Print size guide: which size fits which wall
By Amy Byrne · · 5 min read
Buying a print too small is the most common mistake. Here are the four sizes in centimetres, and the wall each one is actually for.
The most common regret with wall art is buying it too small. A print that looked generous on a screen turns into a postage stamp on a 3 m wall. Here is how the four sizes translate into real rooms.
The four sizes
| Size | Centimetres | Unframed | Framed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5×5″ | 13 × 13 cm | €10 | €30 |
| 8×10″ | 20 × 25 cm | €18 | €38 |
| 12×16″ | 30 × 40 cm | €30 | €50 |
| 16×24″ | 40 × 60 cm | €50 | €70 |
All prices are in euro and exclude postage, which is calculated at checkout by destination.
Which size for which wall
5×5″ — shelves, desks, clusters. Too small for a wall on its own. Perfect propped on a mantelpiece, on a bookshelf, or in a tight cluster of three or four.
8×10″ — hallways, small walls, gallery walls. The gallery-wall workhorse and the standard "small gift" size. One on its own suits a narrow hall or a downstairs loo; six of them make a proper grid.
12×16″ — above furniture, bedrooms, landings. The safe default when you want one print to hold a wall. Works above a console table, a bed or a desk.
16×24″ — living rooms, statement walls, above a sofa. The size that reads as a piece of art rather than a photograph. If you are hanging one thing over a three-seat sofa, this is it.
The two-thirds rule
Whatever hangs above a piece of furniture should be roughly two thirds of its width. A 2 m sofa wants around 130 cm of art — that is a 16×24″ with a couple of 8×10″ prints beside it, or three 12×16″ prints in a row.
Orientation matters as much as size
Landscape photographs suit horizontal walls above sofas and beds. Portrait-shaped animal images suit the narrow strip beside a door or between two windows. Square 5×5″ prints solve awkward small gaps that nothing else fits.
Still unsure?
Cut the size out of newspaper and tape it to the wall for a day. It costs nothing and it settles the argument. Then measure the hanging height using the 145 cm rule, and see the prints and framing page for paper and framing detail.
Frequently asked
- What print sizes are available?
- Four: 5×5″ (13 × 13 cm), 8×10″ (20 × 25 cm), 12×16″ (30 × 40 cm) and 16×24″ (40 × 60 cm). Every photograph is available in all four, framed or unframed.
- What size print should go above a sofa?
- Aim for art about two thirds of the sofa's width. Above a 2 m sofa that means roughly 130 cm of wall art — one 16×24″ print, or a group of three 12×16″ prints in a row.
- What is the best print size for a hallway?
- 8×10″ is the usual choice for a hallway or narrow landing, either singly or in a row. 12×16″ works if the hall is wide enough to step back from.
- How do I know if a size will look right before I buy?
- Cut a piece of newspaper to the exact print size and tape it to the wall for a day. It is the quickest way to check scale and hanging height before ordering.
More guides
- Wall art room by room: nursery, home office and hallway
Which prints suit a nursery, a home office and a hallway — sizes, subjects, heights and colours for the three rooms people leave until last.
- How to photograph your dog (and get one worth framing)
Practical dog photography tips — get down low, use the right light, freeze movement, keep their attention, and how to tell if a phone photo will print well.
- Irish landscape photography: chasing light in a country with none
How to photograph the Irish landscape in bad light — golden hour, the twenty minutes after rain, blue hour, and which conditions actually print well.