Picture frame sizes are quoted by the artwork they hold, which is why a "16 x 20" frame never measures 16 x 20 in on the outside. The box has to clear the moulding, the glazing and whatever corner protection you use, so the only number that matters for packaging is the frame's own outer dimension. Here is how to get from one to the other.
Frame sizes name the art, the box sizes the frame
A moulding two inches wide adds four inches to both the height and the width of the finished frame. The same art size in a thin gallery moulding and a wide ornate one produces two different boxes. Measure the assembled frame face down on a flat surface, across the outside edges, before you do anything else.
Common retail frame formats
These are the art sizes the market is built around. They are published industry conventions, useful for planning a size range, and they are not iBox Factory stock box sizes.
| Art format | Nominal size | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Small photo | 4 x 6 in | US retail |
| Standard photo | 5 x 7 in | US retail |
| Portrait | 8 x 10 in | US retail |
| Mid wall | 11 x 14 in | US retail |
| Large wall | 16 x 20 in | US retail |
| Poster | 18 x 24 and 24 x 36 in | US retail |
| A4 | 210 x 297 mm | ISO, international |
| A3 | 297 x 420 mm | ISO, international |
Turning a frame into an internal box size
- Measure the assembled frame: outside height, outside width, and total depth including the hanging hardware and the stand if one is fitted.
- Add the corner protection. Moulded pulp or die cut corner pads add to both axes, and the pad thickness is the number to add, not a guess.
- Add face protection. A sheet of foam or a slip sheet over the glazing adds to the depth.
- Write the result as internal length x width x depth. Depth is the small number on a frame box and it is the one people forget.
- Say on your quote whether those are internal or external dimensions. For corrugated, external is larger by roughly twice the board caliper on each axis.
Board and construction for glazed frames
Glass frames fail in two ways: a flat impact that cracks the glazing, and a corner drop that drives the moulding into the pane. Flat impacts are handled by board stiffness, corner drops by clearance and corner pads. A single wall board is usually enough for small acrylic-glazed frames, while larger glazed pieces are commonly specified in double wall with corner protection and a suspension or tray insert. A full flap construction, where the outer flaps overlap the whole panel, adds a second layer of board across the flat faces. See full flap shipping boxes for that style.
Ordering
Frame boxes start at a 100 unit minimum, from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes, confirmed on your written quote. The die, the plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof are included, which means a box cut to the exact outer dimension of your moulding costs no more to tool than a near-standard size. Production runs from West Chicago in the US or Guangzhou in China. Turnaround is quoted per product in three lanes: rush (expedited production plus air freight), standard (air) and cost saver (sea), from about 7 business days in production plus 2 to 5 days for delivery. For general carton sizing, see shipping box dimensions.
Send us the frame's outer height, width and depth along with the glazing type, and we will size the box and the corner protection together. Request a quote with those three numbers.
