Tips for Framing Artwork – Choosing Frames, Matting, and Sizes for Fine art Prints

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Tips for Framing Artwork

Choosing Frames, Matting, and Sizes for Fine art Prints

Picking out artwork for your dwelling is the fun office. Simply how exercise you go about framing it? There are a few tips and tricks you can use to make sure you're choosing the perfect frame for the perfect print.

Please note: This page contains some affiliate links, which means if you lot purchase an item, I'll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. 😊

Size

It's much easier to detect a great and set up-made frame if your artwork fits a standard size frame.

In my store, I offer up to 11 sizes of fine art prints, each adhering to a standard size. I recommend buying frames online from Target or Michael's, which offers a broad option of sizes and materials. If you're ordering online, you can customize your frame + mat sizes with Fine art to Frame. IKEA is as well 1 of my top picks for inexpensive frames, only proceed in heed that their sizes aren't all American-standard.

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Mat Window:

Using mat windows strategically is my ultimate framing trick. The mat window is the opening that is cut in a thick paper board, allowing the artwork to peek through. Mats can attain two noteworthy things:

  1. You don't take to find an exact-size frame to fit your artwork. This is specially helpful if you purchased a impress that isn't a standard size. All you need to do is buy a frame in the next size (or 2) upward, and so cut a mat board to fit the frame, with a window to showcase the art.

  2. Mats create visual space for the artwork to breathe. Instead of the artwork bulging right up to the frame, a mat provides a border of whitespace.

Problem: Y'all've purchased a small impress and it feels swallowed past the wall.
Solution: Purchase a frame a few sizes upward, then cut a mat board to fit in the frame and showcase the fine art.

Your mat board can be any color of the rainbow. The key is to find something that helps the art stand out without existence as well distracting itself. Personally, I always stick with a bright white mat on archival board. (Choosing archival means that the white won't fade to grey or yellow as time passes.)

Whatever framing store will be able to cut a mat for you. All you demand to do is tell them your frame size, your artwork size, and your preferred mat board colour. Be certain to leave a quarter inch of extra inch on each side so that the art print doesn't just fall through the window. (For example: if the art print measures 8x10", the bodily mat opening should be 7.5x9.five")

Fifty-fifty easier: Y'all can also buy a frame with a ready-fabricated mat already included .

Mat sizes can range from thin to thick:

Manner

Ornate, lacquered wood? Or a sleek, gimmicky surface? The fashion of your frame can brand simply as much of a statement every bit the artwork itself.

I adopt a combination of argument frames and simple, gallery frames.

If you lot're unsure, I recommend choosing a no-fuss flat frame in either blackness or white. This allows the artwork to smoothen and allows for a make clean and modern aesthetic.

Ornate Frames:

Simple Frames:

My Recommendations:

Now that you know the nuts, I'chiliad going to intermission everything down into my recommendations of mat + frame dimensions based on each size of art print I offering on my shop.

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If you lot purchased a 8 x 10" art impress, and so I recommend a 11 x 14" frame with a mat .

* * S I Z I N K    I N F O * *
Frame opening: 11" ten 14"
Frame width: 0.five"
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Mat size: 11" x fourteen"
Mat window: 7.5" x 9.v"
Mat width: 2.25" (top & bottom) & 1.75" (sides)

Easy solution: Frame with pre-cutting mat bachelor in white here or in black here.

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If you purchased a 10 x 10" fine art print, and then I recommend a xiv x 14" frame with a mat .

* * Due south I Z I Northward K    I N F O * *
Frame opening: 14" x fourteen"
Frame width: 1"
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Mat size: fourteen" 10 fourteen"
Mat window: 9.5" x nine.5"
Mat width: 2"

Like shooting fish in a barrel solution: Frame with pre-cut mat available in white or black here.

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If you purchased a 12 x 12" art print, then I recommend a xvi x 16" frame with a mat .

* * S I Z I North Thousand    I Northward F O * *
Frame opening: xvi" ten 16"
Frame width: 1"
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Mat size: 16" x 16"
Mat window: 11.v" ten 11.five"
Mat width: ii"

Piece of cake solution: Frame with pre-cut mat bachelor in white or black here.

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If you purchased a 12 ten 16" art print, and so I recommend a fifteen.5 x 19.5" frame with a mat .

* * S I Z I Northward G    I Due north F O * *
Frame opening: 12" x xvi"
Frame width: 1.25"
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Mat size: 12" 10 xvi"
Mat window: 11.v" x 15.5"
Mat width: two"

Easy solution: Frame with pre-cut mat available in white or black here.

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If you purchased a xiv x 14" fine art print, then I recommend a 17.five" x 17.five" frame with a mat .

* * S I Z I N K    I N F O * *
Frame opening: fourteen" x 14"
Frame width: one.25"
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Mat size: 17.5" 10 17.five"
Mat window: 13.5" ten xiii.5"
Mat width: 2"

Piece of cake solution: Frame with pre-cut mat available in white or black hither.

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If you purchased a 16 x 16" art impress, then I recommend a 20" x 20" frame with a mat .

* * S I Z I N One thousand    I N F O * *
Frame opening: 20" x 20"
Frame width: 1.25"
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Mat size: 20" ten xx"
Mat window: xv.5" x 15.5"

Piece of cake solution: Frame with pre-cut mat bachelor in white or black here.

If you purchased a 16 x 22" art print, then I recommend a 18 x 24" frame with a mat .

* * Due south I Z I N G    I N F O * *
Frame opening: 18" x 24"
Frame width: 1"
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Mat size: 16" x 22"
Mat window: eleven.5" x 17.5"
Mat width: 2.25"

Easy solution: Frame with pre-cut mat available in white or black here.

If you purchased a 18 x 18" art print, so I recommend a 22 10 22" frame with a mat .

* * S I Z I N Thou    I Northward F O * *
Frame opening: 22" x 22"
Frame width: 1"
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Mat size: 22" x 22"
Mat window: 17.5" x 17.5"
Mat width: 2.25"

Piece of cake solution: Frame with pre-cut mat bachelor in white or black hither.

If you purchased a 16 x 20" art impress, then I recommend a twenty x 24" frame with a mat .

* * S I Z I N G    I Due north F O * *
Frame opening: 20" ten 24"
Frame width: 1"
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Mat size: 22" 10 24"
Mat window: 15.5" x 19.5"
Mat width: ii.25"

Easy solution: Frame with pre-cut mat available in white or black here.

If you purchased a 18 x 24" art print, and so I recommend a 18 x 24" frame.

* * S I Z I Northward Grand    I Due north F O * *
Frame opening: xviii" 10 24"
Frame width: 1 or ii"

Like shooting fish in a barrel solution: Frame with pre-cutting mat available in white hither or black here.

If you lot purchased a 24 x 36" art impress, then I recommend a 24 10 36" frame.

* * S I Z I N G    I Due north F O * *
Frame opening: 24" x 36"
Frame width: 1 or 2"

Easy solution: Frame with pre-cutting mat available in white hither or blackness hither.

Insight, Artist Resources

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