Fine Art paper guide · Dimensions and order
A "40 × 50 cm" ad may designate an image, a sheet or the nominal format of a frame. For calculate the format of the image, paper and frame, give each dimension a name and work in the same unit. You can then check the compatibility of the print with its presentation and the space available on the wall.
To situate this advice in your project: check out the Fine Art Paper Printing Guide.
Our offer: distinguish sheet, image and frame
Our sheet distinguishes the paper format and the printed area for Fine Art without frame on German Etching gl 310 g/m². For example, a sheet of 40 × 50 cm with 2 cm margin per side bears an image of 36 × 46 cm. This arithmetic example does not give the exterior dimensions of a frame.
The paper offered is matte and slightly textured, 100% alpha-cellulose, acid and lignin free. Frameless printing allows local framing; the classic configuration below includes a wooden frame and acrylic glazing, without mat.
- Étretat, cliff and Porte d'Aval - Claude Monet - Frameless Fine Art Paper
- Étretat, cliff and Porte d'Aval - Claude Monet - Fine Art paper with classic frame, without mat
Open the desired presentation, then choose the format and country of delivery to view the current options, framing and total.
1. Name the dimensions before adding them
The image format corresponds to the area you want to print. The sheet format includes this image and its possible margins. The opening of the mat determines what will be seen through it. The exterior format of the mat corresponds to the entire piece of cardboard. Finally, the exterior format of the mat corresponds to the entire piece of cardboard. Finally, the exterior of the frame describes the size of the hanging object.
| Element | What is its size for? | Not to be confused with |
|---|---|---|
| Printed image | Set subject size | Sheet with margins |
| Leaf | Prepare the print and its assembly | Visible opening of the mat |
| Opening the master key | Define the visible part | External dimensions of the cardboard |
| Exterior of the mat | Prepare a piece compatible with the frame | Exterior of the frame |
| Exterior of the frame | Check the space on the wall | Nominal format announced for its content |
The frame can also have a useful dimension at the rear, a visible opening and an available depth. This information depends on its construction. For real assembly, have the necessary measurements and clearances confirmed by the framer: this example is used to organize the dimensions, not to impose a manufacturing plan.
2. Choose what is imposed in your project
If image size takes priority, start from it and add margins, then set the presentation. If you already have a frame, start from its confirmed useful dimensions and look for a compatible image. If your constraint is the width available on the wall, the final exterior format becomes the limit to respect.
Do not modify the two axes independently to fill a space. For an image with a width/height ratio of 3/4, a width of 30 cm implies a height of 40 cm if the proportions are retained. An opening of 34 × 44 cm has another ratio. You must then provide space around it, change format or explicitly decide on cropping.
To visually choose borders rather than just their arithmetic, see our article on white margin width around a print. Here the aim is to connect all dimensions into a coherent sheet.
3. Follow an example: image, sheet and opening
Let's take a vertical fictional image of 30 × 40 cm, with 3 cm of white margin on each of the four sides. The sheet measures 36 × 46 cm: 30 + 3 + 3 in width, 40 + 3 + 3 in height. The printed subject retains its size; only the sheet enlarges.
Then suppose you want to see 1 cm of white around the image through a mat. The visible opening envisaged is 32 × 42 cm: 30 + 1 + 1 and 40 + 1 + 1. In this centered hypothesis, 2 cm of each edge of the sheet are behind the mat. This geometry must be adapted and confirmed according to the assembly actually chosen.
If the exterior of the mat is provided at 40 × 50 cm, the strip between its opening of 32 × 42 cm and its outer edges is 4 cm per side in this centered calculation. The 36 × 46 cm sheet is smaller than the outer cardboard and larger than its opening. This does not yet determine the external dimensions of the frame or the method of attachment.
The Canadian Conservation Institute reminds that the opening must allow important elements to be seen, including inscriptions or signatures when they are part of the work. It also describes the role of the mat in the separation from the glazing. These questions are added to the calculation of rectangles: they are decided with assembly. Source: Canadian Conservation Institute, editing of works on paper.
4. Request external frame bulk
A frame advertised for a content of 40 × 50 cm generally takes up more space on the wall. Its exterior depends on the profile, construction and overlap around the opening. You can't deduce this with certainty from just the visible width of a wand in a photograph.
So ask for two separate pieces of information: the compatible content format and the overall format of the chosen frame. If a manufacturer gives a measured exterior addition of 2 cm per side compared to the content format, the illustrative calculation would be 44 × 54 cm for a content of 40 × 50 cm. This addition is a hypothesis to be confirmed; it does not describe all frames and does not automatically follow from a "2 cm" stick.
Depth, weight, hanging and packaging are not determined by these two dimensions. For a narrow space, check the actual size of the product. For transport, use the package dimensions communicated by the seller and not those of the sheet.
5. Start from an existing framework without unintentional cropping
Note the information available on the frame and have its useful dimensions confirmed. If a mat is already present, also measure its opening. A photograph of the whole helps to understand the project, but does not replace the measurements. Indicate whether you wish to reuse the cardboard, glazing and assembly or have them adapted.
A smaller image can be presented with a suitable border or new aperture. A larger image should not be cut without agreement to fit into the frame. Decide what comes first: the size of the subject, its entirety, or the conservation of the frame. Our guide to frame a Fine Art print gathers additional presentation questions.
6. Prepare a common validation sheet
Before ordering, gather all dimensions on the same document or in a message. Use the same units and specify the orientation. Add the reference file and indicate what should remain whole. To explore a composition before setting its size, you can browse the monet collection or them works by Berthe Morisot ; availability on paper remains to be confirmed for the selected subject.
A measurement sheet to be validated before ordering
Write one line per element, with width, height and unit: printed image, entire sheet, visible opening of the mat and exterior size of the frame. Add "to be confirmed" for a measurement that you do not yet know. Do not replace this unknown with the exterior size of a frame seen online. If the assembly covers part of the paper, ask which area will actually be visible. Finally, have the same sheet proofread by the print service provider and the framer, especially when these two steps are carried out separately.
- Image reference and proportions.
- Dimensions of the printed area and sheet.
- Margins on all four sides.
- Visible and exterior opening of the master key, if there is one.
- Confirmed content format and exterior frame dimensions.
- Reframing authorized or full conservation requested.
"Whole image 30 × 40 cm; sheet 36 × 46 cm with 3 cm of white per side. I would like to see 1 cm of white around the image. Please confirm the appropriate aperture, the exterior format of the mat, the assembly and the overall dimensions of the frame before manufacturing."
Prepare a project with clear dimensions
Send your reference and constraints via alpha Reproduction contact page. Request written confirmation of the dimensions, feasibility and price of the selected set.
Frequently asked questions
Does a 40 × 50 cm frame measure 40 × 50 cm on the outside?
Not necessarily. This indication may designate its compatible content. Have its overall size specified.
Should the opening of the mat match the sheet?
It depends on the presentation and the part of the sheet to show or hide. Have its relationship with the image and editing defined, rather than automatically using the sheet size.
Can we calculate the entire frame with the width of the wand?
You need to know its construction and the measurement reference points. Use the manufacturer's dimensions or those confirmed by the framer.
Are the dimensions of the example standards?
No. They illustrate a calculation chain. Manufacturing constraints, tolerances and physical compatibility must be validated for your project.
Source: Canadian Conservation Institute, editing of works on paper. All figures are educational examples, with no promise of available format. The three fictional illustrations generated by AI are not dimensioned plans.
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