How to Frame a Print (Without Spending More Than the Art)

Standard sizes, ready-made frames, and a few tricks framers won't tell you — quality framing doesn't need to cost more than the print.

Custom framing has a dirty secret: for standard-size prints, you rarely need it. A custom frame can cost three to five times the price of the art inside it — worth it for an heirloom or an odd-sized piece, unnecessary for a print produced in a standard size. And every print we sell is a standard size, deliberately.

Why standard sizes change everything

Frame manufacturers build their ready-made lines around a handful of standard dimensions: 11×14, 16×20, 18×24, 24×36. If your print matches one of those, any home goods store, big-box retailer, or online frame shop has dozens of ready-made options that fit perfectly — typically for a fraction of a custom job. This is exactly why we don't print odd sizes. Check your print's dimensions against our size chart and buy the matching frame off the shelf.

The three choices that matter

Frame colour: match the frame to your room, not the print. Black frames sharpen and modernise; natural wood warms and relaxes; white disappears into gallery-style restraint. If you're framing several prints for one wall, keep the frames consistent — that single decision does more for cohesion than anything else.

Mat or no mat: a mat (the border between print and frame) adds formality and makes a print read as more expensive. Skip it for a clean modern look, or size up the frame and mat a smaller print for that classic gallery presentation. Either reads as intentional.

Glass or acrylic: for matte prints, regular glass is fine — the matte surface already kills glare, which is half the reason we print on it. Acrylic is lighter and safer above beds and in kids' rooms.

Spend on the art, save on the frame. Nobody has ever admired a wall and asked where the frame was from.

Hanging without the headache

Hang so the centre of the print sits 57 to 60 inches from the floor — museum height. Use two hooks rather than one for anything 18×24 or larger; the print will never tilt. And before you commit, tape a piece of paper cut to the frame's size on the wall and live with it for a day. Thirty seconds of template-making prevents most re-hanging.

Ready to put something worth framing on the wall? Start with our full collection — every piece ships in a standard size with framing this easy in mind.