Picture Frame Sizes - How to Understand Frame Sizes

If you love taking pictures and displaying your photos, then understanding picture frame sizes is important to helping you understand your options for framing. So if you’re new to photography or really never understood picture frame sizes, this article will explain the basics of picture frame sizes.

Picture Frame Sizes vary greatly, but are categorized, for the most part, into standard and non-standard sizes. The standard frame sizes are generally the most common like a 5 x 7 or 8x10 frame. These are the framed pictures you’re most likely to see hanging on the wall or resting on a nightstand. When you hear the term standard frame size, this is referring to the size of your pictures.

In the United States, picture frame sizes are measured in inches and in most other parts of the world, they are measured in centimeters. The most common way to measure standard picture frame sizes is by width and height. For example, if you have a photo that is measured 7 x 5 (width by height), you will need a 7x5 picture frame. The confusing part is that a 5x7 frame can be used either horizontally or vertically while 7x5 frames can only be used horizontally. This same concept also applies to 4x6 frames and 8x10 frames.

A good rule of thumb is that 6x4, 7x5 and 10x8 frames can only be used horizontally while 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10 frames can generally go either horizontal or vertical.

The important thing to note about picture frame sizes is that the numbers represent the size of the picture the frame will display and not the size of the exterior of the frame. This is an important distinction. If you ever need to measure a 5x7 frame to see if it is right for your picture, make sure you measure the area in which the picture will rest, not the exterior of frame.

When you need to measure a frame, you must open it up because there is always a ledge that surrounds the picture that you won’t see in the frame. Opening up the frame is the only way to measure the size accurately.

When shopping for a picture frame, be sure that you know whether it can be displayed horizontally, vertically, or both. Many times you’ll find picture frame sizes that are only designed to be displayed in one direction. Many uni-directional frames are easy to spot. A specially shaped frame will only be able to stand a certain way, such as a heart-shaped picture frame. In other cases, you can look on the back of the frame to see where the mounting hardware is and this will indicate what options you have.

Some of the most common picture frame sizes (which display a single picture) are:

2 ½ x 3 ½ (which are wallet sizes)
3 ½ x 5
4x6 picture frames
4x10 and 4x12 panoramic frames
6x4 picture frames
5x5 picture frames
5x7 picture frames
7x5 picture frames
6x8 picture frames
8x8, 10x10 and 12x12 scrapbook frames
8x10 picture frames
10x8 picture frames
8 ½ x 11 picture frames
11x14 picture frames
16x20 picture frames
20x24 picture frames

There are also double picture frames, triple picture frames and collage picture frames in a variety of sizes if you want to display more than one picture. These are considered common frames sizes but they just have more than one picture frame opening.

Less common sizes do exist and while their selection won’t be large, a frame retailer will be able to help you get the size you want. You can also have picture frame sizes custom made to accommodate your specific requirements or, for a less expensive option, you can use a picture frame mat.

By understanding picture frame sizes, you’ll save yourself time and effort when selecting a picture frame and avoid making the mistake of picking the wrong picture frame size.