“Please print the image at 30 × 45 cm, keep the full 2:3 crop, add a 2.5 cm white border on all four sides, and quote the final sheet and outer framed dimensions.”
Physical specifications
Fine Art Print Sizes, Cropping and White Borders
A “40 × 60 cm print” can mean the printed image, the sheet of paper or the outer frame. Those are different measurements. Naming each one avoids unwanted crops and surprises when the work is installed.
Three dimensions
The three dimensions to specify
Image area: where ink appears. Paper or canvas size: the outer material, including any blank border. Framed size: the finished outside dimensions once the frame is added.
For a paper print, a 40 × 60 cm image with 2.5 cm borders on all sides gives a 45 × 65 cm sheet. If a frame is involved, ask for its final outside dimensions separately.
Aspect ratio
Will the file fit the requested rectangle?
An image with a 2:3 ratio fits 20 × 30, 30 × 45 and 40 × 60 cm. A 50 × 70 cm rectangle is 5:7: to fill it with a 2:3 image, you must crop part of the composition or alter the requested dimensions. Stretching one side independently distorts the image.
If important details sit near the edge, show the desired crop or ask to preserve the full composition with white space around it.
White border
Why include a white border?
A border can create breathing room, provide space for a signature or help plan the relationship between print and frame. Decide whether it is equal on every side or intentionally deeper at the bottom. The border is part of the overall sheet, not the printed image size.
No standard free border width or border-price rule is published. Request and confirm it as part of the specification.
Frame
Check the frame opening and outer edge
The visible image can be smaller than the paper sheet when the frame overlaps or a window is used. A larger outer frame may make a work occupy much more wall than its printed image dimensions suggest. Ask for a dimensioned final layout if the work must fit a precise niche or group hang.
Start a print
Send dimensions with your file
Image size, sheet size and frame — three numbers that prevent surprises.
Keep reading
Preparing files
Pixels, formats, profiles and a checklist.
Framing
Painted oak, silver aluminium and 3D oak.
Prices
Paper, canvas, UV coating and frames by size.