Free tools for artists
Frame and mat calculator
Enter the size of the artwork and the borders you want. Every size a framer asks for — the window to cut, the board and glass, the frame — is worked out and drawn to scale.
Sizes to order
Example — change any figureMat window
29 × 39 cm
The opening you cut
Mat board and glass
41 × 52 cm
Also the size the frame is made to fit
Frame outside
46 × 57 cm
How much wall it takes
Moulding to buy
2.3 m
Measured on the outside edge, plus 10% for the cuts
The mat board fits a ready-made 42 × 59.4 cm frame — cut the board to that size and widen the borders to match.
Good to know
Why the window is smaller
The mat has to hold the artwork, so the window is cut a little inside its edges — about 5 mm a side. To show the whole sheet, deckled edges and all, float it: overlap 0, mounted on the board behind.
A deeper bottom border
With equal borders a framed piece looks as if it is slipping down. A bottom border about 1 cm deeper than the top looks centred — framers call it weighting.
Use archival board
Acid-free or museum board will not yellow or mark the work over the years. Behind the glass, it is the part that touches the artwork.
More free tools
All tools- Art price calculatorPrice a piece by its size or the time in it, and see what you keep after commission and GST.
- Certificate of authenticity makerFill in the details and print a certificate, or save it as a PDF, to go with the work.
- Print size calculatorHow big a photo or scan of your work can be printed sharp, from A5 to A0.
ArtFlow, free to join
Its size, its framing, where it is, on the record
ArtFlow keeps each artwork's size, how it is framed and where it is right now, so a gallery, a buyer or a shipping quote always gets the right details.