How to Frame a Poster: Custom Poster Frame Sizes Ideas

When you buy a poster, you may wonder what the best way to hang it on the wall is. Of course, you can just place it there and that’s it. However, it would be much more stylish and convenient if you frame it. As you may face some problems while choosing a suitable frame, we would like to help you to avoid them. So, let’s see how to choose poster frames.

Before choosing a certain poster frame, it’s necessary to decide if you need a mat board (a colored material, used for leaving some space between a poster and a frame and for creating a border between a frame and a poster). If yes, think over its size and color.

old picture frame, wooden + silver, inside leather, with clipping path!

Once you are ready with this, measure the poster width, length and thickness, taking into account the size of the mat. If you decide to frame the poster without mat, you just need the poster measurements. When you know what size the ready poster must be, you are ready to enter the market of frames.

Standard poster frame sizes

Poster frames have some standard sizes, for example like 18×24 poster frame, 24×36 poster frame or 27×40 poster frame.

There are several standard sizes of poster frames. They are:

11×17 in
12×18 in
16×20 in
18×24 in
20×24 in
24×30 in
24×36 in
30×40 in

Custom poster frames

However, many companies and online shops make custom frames and you are free to choose the dimensions that you need. In such a way, if your poster is of non-standard size, for example 24×90, you can order a frame, which will fit it perfectly. Moreover, if you order a custom frame, you are free to choose its design and materials.

Materials for frames

There are three types of materials, which are usually used for poster frames. They are: wood, metal and plastic. Metal and wood frames are considered to be more qualitative while the plastic ones are cheaper. The people usually use metal or plastic frames for posters as the wooden ones look better with paintings and more classic things. However, nowadays, some wooden frames look very stylish and can easily be used for modern posters.

Each frame can be either with picture framing glass or without it. It’s possible to frame such a piece of art as poster without glass. However, if you want to preserve it for many years without a single scratch, it’s better to use a frame with glass.

Glass and acrylic frames

The main benefit of having a glass frame is that it protects the image very well and is resistant to scratching. Using glass for frames allows you to save the poster in its initial state for a long period of time. Moreover, there are also such kinds of glass, which protect the image from the UV light. They cost more, but do their job very well. However, that’s very easy to break the glass and that’s its main disadvantage.

Glass frames can be dangerous for children and it’s not recommended to use them for your kids’ room. Nowadays, some framing companies use acrylic or plexiglass, which is more resistant to breaking. It’s easy to ship it. Acrylic also weights less than glass and makes the process of mounting a picture easier. It’s often used for very large works of art as glass is too heavy for them. However, such a material needs special attention. It’s less resistant to scratching than glass and can bend.

Framing photos without glass

Some people don’t like frames with glass because they often reflect the bright light and prefer to buy glass-free frames. In such a way, one can see the image better and doesn’t afraid of breaking the glass. However, of course, frames without glass have their demerits. They don’t protect the poster from dust and sunlight, which can spoil them, and other outer factors.

Types of frames

Besides the materials, you should also think about the style and color of the frame. In order to determine what you need, it’s necessary to think over the place, where you are going to hang a poster. The most general types of frames are contemporary, ornate, rustic, simple and traditional.

Contemporary frames are usually minimalistic in design and almost have no decoration. They are usually used for modern pieces of art and that’s why they can be easily used as modern movie poster frames.

Ornate frames look very luxurious. They are perfect for some classic paintings and retro posters.

Room interior – ornate frame on the wall

Vintage frames are usually made of wood only. If you have a western movie poster or the vintage one, it will look nice in such a frame.

Vintage blank wooden frame bottles and rose in a pot on a white wall

The major plus of simple frames is that they fit every picture and every style. They are almost invisible and it lets the people concentrate on the image itself.

Poster New York city with a hand-drawn sketch of the Statue of Liberty

Traditional frames, as well as the simple ones, are used for many pictures, including posters, photos and paintings.

Traditional frame

However, the style of the poster isn’t the only thing, which you need to take into account while choosing a frame design. You should also think over the style of the room, where the poster will be placed. If, for example, your flat is in modern style, rustic or ornate frames will look strange in the interior.

Picture Frames also has a good collection of poster frames of many colors and designs. The prices are reasonable here: starting from $23 for 18×24 frame and $28 for 27×41 one. Moreover, they do custom frames in any sizes you need.

On the net, you will certainly face some ikea frames, which have interesting designs and different colors. Unfortunately, they are usually photo frames and aren’t available in big sizes.

So, what is the best place to buy a frame? It depends on what you want. If you need a simple and traditional frame, you can find it almost at any live and online shop, which deals with frames. But if you want something special, it’s better to turn to the shops, which are able to meet all your requirements. Be ready that frames with unusual designs cost more. That’s why you need to decide if you need a frame just to protect your poster or you want it to be an integral part of your interior design.

We hope that our pieces of advice will be really useful for you and you will be able to frame your poster without any problems.