If you've just ordered an art print and you're standing in a shop holding a frame, wondering whether it will actually fit — this is the guide for that.
Our prints come in 12×18", 16×24" and 24×36". All three are the same shape: a 2:3 ratio, the same proportion as a standard photograph. That makes framing easier than it looks, as long as you know which numbers to check.
Why print sizes and frame sizes don't always match
A frame is sold by the size of the artwork it holds, not the size of the frame itself. A "16×24 frame" holds a 16×24 print. So far, simple.
The complication is that frames come from two different measuring systems. Frames made for the US market are sized in inches. Frames made for the European market are sized in centimetres, and the conversions are rarely exact.
This is where people get caught out. A 30×45 cm frame sounds like it should hold a 12×18" print. It doesn't quite: 30×45 cm is 11.8×17.7 inches. Your print will be about 2 mm too wide and 8 mm too tall. That's enough that it won't sit flat behind the mount.
So the rule is: read the dimensions on the box, not the name of the frame. If the listing says 12×18 inches, it fits. If it says 30×45 cm, it doesn't — not without trimming, which we'd rather you didn't do.
12×18" — what fits
This is our smallest size, and it's a genuinely common frame size in the US. You'll find it sold as a "poster frame" or "photo frame" in most craft and homeware shops.
Direct fit: any frame listed as 12×18 inches.
With a mat: an 18×24" frame with a mat opening cut for a 12×18 print. This is the option we'd suggest if you want the piece to feel more considered. The border of white space around the print gives it room to breathe, and it makes a small print hold a larger wall.
Doesn't fit: 30×45 cm (slightly too small), 11×17" (a US letter-adjacent size, too small), 12×16" (wrong ratio — you'd lose two inches off the bottom).
16×24" — what fits
This is the size most people end up choosing, and the one we'd recommend if you're only buying one piece. It's large enough to anchor a wall above a crib or dresser without dominating the room.
Direct fit: any frame listed as 16×24 inches. Slightly less common on the shelf than 12×18 or 24×36, but easy to find online.
With a mat: a 20×28" or 22×28" frame with a custom mat opening.
Doesn't fit: 40×60 cm (15.7×23.6" — close, but short on both sides), 16×20" (wrong ratio, you'd lose four inches), 18×24" without a mat (the print will float and shift inside the frame).
If you can't find a 16×24 frame locally, this is the size where custom framing is most worth considering — but read the last section before you commit to that.
24×36" — what fits
The easiest of the three, because 24×36 is the standard movie-poster size. Almost every shop that sells frames sells this one.
Direct fit: any frame listed as 24×36 inches. Large metric poster frames listed as 61×91 cm convert to 24.0×35.8", which is close enough that the print sits properly with a couple of millimetres hidden under the lip. In practice this works.
With a mat: a 30×40" frame with a mat opening. This gets large and heavy quickly. Think about weight before you go this route, especially if it's going above furniture.
Doesn't fit: 50×70 cm and 70×100 cm. These are common European poster sizes but they are not 2:3 — they're closer to 1:1.4. A 24×36 print in a 70×100 cm frame will leave uneven margins that look like a mistake rather than a choice.
When you need a mat, and when you don't
A mat — the card border between the print and the frame — does two things. It makes the artwork feel larger and more deliberate, and it keeps the paper from touching the glass.
Use a mat when:
- The print feels small for the wall it's on
- You want a more formal, gallery-like look
- You're hanging a set and want them to read as one unit
Skip the mat when:
- You're going for a spare, modern look — a thin frame with no mat suits minimal art
- You're hanging three prints close together, where mats can make the group feel crowded
- Budget matters. Mats add cost, especially cut to order
For neutral, minimal prints like ours, a thin frame with no mat usually looks better than you'd expect. The empty space in the artwork already does what a mat would do.
Frame styles that suit neutral nursery art
Three options, in order of how often they work:
Natural oak or light wood. The safest choice for a warm, neutral room. Picks up the tone of most nursery furniture and doesn't compete with the artwork.
Thin black metal. Sharper and more graphic. Works well when the artwork has strong shapes, and when the rest of the room is soft — it gives the eye something to land on.
White. Disappears into a white wall, which can be either the point or the problem. It works beautifully with a mat and less well without one.
What we'd avoid: ornate frames, anything gold or heavily textured, and wide frames. The artwork is quiet; a loud frame turns the whole thing into a costume.
A note on glass in a nursery
Most inexpensive frames come with glass. In a room where a child will eventually be pulling themselves up on furniture, that's worth a thought.
Acrylic (also sold as plexiglass or styrene) is lighter and doesn't shatter. Many frames now ship with it as standard — check the listing. If a frame you like only comes with glass, most framing shops will swap it for acrylic for a small fee.
Lighter frames are also easier to hang securely, which matters more than the material itself. We wrote a separate piece on hanging art safely near a crib if that's on your mind.
What we ship, exactly
Our prints arrive unframed. You get the print itself — printed to order on heavyweight matte paper, with no frame, mat, glass or hanging hardware included.
Ours arrive rolled inside a long triangular kraft box rather than a round tube. The print sits loosely coiled in the middle with clearance on every side, printed face turned inward, so nothing presses against the edges. The paper itself is medium-weight and substantial in the hand, with a faint texture you can feel, and a matte surface that stays matte — no glare under a lamp or a window. It arrives with a gentle curl that flattens under the palm of your hand as soon as you unroll it — no need to weight it overnight.
We ship unframed for two reasons. Framed art is expensive to ship and arrives damaged more often than anyone likes to admit. And frames are personal — the one that suits your room is a decision you're better placed to make than we are.
If you're choosing a size, our guide to what size art works above a crib covers the proportions in more detail.
Browse the collection — all three sizes, printed to order, free shipping worldwide. Shop nursery wall art →
