Every framing guide, in one place

Exact outside dimensions, matting maths and print pairings for every standard frame size.

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  Standard picture frame sizes explained

  Every standard picture frame size in inches and centimetres, which print each one fits, and how matting changes the frame size you need to buy.

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  Frame size chart

  A printable frame size chart pairing every common frame with its photo, poster and art print size in both inches and centimetres.

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  The 11x14 frame, measured properly

  What an 11x14 frame actually holds, the mat openings that turn it into an 8x10 or 8.5x11 display, and how to buy one that fits.

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  Poster frame sizes and what they fit

  Standard poster frame sizes from 11x17 to 27x40, the odd sizes posters actually ship in, and how to frame a poster without trimming it.

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  Diploma and graduation frames

  Diploma frame sizes by school, how to measure a certificate before you buy, double-diploma layouts, and why diploma frames cost what they do.

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  The 12x18 frame

  12x18 is a true 2:3 frame size, which makes it perfect for DSLR photos and awkward for everything else. Here is what fits and what does not.

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  The 20x30 frame

  A 20x30 frame fits a 2:3 enlargement edge to edge. Here are the mat options, weight limits and hanging hardware a frame that size needs.

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  5x7 picture frames

  The 5x7 frame is the desk and shelf standard. Here is what fits it, the mat that drops a 4x6 inside, and how to group them well.

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  The 8x10 frame

  How big an 8x10 frame really is on the wall, the 5x7 and 4x6 mat openings that fit it, and when to size up to a matted 11x14 instead.

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  The 18x24 frame

  18x24 is the small poster standard and a 3:4 art size. Mat options, moulding width, glazing choice and hanging hardware for an 18x24 frame.

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  The 16x20 frame

  16x20 is the most useful mid-size frame there is: it takes an 11x14 mat, a 12x16 print or a full-bleed 16x20 canvas. Here are the numbers.

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  The 8.5x11 frame

  8.5x11 frames hold letter paper, certificates and awards. Why they are rarer than 8x10, and the mat that makes an 11x14 frame do the job better.

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  The 24x36 frame

  24x36 is the default large poster size. Weight, glazing, moulding width and the hanging hardware a frame that big genuinely needs.

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  27x40 movie poster frames

  27x40 is the modern one-sheet. Why real posters measure 27x40 or 27x41, how to frame both, and the hardware a frame this big needs.

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  Metric frame sizes and their inch equivalents

  A-series and centimetre frame sizes converted to inches, with the nearest US frame for each — and where the conversion quietly fails.

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  Mini and small picture frames

  Wallet, 2x3, 3x5 and 4x6 frames — what each holds, where they work, and how to group small frames without making a mess of a shelf.

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  Large picture frames

  Past about 24x36 a frame stops being decor and starts being engineering. Glazing, moulding, weight limits and hanging for big frames.

Mouldings, mats, glazing and backing — what each one costs you in money, weight and protection.

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  Picture frame mats and mat sizes

  How a mat is measured, the overlap that stops a print falling through, standard mat openings by frame size, and custom mat maths.

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  Picture frame glass and acrylic glazing

  Standard, non-glare, UV and museum glass compared with acrylic on price, weight, clarity and protection — and when each one is the right call.

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  The best wood for picture frames

  Poplar, oak, maple, walnut, ash and pine ranked for stability, finish and cost — plus the woods that warp and ruin a mitre.

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  Picture frame moulding explained

  Rabbet depth, face width, profiles and lineal-foot pricing — how to read a moulding spec and buy the right length for your frame.

Gold, black, vintage, floater, gallery wall — choosing a finish that suits the artwork and the room.

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  Gold picture frames

  Real gold leaf, composition gilt and gold-toned metal compared, plus which artwork suits an ornate gold frame and which one it kills.

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  Black picture frames

  Matte, satin, gloss and stained black frames compared, why black is the safe gallery default, and when it flattens the artwork instead.

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  Vintage and antique picture frames

  How to date an antique frame, spot a reproduction, repair gesso and compo damage, and safely fit modern art into an old frame.

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  Float frames and floater frames

  A float frame suspends paper between glass; a floater frame surrounds a canvas with a gap. They are not the same thing — here is how to use each.

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  Acrylic and lucite picture frames

  Magnetic acrylic blocks, standoff panels and lucite box frames — how each mounts a print, what they cost, and how to keep them scratch-free.

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  Gallery wall frames

  Frame size mixes that actually work, the 2–3 inch spacing rule, how to plan a grid or salon wall on paper, and hanging it straight the first time.

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  Digital picture frames

  How digital frames get photos onto the screen, the specs that matter, whether they play video, and which features suit a gift for a grandparent.

Build it, mat it, hang it and keep it straight — step-by-step framing projects.

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  Puzzle frames

  Finished puzzle sizes by piece count, the frames that fit them, and how to glue, lift and mount a puzzle without cracking it.

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  How to make a picture frame

  Cut, join and finish a wooden picture frame with basic tools — including the rabbet, the mitre maths and the assembly order that keeps it square.

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  How to frame a picture

  The order of operations for framing art at home: clean the glazing, hinge the print, fit the mat, seal the back and avoid the mistakes that damage paper.

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  How to hang a picture frame

  Hanging height, hardware by weight, drywall versus plaster, and the paper-template method that gets a gallery wall right the first time.

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  What size frame do I need?

  Measure the artwork, decide on a mat, then pick the frame — with a lookup table for every common print size, matted and unmatted.

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  Aspect ratio and frame sizes

  Why a 4:3 photo will not fit an 8x10 frame, which frame sizes share a ratio, and how to resize a print without losing someone's head.

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  Where to buy picture frames

  Big-box, craft store, online custom and secondhand compared on price, sizes and quality — plus what custom framing actually costs.