Photo Frame Sizes: Inches, cm and Which to Choose

Standard photo frame sizes run from 4 × 6 in (10.2 × 15.2 cm) for a desk up to 24 × 36 in (61.0 × 91.4 cm) for a large wall. Common sizes include 4 × 6, 5 × 7, 8 × 10, 12 × 18, 16 × 20 and 24 × 36 in. Choose by two things: the space you have, and the shape of your photo.

Standard photo frame sizes in inches and cm

Sizes are written as width × height for a portrait frame. Turn the frame on its side for landscape, so 8 × 10 in becomes 10 × 8 in. The cm figures are rounded to one decimal place.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

"Listed for" shows the frame styles that list each size today. Options can change with the finish or layout you pick, so confirm your size on the product page before you order.

Which frame size suits your photo and wall

• Desk or bedside table: 4 × 6, 5 × 7 or 6 × 8 in. Our table top frames are listed from 6 × 8 in and stand on their own, so you need no wall space.
• Shelf or office cabin: 8 × 10 or 8 × 12 in. Big enough to see from across a small room.
• Family portrait on a small wall: 10 × 12 or 12 × 15 in. Faces in a group stay easy to see.
• Bedroom or hallway wall: 12 × 18 in works as a single frame without taking over the wall.
• Above a console or TV unit: 16 × 20 or 18 × 24 in.
• Above a sofa or bed: 20 × 30 or 24 × 36 in. A simple guide is that the frame, or group of frames, should be about two-thirds the width of the furniture below it. Over a 180 cm sofa that means about 120 cm, which is wider than one 24 × 36 in frame turned sideways (91.4 cm). For that wall, look at large photo frames or a gallery wall set.

Will your photo fit? Aspect ratio and cropping

Aspect ratio is the shape of a photo: its width compared with its height. A photo fills a frame without cropping only when the two shapes match. If they don't match, part of the photo is cut off. A bigger frame won't help, because enlarging keeps the same shape.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Cropping takes the edges of the photo, so check group photos first: the people at the ends are the first to lose an arm or a shoulder. If nothing can be lost, pick a size with the same shape as your photo, or a square format such as square canvas prints for 1:1 photos. A custom-size acrylic frame is another way to match an unusual shape.

How to measure before you order

1. Measure the wall or shelf with a tape: width first, then height. To change cm to inches, divide by 2.54.
2. Allow for the outer edge. The sizes in this guide are print sizes. A border frame adds its moulding on every side, and a floater frame adds a gap and a frame around the canvas, so the outer size is larger than the print. A mat also adds a margin around the photo, so check the preview on the border frames page.
3. Mark the outer size on the wall with masking tape, then look at it from where you usually sit. This is easier to judge than numbers.
4. Set the height. Hang the centre of the frame at about eye level, roughly 145 to 150 cm from the floor. Above a sofa or bed, leave about 15 to 20 cm between the furniture and the bottom of the frame.
5. For several frames, leave a gap of about 5 to 8 cm between them and measure the full group as one piece.

How many pixels your photo needs

The table shows the pixels for 300 DPI, which stays sharp even up close. Treat half of those figures, 150 DPI, as the minimum. Below that a print looks soft when you stand near it. A 12 megapixel phone photo is about 3,000 × 4,000 pixels, which reaches 300 DPI up to 10 × 12 in and 150 DPI up to 18 × 24 in. Use the original file from your gallery, because photos sent over WhatsApp are often compressed.

Order your frame size

Choose a style: border photo frames, acrylic photo frames, canvas floater frames or LED photo frames. For acrylic you can go straight to 8 × 10, 12 × 18, 16 × 20 or 24 × 36 in. Not sure about the style? Upload once and compare, or see every type on the photo frames hub.

Printing without a frame? See the photo print size guide for unframed paper sizes.