How to Choose the Right Size Picture Frame for Your Print | Size From the Artwork Out

Match the frame’s inside opening to your print’s exact dimensions when going matless, or step up one standard size to fit a mat with a smaller window.

For the full breakdown, see our best 17 X 23 Picture Frame guide.

Picking a frame starts with a ruler and your print. The artwork’s dimensions dictate everything else: measure the print first, then decide whether you want a mat — that choice determines whether you buy a same-size frame or one size larger. An 8×10 print goes in an 8×10 frame with no mat, or in an 11×14 frame with a mat whose opening sits just inside the print’s edges. One wrong assumption about how mats work causes most mismatches, and it’s easy to avoid once you know the numbers.

Measure the Print and Decide on a Mat

Lay the print flat and measure edge to edge, both width and height, in inches. That measurement is your anchor. Framing without a mat is simpler: pick a frame whose inside opening — the actual gap behind the glass — matches the print’s size exactly. An 11×14 print needs an 11×14 frame, keeping the full image visible with no border, which suits bold artwork.

Mats add a professional gallery look and give the eye breathing room, but they change the math. The mat’s window must be slightly smaller than the print so the mat overlaps and holds the print’s edges in place.

What Frame Size Do I Need With a Mat?

When framing with a mat, choose the next standard frame size up from your print. The pairings below are the most common in US framing guides, giving room for a proper mat border without odd custom dimensions.

Most standard frames come in these sizes, and most matting guides pair prints the same way. For off-standard prints like a 17×23 piece, measure carefully and check what’s available before committing.

Calculating the Right Outer Frame Dimensions

The outer frame size is simple arithmetic: add twice the mat border to both width and height. A common mat border runs 2 to 3 inches per side. Double the border, add it to both sides — that formula works for any print.

Use those numbers backward when you already own a frame.

Common Sizing Mistakes and the Checklist That Prevents Them

The biggest mistake is buying the frame first and forcing the artwork to fit later — size from the print outward. The second most common error is forgetting that a mat shrinks the visible image, so never assume a same-size frame leaves room for a mat. Also avoid mat borders under 1 inch, which are more prone to damage over time.

Before you order, run this check: measure the print edge to edge, confirm the frame’s opening matches either the print (no mat) or the next standard size up (with mat), and verify the mat window sits about 0.25 inch inside the print’s edges. Confirm the frame’s inner lip and depth are compatible with your print, glass, backing, and hanging hardware. For uncommon sizes like 17×23 — sitting between standard options — compare what’s available rather than assume; our tested roundup of the best 17 x 23 picture frames is a good starting point.

Standard size charts are helpful approximations, not universal laws. Stock sizes can round up or down, and frame lips reduce usable space, so when precision matters, measure the actual frame’s inside opening rather than trusting the label alone.