Picture Frame Sizes: Standard Dimensions, Mats and What Fits

Standard picture frame sizes and the mats they take

Every frame below is sold ready-made in the US. "Holds" is the artwork that fills the opening with no mat. "With a standard mat" is the smaller print the frame takes when bought with a pre-cut mat, and the mat opening is the visible window.

Pre-cut mats are cut 1/2 in smaller than the print in each direction, so the mat overlaps the print by 1/4 in on every edge and hides any white border. Custom framers often cut tighter, 1/4 in smaller in total, when the image runs close to its edge.

11 × 14 frame 11 × 14 in8 × 10 print 8 × 10 inMat opening 7.5 × 9.5 in

Frame sizes in cm (metric frames)

European, UK and Australian shops sell frames in centimeters and ISO paper sizes. Metric and inch frames are close enough to be confused but rarely interchangeable.

How big is the frame on the outside?

The outside size equals the artwork opening plus twice the visible moulding width, less the lip that overlaps the artwork. For planning wall space, opening plus twice the moulding face width is close enough.

The lip (rabbet) on the back of the moulding covers about 3/16 to 1/4 in (5 to 6 mm) of the artwork on each side. An unmatted 8 × 10 print therefore shows about 7.5 × 9.5 in. If the image has text or detail at the very edge, use a mat or a frame one size up.

Frame depth matters too: the rabbet must be deep enough for glazing, mat, artwork and backing. Standard frames take about 1/4 in of stack; canvas and thick mounted prints need deep "shadow box" or canvas frames.

Square and specialty frame sizes

Poster frames from 11 × 17 to 30 × 40 in, with mat combinations, are on the poster sizes page.

How to pick a frame and mat size

1. Measure the artwork, not the image file or the label. Prints from labs can be trimmed a few millimeters off nominal, and older photos often use non-standard sizes such as 3.5 × 3.5 in.
2. Decide the visible area. With a mat, subtract 1/2 in from each dimension (pre-cut) or 1/4 in (custom) to get the opening.
3. Choose the border. Mat borders of 1.5 to 2 in suit prints up to 8 × 10; 2.5 to 3.5 in suit 11 × 14 to 18 × 24. Many framers weight the bottom border 1/4 to 1/2 in wider so the image does not look like it is sliding down.
4. Add it up. Frame size = mat opening + 2 × border. A 5 × 7 print with a 4.5 × 6.5 in opening and 2 in borders needs an 8.5 × 10.5 in frame, which is not standard, so round to 8 × 10 (1.75 in borders) or 11 × 14 (3.25 and 3.75 in).
5. Check the shape. Without a mat, the print must match the frame's proportions exactly. A mat absorbs a mismatch: a 3.5 × 5.5 in opening in an 8 × 10 frame gives an even 2.25 in border around a 2:3 photo, even though the frame itself is 4:5.

Which print size suits each camera and how much cropping to expect is covered in photo print sizes. For choosing frame sizes for a wall or above furniture, see the wall art size guide, and for mirror frames, mirror sizes.

Frequently asked questions