One question we often hear from artists looking to reproduce their work as giclée prints, digital prints, canvas, or art cards, is what size will my artwork print to? This handy little guide explains the options to consider before placing an order online with us.

proportional scaling

The most important factor, is what size your art-work will scale to proportionally. Often times artists choose to reproduce their work smaller than the original painting or drawing, and may wonder what size options are available. Use our proportionate image scaling calculator and find out what size your art-work will resize to.

Image size, borders, final paper size

We always recommend at least 1″ border for archival giclée prints, to allow for signing and / or framing; our order forms allow for different sizes to be chosen.

Digital prints can be ordered at a standard paper size and the image can be centred and printed on the sheet, depending on image proportions this may result in the top and bottom borders being a different size from the side borders… however often times these lower cost prints will fit off-the-shelf picture frames without matting.

Alternatively, you can request for your digital print to be cut to a custom size, allowing for even borders around your image… or even have your image printed ‘full bleed’ so that no borders show (this requires the outside 1/8″ of the image to be cropped away).

image size and border size diagram

Image, border and print size

Poster with image centred

Image centred on sheet

poster with even white borders

Image with even size borders

Poster example full bleed

Full bleed print, no borders

Example: an image 10″ wide by 8″ height, with 1″ borders (top, sides, and bottom) equals print size 12″x10″

professional image capture

For professional results, we can photograph or scan your original painting or drawing, we will need to know your desired print size, so we can create digital files to the correct size and resolution for print. Use our image capture calculator to see pricing options and the resulting image sizes.

using your own image files

If you want to scan or photograph your art and send us a digital file to print from. The print size will be determined by the quality and resolution of your image file, most camera sensors only capture enough information to print to a maximum size of 16″x24″ and we find most self-shot images are best suited for art cards or smaller digital press prints. Use our image file resolution checking tool, to see what size your image is likely to print to.

300dpi example

300dpi minimum resolution for print

300dpi example

150dpi suitable for high definition screens

72dpi example

72dpi suitable for handheld devices only

If your image isn’t high enough quality, a member of our team will contact you prior to printing a proof, and advise you how best to proceed.

picture frame and mat size

We recommend having your prints custom framed, so that the mat and frame are built to suit the size and shape of your art-work. However sometimes it is possible to find a ready made frame that will work with your print. If you are considering having your print sized to fit a ready made frame, you will need to purchase the mat and frame first, before ordering your print. The reason being, frame manufacturers don’t all stick to the same standard mat opening size (the window in the mat where your print is seen).

You will need to measure the exact size of the window in the mat, and consider if you want your print to be a little larger than the window, so the edges are concealed by the mat… or if you prefer some white space around the edge of your image. It’s far easier to have your image printed a little larger than the mat opening, so you can position the print in just the right place before attaching it to the mat. Use our image size for framing tool if you need some guidance.

Mat opening frame example

Measuring your mat opening

image framed with even white borders example

Even white borders around image

Framed image with matting

Wider bottom border for signature

Framed image example

Mat opening filled with image

IMPORTANT: When ordering your prints, be specific about the image size and border size you require. Art Ink Print cannot be responsible for miscommunication of image and print sizes.

We recommend you double check your measurements, and if in doubt use the tools on this page as guidance before placing your order!