How to Pick a Poster Frame Size (8x10, 5x7 and Mat Openings Explained)
Buy the frame to match the outside dimension of your print, or go one standard size up and use a matboard with a smaller opening to fill the gap. An 8x10 inch frame holds an 8x10 print edge to edge; a 5x7 inch matboard with a 4x6 inch window lets you frame a standard 4x6 photo in a 5x7 frame with a clean border. Measure the print, not the image, before you order anything.
Start with the print, not the wall
Frame sizing confuses people because three numbers are in play: the print size, the mat opening, and the frame size. The frame size always refers to the artwork it is built to hold, so an 8x10 frame has an interior that accepts an 8x10 inch print. Poster Master Studio sells its Essential Frames, Premium Frames and Canvas Frames bundle in the 8x10 inch size, which is the most common size for small prints, certificates and the kind of personalized prints the shop also offers, such as the couple's name and holding hands poster in 8x10.
Lay your print flat and measure the full sheet including any white border. If the sheet is exactly 8x10, an 8x10 frame is the answer. If it is smaller, you have a choice: trim the sheet, or step up to a bigger frame and mat it.
Why a 5x7 mat with a 4x6 opening is the workhorse
Most of the matboards in the Poster Master Studio range are listed as 5x7 inch with a 4x6 inch opening. That is not a typo. A 4x6 is the standard photo-lab print size, and a 5x7 frame is the next standard frame size up. The matboard bridges the two: the outside edge fills a 5x7 frame, and the window shows a 4x6 print with a half-inch border on each side.
The rule generalizes. When your print is a standard size smaller than your frame, look for a mat whose outside matches the frame and whose opening matches the print. Going up one size and matting gives the piece breathing room, which is why framed work in galleries almost always carries a mat.
Matching size to the spot on the wall
Small frames disappear on a large empty wall. An 8x10 frame on its own suits a narrow strip of wall beside a door, a shelf ledge, a desk or a bathroom. On a sofa-width wall you are better off hanging several small frames as a group. Poster Master Studio lists a ready-made Modern Unique gallery wall set for exactly that situation, and mixing 8x10 frames with matted 5x7 pieces is the easiest way to build a grouping that looks intentional rather than random.
A quick sanity check: a single framed piece over furniture should span roughly two-thirds of the furniture's width. If one 8x10 cannot do that, plan a group or choose a larger print.
Canvas sizing is different
Stretched canvas is not framed behind glass; it sits inside a floating frame with a small shadow gap around the edge. The Canvas Frames bundle from Poster Master Studio is listed in a black floating frame at 8x10 inch, and the size refers to the canvas it surrounds, not the outside of the frame. Measure the canvas stretcher bar to bar and order that size.
Orientation, borders and a quick checklist
Frames are rarely sold as portrait or landscape; an 8x10 frame hangs either way, so decide orientation by the print. Check where the hanging hardware sits if the frame has a single sawtooth hanger, because some only hang one way. Also decide what to do with a white border on the print. Keeping it inside a matless frame looks unfinished; either trim it or cover it with a mat.
Before ordering: measure the sheet in inches, note whether the image needs a border, choose the frame size equal to the sheet or one standard size up, and if you go up, add a matboard whose outside equals the frame and whose opening is slightly smaller than the print. Poster Master Studio lists Essential Frames in 8x10 from the low twenties and matboards in the teens, so getting the combination right is cheap; getting it wrong means a second order.
FAQ
Can I put a 4x6 photo in an 8x10 frame?
Yes, with a mat that has an 8x10 outside and a 4x6 opening. The listed 5x7 mats with 4x6 openings are made for 5x7 frames, so check the outside dimension of the mat matches the frame.
Does the frame size include the frame moulding?
No. Frame sizes describe the artwork the frame holds. The outside of an 8x10 frame is larger by the width of the moulding on each side, which matters when you are planning a tight gallery wall.
Should the print be the same size as the frame opening?
For an unmatted frame, yes, the print should match the frame size exactly. For a matted frame the print should be slightly larger than the mat opening so the edges are hidden under the mat.
More guides
- Framed vs Unframed Posters: Which Should You Buy?
- How to Choose a Matboard Color for Photos and Prints
- Best Frames and Prints for a Home Office Wall
- How to Plan a Gallery Wall with Small Frames