Photo Frame Sizes: Which Print Fits Which Frame

Start With the Frame You Have

The simplest rule is to choose a print the same size as the frame's opening. A 4x6 inch print fits a 4x6 inch frame, 5x7 fits 5x7, and 8x10 fits 8x10. The frame size printed on the packet is the size of the print it holds, not the outside of the frame.

What a Mat Does

A mat is a card border between the print and the frame. It lets a smaller print sit in a larger frame, and gives the photo some space around it, which many people find looks more finished. For example, an 8x10 inch print can sit in an 11x14 inch frame with a mat.

A print with a mat usually looks best when the mat opening is a little smaller than the print, so the edges are held.

Match the Shape of Your Photo

Photos have a shape, called an aspect ratio, and frames do too. A 4x6 inch print has the same shape as a typical camera photo. Most phone photos are a little squarer, and 6x8 inch matches them exactly. 8x10 inch is squarer again, so a camera or phone photo printed at 8x10 has a strip cropped off one side.

If you want the whole photo in a frame, choose a frame size whose shape matches your photo, or use a mat.

Our print sizes guide explains shapes in more detail.

Sizes for Different Places

A shelf or desk: 4x6, 5x7 or 6x8 inch. A bedside or wall grouping: 5x7 or 8x10 inch. A wall on its own: 8x12, 10x12 or 10x15 inch prints, or a collage in a larger size.

For a gallery wall, use frames of a few different sizes, and keep the gap between frames the same.

Collages and Larger Prints

Our photo collage prints go from 8x8 to 20x24 inch. 8x10 inch fits a standard 8x10 frame, and the larger sizes suit a wall. If you want one big photo, a collage with one large photo works too.

Ready-Framed Options

Some sizes can be ordered ready-framed, so it arrives on your wall in one piece. When a size has this option, its page shows the frame price and colours.

Sharp Enough for a Big Frame

A larger print needs a sharper photo. Use the original file from your camera roll, not a copy sent on WhatsApp. Our resolution guide explains how many pixels each size needs.