 30x42 frame for a 3 inch border.
How wide should a mat border be?
Published custom-framing guidance gives 2 to 2.5 inches around small prints, 2.5 to 3.5 inches around an 18x24, and 3 to 4 inches around a 24x36. The one firm rule is that the mat should be visibly wider than the frame molding.
Does mat board need to be acid-free?
For anything you care about, yes. Ordinary board yellows within a few years and transfers that discolouration onto the print along the bevel, leaving a permanent brown line exactly where the eye goes. Acid-free board costs marginally more and does not.
What color mat should I use?
White or off-white works with almost everything and is what galleries use. If you want color, choose the second-lightest tone in the artwork rather than the dominant one — matching the dominant color makes the image disappear into its own border.
Sources for the figures on this page
Read next
- Picture Frame Sizes Chart
Every standard frame size with its unmatted and matted capacity — the table to check before you order anything.
- How to Mat a Print
Working out the opening, choosing acid-free board, and the two mounting methods that do not damage the print.
- Best Matted Frames
Matted frames compared on border width, acid-free board and the step-down sizes each line covers.
- Matching vs Mixed Frames
The four variables on a gallery wall, how many you can change at once, and why mixed walls usually fail.
- How to Make Cheap Art Look Expensive
Matting, scale, hanging height, frame consistency and glazing — the five changes that do almost all the work.
- Frame Sizes for Gallery Walls
Frame size combinations by target wall width, with gaps included — the arithmetic to do before ordering.