Standard frame sizes, and when to go custom.
Best Framing cuts every frame to the piece it holds, in Costa Mesa, Orange County, so a standard size is a starting point rather than a rule. Here are the standard frame and mat sizes in inches, how wide a mat should be, and when a custom size pays off.
What are the standard picture frame sizes?
The standard picture frame sizes in the US, in inches, are 4 × 6, 5 × 7, 8 × 10, 8.5 × 11, 11 × 14, 12 × 16, 16 × 20, 18 × 24, 20 × 24, 24 × 36, 27 × 40 and 30 × 40. A frame is named for the size of what it holds, not its outside edge, so an 11 × 14 frame holds an 11 × 14 piece, or a smaller one inside a mat. At Best Framing in Costa Mesa every frame is cut to size, so your piece never has to fit a stock frame.
- Small
- 4 × 6 and 5 × 7: snapshots and small prints.
- Medium
- 8 × 10, 8.5 × 11 and 11 × 14: photographs, certificates and small art.
- Large
- 12 × 16, 16 × 20, 18 × 24 and 20 × 24: prints and art.
- Poster
- 24 × 36 and 27 × 40, the size of most posters and movie posters.
- Extra large
- 30 × 40. Larger than that, frames are usually made to order.
What size mat do you need for a print?
Go one or two frame sizes up from the print, and cut the mat opening about half an inch smaller than the print in each direction, so the mat overlaps every edge by about a quarter inch and holds it in place.
- 5 × 7 print
- 8 × 10 frame, opening about 4.5 × 6.5.
- 8 × 10 print
- 11 × 14 frame, opening about 7.5 × 9.5.
- 8.5 × 11 document
- 11 × 14 frame, opening about 8 × 10.5.
- 11 × 14 print
- 16 × 20 frame, opening about 10.5 × 13.5.
- 12 × 16 print
- 16 × 20 frame, opening about 11.5 × 15.5.
- 16 × 20 print
- 20 × 24 frame, opening about 15.5 × 19.5.
These are common starting points, not rules. A signed print can have its opening cut to keep the signature in view, and a piece with ragged edges can be floated so nothing is covered at all.
How wide should a mat be?
Wider than most people expect. A common starting point is 2 to 3 inches for small and medium pieces and 3 to 4 inches or more for large ones, often with the bottom border a little wider than the top. In a grid, every mat is the same width, so every frame lines up with the one beside it.
Small and medium pieces
A border of about 2 to 3 inches is a common starting point. Too narrow, and the mat looks like an afterthought.
Large pieces
About 3 to 4 inches or more, so the border stays in proportion to the art.
A heavier bottom
Many framers make the bottom border slightly wider than the top, so the art does not look like it is sliding down the wall.
The moulding, the fillet and the width of the mat are chosen at our counter with the real samples held against the piece, rather than picked from a screen.
What are the large and oversized frame sizes?
Stock frames usually top out at around 30 × 40 inches, with 24 × 36 and 27 × 40 the common poster sizes. Anything larger is made to order.
Framing over 48 × 96 inches presents challenges most frame shops are not equipped to handle. We design, create and build projects over that size, from kimonos, movie posters and large textiles to four 12-foot floaters, 144 by 36 inches, built in our own wood shop.
When no catalog moulding is long enough, we mill the profile ourselves and hand finish it to match.
When does a custom frame size pay off?
When the art does not match a stock size, has depth, has to fit a particular wall, or matters enough to protect properly. A ready-made frame fits the art to the frame; a custom frame fits the frame to the art, and every frame we make is individually crafted by hand in our Costa Mesa warehouse.
The piece is not a standard size
A custom frame is cut to the piece, so there is no need to trim the art or cut a mat down to fit a stock frame.
The piece has depth
Jerseys, textiles and objects go into shadow boxes deep enough that the glazing never touches them.
The frame has to fit a wall
A mirror, a run of pieces or a gallery wall starts from the space. For a mirror, bring us the overall dimensions of the space and we provide the mirror.
The piece matters
Acid-free mats and UV-protective or museum-quality glazing, chosen with you for the piece. Our store is completely acid-free.
The questions people ask at the counter, answered.
From what can be framed and choosing the right glass to mounting jerseys, printing artwork and protecting the pieces that matter, we answer the questions our customers ask us every day.
What can you actually frame?Photos, posters, diplomas, jerseys, kimonos, oversized art and mirrors: what a custom frame shop in Costa Mesa can take on, and what each one needs.Read Article
Museum glass vs regular glass, and what the glass over your art is doingMuseum-quality and UV-protective glazing vs regular glass: what each does for your art, plus acid-free mats and conservation framing. From Costa Mesa.Read Article
How to measure for a custom mirrorMeasure the wall, not the mirror: the space to fill, what sits under it and where the sconces go. Quarter-inch glass, usually ready in two weeks.Read Article
Canvas, printed and stretched in the same buildingHow a canvas print is made and framed in one building: archival giclée, stretched in house, then hung as it is or set in a float frame. From Costa Mesa.Read Article
Frame and mat sizes, asked at the counter.
What are the standard frame sizes?
In inches: 4 × 6, 5 × 7, 8 × 10, 8.5 × 11, 11 × 14, 12 × 16, 16 × 20, 18 × 24, 20 × 24, 24 × 36, 27 × 40 and 30 × 40. A frame is named for the size of what it holds, not its outside edge.
What size mat for an 11x14 print?
A 16 × 20 frame, with the mat opening cut about 10.5 × 13.5 inches so it overlaps the print by about a quarter inch on each side. That leaves a border of roughly 3 inches.
What size frame for an 8x10 photo?
An 8 × 10 frame if you want no mat, or an 11 × 14 frame with a mat opening of about 7.5 × 9.5 inches.
How wide should a mat be?
About 2 to 3 inches for small and medium pieces and 3 to 4 inches or more for large ones, often with the bottom border slightly wider than the top.
What is the largest standard frame size?
Stock frames usually top out around 30 × 40 inches, with 24 × 36 and 27 × 40 the common poster sizes. Anything larger is made to order, and we build frames over 48 × 96 inches.
Can you make a frame in a non-standard size?
Yes. Every frame we make is cut to the piece it holds and individually crafted by hand in our Costa Mesa warehouse, so the size follows the art.
Still wondering? Come in and ask. No appointment required.
Print and frame what you love. Visit the showroom.
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- Call
- (949) 791-8780
- Hours
- Mon-Fri 10am-5pm
Sat 9am-1pm
Bring us the thing you love.
Walk in with it and talk it through with a designer. No appointment required, though you are welcome to book one.
1671 Placentia AvenueCosta Mesa, CA 92627
- Call(949) 791-8780
- HoursMon-Fri 10am-5pm · Sat 9am-1pm · Sun closed
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