THE PICTURE SIZE GUIDE
A paper sizes &
picture frame guide
A3 is 297 × 420 mm; A4 is 210 × 297 mm. Compare paper sizes, check a mount and plan the finished picture on your wall.
Find your answer
What size is A3?
Width × height · portrait
What size is A3 in inches?
A3 measures approximately 11.69 × 16.54 inches in portrait orientation.
The drawings share one scale. Paper dimensions are not guaranteed to be life-size on screen.
Enter your wall measurements. The wall and picture use one fixed scale, so every size stays in proportion.
Add a measured furniture reference
The default 2.4 m height is an editable example room. For a framed picture, use the actual finished outside dimensions. The drawing shows measured proportions, not life-size dimensions on your screen.
Match a print to a frame, then see how a centred mount would fit.
The frame’s stated size usually describes its glazing/backing size. The overlap is an editable example, not an order specification.
Mount borders are measured to the mount’s outside edge. The frame lip hides some of that border. Actual outside frame dimensions and fitting tolerances depend on the frame profile.
What exactly should I measure?
Picture: the print you want to keep. Mount window: the cut-out revealing the picture. Mount outside / glazing: the size that fits into the frame. Frame outside: the overall finished footprint on your wall.
For an existing frame, measure its glazing or backing board. Its front visible opening can be smaller because the frame lip overlaps the contents.
Measure your paper, print or mount board. We’ll check A-sizes and common picture sizes, and show any difference.
THE MEASUREMENTS, ALL TOGETHER
A0–A10 paper size chart
Standard portrait dimensions. Turn the sheet to swap width and height. Inch values are rounded to two decimal places.
| A-size | Millimetres | Centimetres | Inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| A0 | 841 × 1189 | 84.1 × 118.9 | 33.11 × 46.81 |
| A1 | 594 × 841 | 59.4 × 84.1 | 23.39 × 33.11 |
| A2 | 420 × 594 | 42 × 59.4 | 16.54 × 23.39 |
| A3 | 297 × 420 | 29.7 × 42 | 11.69 × 16.54 |
| A4 | 210 × 297 | 21 × 29.7 | 8.27 × 11.69 |
| A5 | 148 × 210 | 14.8 × 21 | 5.83 × 8.27 |
| A6 | 105 × 148 | 10.5 × 14.8 | 4.13 × 5.83 |
| A7 | 74 × 105 | 7.4 × 10.5 | 2.91 × 4.13 |
| A8 | 52 × 74 | 5.2 × 7.4 | 2.05 × 2.91 |
| A9 | 37 × 52 | 3.7 × 5.2 | 1.46 × 2.05 |
| A10 | 26 × 37 | 2.6 × 3.7 | 1.02 × 1.46 |
The printable sheet includes a nested A-size diagram and this measurement table. Print on A4 in landscape. The diagram is reduced; use the labelled measurements for actual sizes.
Is A3 twice the size of A4?
A3 has twice the nominal area of A4. It does not have twice the width and twice the height. Two A4 sheets placed side by side form an A3-sized rectangle.
The numbers work backwards: A2 is larger than A3, and A3 is larger than A4. Each step to the next number halves the nominal area. Standard dimensions use whole millimetres, so some comparisons have small rounding differences.
If you know A4 from ordinary printer paper, it makes a useful starting point. Use the comparison view to see how much larger A3, A2 or A1 will be.
Does turning a print landscape change its size?
No. A portrait A3 print is 29.7 cm wide and 42 cm high. Turn it landscape and it becomes 42 cm wide and 29.7 cm high. It is still A3; only the orientation has changed.
Is A4 the same as an 8 × 10 inch photo?
No. A4 is 210 × 297 mm; an 8 × 10 inch photo is 203.2 × 254 mm. They are different sizes and different shapes. An A4 print will not fit a frame made for an 8 × 10 inch print without changing the print.
Here are a few common photo sizes converted to metric measurements:
| Photo size | Millimetres | Centimetres |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 6 inches | 101.6 × 152.4 | 10.16 × 15.24 |
| 5 × 7 inches | 127 × 177.8 | 12.7 × 17.78 |
| 8 × 10 inches | 203.2 × 254 | 20.32 × 25.4 |
| 12 × 16 inches | 304.8 × 406.4 | 30.48 × 40.64 |
| 16 × 20 inches | 406.4 × 508 | 40.64 × 50.8 |
Measure an existing print or frame before buying its replacement. A familiar name or an approximate centimetre label can hide a difference that matters when you try to fit the two together.
