# Print size guide: which size fits which wall

> 5×5″, 8×10″, 12×16″ and 16×24″ compared in centimetres, with the wall widths, rooms and furniture each size actually suits.

- Canonical page: https://hollzphotography.com/blog/print-size-guide-inches
- Business: Hollzphotography — signed animal and Irish landscape photography prints
- Photographer: Amy Byrne, Ireland
- Contact: info@hollzphotography.com · 083 881 3982

- Published: 2026-08-10
- Reading time: 5 minutes
- Topics: picture frame sizes, print sizes, wall art prints, art prints ireland

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](/blog/how-to-hang-a-picture), and see the [prints and framing page](/prints) for paper and framing detail.

## FAQ

### 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.

## Pages

- [Print shop](https://hollzphotography.com/shop)
- [Gallery](https://hollzphotography.com/gallery)
- [Print guide](https://hollzphotography.com/prints)
- [Wall art in real rooms](https://hollzphotography.com/wall-art)
- [Print sizes guide](https://hollzphotography.com/print-sizes)
- [Gallery wall guide](https://hollzphotography.com/gallery-wall)
- [Gift guide](https://hollzphotography.com/gift-guide)
- [Journal](https://hollzphotography.com/blog)
- [About Amy](https://hollzphotography.com/about)
- [FAQ](https://hollzphotography.com/faq)
- [Pet portraits & commissions](https://hollzphotography.com/commissions)
- [Events](https://hollzphotography.com/events)
- [Contact](https://hollzphotography.com/contact)