By Tata Rossi 11 days ago, Portrait Photography
Has it ever occurred to you that a randomly chosen photo frame may not fit a specific place on the wall or on the shelf? A frame that is too small can damage a photo, while a frame that it too big, on the contrary, will look strange.
To choose perfect frames for your images, check out this short yet informative guide to common frame sizes for pictures. I will describe all the nuances for you to make an informed decision.
4x6 is the most popular picture frame size. It perfectly serves 35mm photography purposes. People engaged in family photography or those keen on abstract art, often save their works with such dimensions. If you need to frame 4x6 pictures, you can choose from a variety of creative frame shapes, e.g., prisma frame. Keep in mind that most photo albums are designed for images of this size. If you have 4x6 photos, you need to buy a bit larger frame. How much bigger depends on how much matting you plan to include.
4x6 is a normal picture frame size that you can stick to while making picture collages on the wall or preparing images for home décor. You can find lots of such frames in online and brick-and-mortar stores. They can be of different colors and designs, so finding something matching your home interior won’t cause problems. The best thing about these frames is that they gently accentuate any photo your put within them.
Before sending images to print, you need to make sure they look flawless. Fixing all the defects on your own may be a grueling task. Fortunately, you can contact professional retouchers, who will correct colors, remove distractions, and perform other adjustments in accordance with your demands. Once this stage is over, you need to choose a good photo printing service where your pictures will be printed in the highest quality and with the proper size.
5x7 photos are also very common and there are lots of frames designed specifically for such images. This size is preferred by couple photography experts and portrait photographers who like focusing on a model. Since this frame is slightly larger than the previous option, all objects depicted in a shot turn out clearer. 5x7 prints can be placed in different frames depending on the thickness of the matting.
Choosing non-standard frames for 5x7 images, you can create really winsome compositions. In fact, some people even order designer angular square picture frames to add unique touches to the interior. Photographers often consider this size to be a sweet spot between too large dimensions that can’t fit a wall décor and too miniature options where objects are hard to see.
This one is noticeably bigger than the above-mentioned photo frame sizes and it is almost A4 paper size. If you are engaged in portrait photography or just want to create a unique decoration for your living room, you should definitely choose 8x10 frames. In most cases, you should not use matting to get an accurately framed image.
If you think a mat is an indispensable element, then you should choose any of the following sizes - 11″ x 14″, 12″ x 14″, 16″ x 16″, 16″ x 18″, or 16″ x 20″. It is impossible to define the only correct frame size, so you should select the option that works best for your current purposes and allows for flexible modifications.
8x10 frame size doesn’t correlate with the aspect ratio of a camera sensor, so you need to perform cropping to fill the print. Alternatively, you can print the entire photo and hide the remaining borders under a custom mat. Choosing this frame size, you can display the most important moments of your life on the wall without occupying too much space.
You are unlikely to use a 16x20 frame for placing photos on a tabletop, but it works perfectly for cases when you need to hang pictures as wall art. If there are some other framed photos on your wall, you can complement the composition with such a frame.
There are 2 paths to go while framing 16x20 pictures. You can either put them in a 16x20 frame without matting or include it and choose a larger frame, e.g., 20″ x 24″ or 24″x 28″.
If you want to create a photo calendar, you should select this size. Such a calendar will have enough space for adding notes. But keep in mind that you have to use a glass cover and a dry erase marker to write something without spoiling your calendar.
Among all common photo frames sizes, this one tops the list if you want to grab viewers’ attention straight away. It is frequently used for fine art photos and wedding portraits. In most cases, you can hand a single 20x30 framed picture on the wall without adding other photos.
Similar to the previous sizes, you can either include a mat, which implies getting a larger frame (24″ x 36″) or go without it. Anyway, such a photo will become the highlight of any room especially if framed correctly. This refers not only to the size of a frame but also its style and color.
Typically, this size is used for printing posters and art pieces that are meant to become a focal point of a room.
Considering that such pictures are initially large, you can use a frame without a mat. In case you still want to add ione, purchase a 30x40 frame. For today, this it’s the biggest standard picture frame size. For larger prints, you need to ask for custom framing.
If you deal with 22x32 framed images, you need to find large open spaces to demonstrate their grandeur. If you specialize in wedding photography and want to print your pictures with this size, you’d better hang your creations in a living room or above the bed in a bedroom. Moreover, designers opt for this frame size when they need to decorate waiting rooms in offices or entrance halls in public buildings for maximum impact.
It doesn’t matter whether you need static or digital photo frames, there are some simple rules to keep in mind not to regret your choice. The most important point is to measure the available space so that a frame perfectly fits it.
Before going on a shopping spree, you need to decide where you will put or hang a frame. Knowing how much empty space you have; you can choose the perfect frame size. The amount of space typically varies depending on a room – bedroom, living room, etc. In confined spaces, you can either place many small photos in DIY picture frames or a couple of large ones.
Another handy method to find an ideal place for your frames is to mark probable areas with painter tape. You can experiment with different shapes, sizes, and arrangements till you find a composition that works best for your home. This is a really smart thing to do before making holes in a wall.
People who adhere to a minimalistic philosophy usually choose a smaller number of photos. Arranging 1-2 images won’t take much time and effort. Besides, if you belong to this group, you can purchase bigger frames for a more impactful outcome.
If you want to hang a series of photos, you have to be very attentive to the sizes, colors, and designs of your picture frame set.
The simplest way out is to choose identical frames for all photos, but it isn’t obligatory. Combining different types of frames can bring cool results but only if you manage to create a harmonious composition. You can also make a collage with the help of a photo collage app and print numerous photos on one canvas.
Selecting frames isn’t rocket science, but the process may become disconcerting as sometimes there are no sizes indicated on a frame. That’s when we have to make measurements ourselves using a tape measure instead of a regular ruler.
In addition to measuring a frame, you also need to measure a space where you plan to hang a photo. Besides, determine the matting for your future framed photo. So, before laying money out on a new frame, you need to know its size, the amount of empty space in your home, and the thickness of matting.
Adding a mat or not is solely a matter of taste. If you want to have it in your frame, keep in mind that you need to choose larger photo frame sizes. Matting is used for displaying a whole photo or art piece without the overlap. It also makes a frame more beautiful with endless color and texture variations.