Which part of a picture frame should I measure?
There are several measurements around a framed picture. Write down which one you mean:
- Print size
- The outside width and height of the paper or photograph.
- Mount outside size
- The whole mount board, which must fit inside the frame.
- Mount window
- The cut-out through which you see the picture. It usually overlaps the print slightly.
- Nominal frame size
- The stated size, usually referring to the glazing, backing or contents the frame is made to take. Check the supplier's description.
- Finished outside frame size
- The full footprint of the frame on your wall, including its moulding.
For an existing frame, measure the glazing or backing board if you can do so safely. Measuring only the front visible opening can give a smaller result because the frame lip covers the edges of the contents. The outside moulding measurement answers a different question: how much wall space the finished frame needs.
If your print has a white border or a signature, decide whether you want it visible before choosing a mount window. That decision changes which part of the print you are measuring for display.
Can I put an A4 print in an A3 frame?
Yes, with a suitable mount. Its outside size suits the A3 frame, while the window is sized for the A4 picture with an appropriate overlap.
For a centred portrait example, take an A4 print measuring 210 × 297 mm and an A3 mount outside size of 297 × 420 mm. An illustrative overlap of 3 mm on every edge gives:
- Mount window: 204 × 291 mm.
- Left and right borders: 46.5 mm each.
- Top and bottom borders: 64.5 mm each.
Those borders run to the mount board's outside edge. Some will sit under the frame lip, so the visible borders can be smaller. The 3 mm overlap is an adjustable example, not a universal cutting instruction or a YI2C order specification.
Use the frame and mount view to try your own measurements. Confirm the window, mount outside size and fitting allowance with the supplier before ordering.
How big will the picture look on my wall?
Start with your actual wall width and height. In the wall-scale view, both the wall and picture use the same scale. You can change the room measurements, rotate the picture and adjust its centre above the floor or its position across the wall.
The starting wall height is 240 cm, but you can edit it to match your room. For a framed picture, enter the finished outside frame dimensions so the view represents the whole object you will hang.
For example, an unframed portrait A3 print is 42 cm high. With its centre 150 cm above the floor, its bottom edge is at 129 cm and its top edge at 171 cm. On a 240 cm wall, that leaves 69 cm to the ceiling. A larger outside frame would change those clearances.
These are measured proportions, not a life-size ruler on your screen. Before ordering, mark the outside corners on your wall with suitable removable tape, then step back and check the space around the picture and any furniture.
PICTURES, MOUNTS & FRAMES
Picture frame size questions
Will my photograph fill an A-size without cropping?
Only if the proportions match. Filling a different shape crops part of the photograph; keeping the whole image leaves spare space or needs a different print size. The A-size label describes physical dimensions, not how much of your photograph will fit.
Can a stretched canvas use the same frame as a paper print?
A stretched canvas has depth. It needs a suitable canvas or floating-frame design with enough internal depth; a paper frame’s A-size alone does not confirm that it will fit. Check the canvas’s finished width, height and depth against the chosen frame.
Is this PDF an actual-size cutting or wall template?
No. The PDF is a reference guide with labelled measurements and proportional diagrams. Use the stated dimensions and a ruler or tape measure. Its drawings are not life-size cutting patterns.
TAKE THE ANSWERS WITH YOU
Keep the measurements handy.
Print the one-page A-size chart, or keep the full guide to picture sizes, mounts and frames.
About the measurements and sources
A-series dimensions follow ISO 216. Metric dimensions are the source values; inches are converted using 25.4 mm per inch. Frame terminology follows standard supplier explanations. Illustrative overlap values are adjustable and are not a YI2C cutting specification.
Adobe A-series dimensions ↗ · LION frame measurements ↗ · EasyFrame measuring advice ↗
Putting your measurements to use
For the print shapes and custom sizes we make, see our canvas and poster size guide. For image resolution and crop preparation, read how to size your image for canvas printing.
This reference covers standard paper sizes, not a list of sizes we sell. For available prints, see A-size canvas prints and A-size photo posters. Need a different measurement? Use our unit converter or inches-to-cm guide.
Reviewed by Your Image 2 Canvas, 2 November 2026. Mount overlap is an adjustable example, not a YI2C manufacturing specification. Confirm the frame maker’s actual opening and outside dimensions before ordering.