Do not order from a single number labelled “frame size.” Record the artwork, the visible opening, the internal fit and the finished outside size separately. A seller may use the same label for different parts of that stack.
Artwork sheet: 297 × 420 mm, portrait
Area that must remain visible: 285 × 408 mm
Mat and internal fit: seller to confirm
Finished outside size: seller to confirm before production
Send those four lines with a straight-on photograph and a ruler in the image. The note gives a Pakistani frame seller enough information to distinguish the print from the object that will arrive at your door.
Line 1 records the object, not the label
Remove the artwork from any old frame if that can be done safely. Lay it flat, keep the ruler square to each edge and measure the full sheet width and height in millimetres. Measure both dimensions twice. Add the orientation and depth when the object is not flat.
Keep width first, then height. The Fine Art Trade Guild’s FACTS index includes a standard for taking and communicating an item’s vertical, horizontal and thickness dimensions. A consistent order prevents a 12 × 18 portrait from becoming an 18 × 12 landscape in a WhatsApp thread.
WallCult’s A3, A2 and A1 measurements describe the print sizes. The moulding around the print makes the delivered frame larger. If you are supplying a custom file, record its intended print size separately from the frame measurement; the cropping guide explains why matching one dimension does not guarantee that the image fits both edges.
Line 2 protects what must stay visible
The full paper and the visible image are not always the same rectangle. A white border, signature, stamp or deckled edge may need to show. Mark the left, top, right and bottom limits of the area that must remain visible, then measure that rectangle.
If the frame uses a window mat, its opening normally overlaps the paper slightly so the sheet cannot fall through. Do not subtract an assumed amount yourself. Ask the seller to state the finished opening. One professional measurement guide distinguishes artwork size, sight size, glass size, aperture size and rebate size because each describes a different part of the assembly. Its picture-frame measurement glossary is useful vocabulary, but the actual allowance still belongs to the framer making your order.
A mat also changes the total footprint. WallCult’s mat-versus-printed-border guide separates a physical window from white space printed inside the image.
Line 3 checks the frame from the back
When replacing an existing frame, the front opening is not the number that tells you whether the glass, artwork and backing will drop into it. Remove the backing and measure the internal seat from the rear, or measure the existing glass or backing board if it fits correctly. Record depth as well when the package includes a thick mat, raised textile or another object.
Do not force a tight sheet into a slightly smaller opening. Do not assume an A4, A3 or “12 × 18” label identifies the same component on every listing. A current Pakistani seller, for example, describes a 19 × 13-inch frame with a 12 × 18-inch print. That listing is not wrong; it shows why the noun after the number matters.
For a new custom order, ask the seller to complete line 3 instead of inventing a rebate allowance. The framer controls the cut size, material clearance and assembly depth.
Line 4 reserves enough wall
The finished outside size runs from the furthest left edge of the moulding to the furthest right, and from the highest edge to the lowest. This is the number you need for a narrow wall, a row of frames or a courier-size check. It is not the number to use when ordering replacement glass.
For a multi-panel work, record the outside size of every finished panel before adding the gaps. The diptych and triptych guide owns that installed-width calculation. For a single frame, test the confirmed outside dimensions on the wall with paper or masking tape; the wall-art size guide covers the room-level decision.
Before paying, ask the seller to return the four completed lines in writing and attach the approved preview. The order should identify which measurement belongs to the artwork, which area will remain visible, what fits inside the frame and how large the finished object will be.