What ready-made picture frames actually are

Ready-made picture frames are frames produced in fixed, standard sizes that you can use the moment they arrive. There is no measuring, no ordering to specification and no waiting. You pick the format, drop in your photo, print or poster, and hang it. For a great many walls, that is exactly the right level of effort.

These frames come in a wide range of styles, colours and materials, which makes them easy to match to most interiors, from a pared-back loft to a classic sitting room. If you are decorating a Scandinavian-style space, pale birch or light oak tones tend to work well. For an industrial room, a thin black matte profile sits naturally against concrete and metal. You will find a broad selection of off-the-shelf formats in my photo frames category, which covers the popular sizes most people need for photographs, certificates and smaller prints.

Standard picture frame sizes and what they fit

Most ready-made frames are sold in a handful of standard formats. Knowing these saves you a lot of searching, because the size of your print or photo usually decides the frame for you. The table below covers the formats I am asked about most often, in both centimetres and inches, along with the A-series sizes that matter if you are framing posters or digital prints in the UK.

The advantage of these formats is predictability. The frame is in stock, the quality is consistent and you can be hanging the piece the same day. For anything that falls neatly into one of these sizes, a ready-made frame is a sensible and economical choice.

When ready-made frames are the right choice

I make custom frames for a living, but I will always tell a client honestly when an off-the-shelf frame is the better call. Ready-made frames genuinely make sense in several situations:

• Your print is already a standard size. Posters, mass-produced prints and standard photo formats are designed around these dimensions, so a stock frame fits without compromise.
• Speed matters. If you need a wall finished before guests arrive or a piece up the same week, you cannot beat a frame that is available from the shelf.
• The stakes are low. For a changing gallery wall, a child's room or a temporary display, an inexpensive frame you can swap out later is the practical option.
• Budget is the priority. A standard frame is almost always cheaper than a piece built to order, simply because it is produced in volume.

Once you have decided a ready-made frame will do the job, the next decision is style and colour. If you want a quick steer on matching the frame to the work and the room, my guide on how to choose the perfect frame for your artwork walks through style, colour and material in plain terms.

Where ready-made frames fall short

The limits of a ready-made frame appear the moment your work does not match a standard size, or the moment the piece matters to you. After years at the bench, these are the cases where I see people regret a stock frame:

• Non-standard dimensions. An oddly proportioned print, a hand-cut watercolour or anything off-format will sit awkwardly, leaving uneven margins or forcing you to trim the artwork.
• Stretched canvas. Most ready-made frames have no depth to house a stretcher bar, so a canvas either will not fit or bulges out of the back.
• Work with real value, financial or sentimental. An original painting, a wedding photograph or a family heirloom deserves materials that protect it, not the thin backing and standard glazing of a budget frame.
• A specific look. If you want a particular profile width, a hand-gilded edge or a finish that matches your interior exactly, the choice on the shelf will rarely be the choice in your head.

It is also worth being clear about cost, because price is the usual reason people reach for ready-made first. A made-to-measure frame costs more for concrete reasons, and I have broken those down in detail in my article on why professional picture framing is so expensive, from the moulding and joinery to the glazing and hand finishing.

Made-to-measure picture frames: built around the artwork

A made-to-measure frame works the opposite way to a ready-made one. Instead of fitting the artwork to a frame, I build the frame around the artwork. In my workshop every frame starts as raw moulding. I cut and join the corners by hand, prepare the substrate, and only then move to the finish, whether that is paint, patina or genuine gold leaf laid by hand. Because each frame is built to your dimensions, the fit is exact, the proportions are deliberate and the piece becomes part of the composition rather than an approximation of it.

This approach gives you control over every detail: the profile width, the wood, the colour, the finish and, of course, the size. I work in solid timber such as oak, pine and mahogany, and I can apply finishes from a clean satin to traditional water gilding on bole. A typical commission takes around fifteen to thirty business days depending on complexity. You can see the range in my custom picture frames category, and if you want to understand how the whole process works from first contact to finished frame, my bespoke picture frames service page explains it step by step. For help narrowing down the options, I also wrote a practical guide on how to choose custom picture frames.

Matching the frame to the work and the room

Whether you go ready-made or made-to-measure, the same principles of matching apply. The frame should support the artwork and sit comfortably in the room, not fight either of them. A few directions I return to often:

• Light and minimal. Pale, slim profiles suit Scandinavian and modern interiors and let the work breathe. Browse white picture frames for this look.
• Black and architectural. A deep or matte black frame brings contrast and discipline, and works as well with photography as it does with classical art. See my black picture frames.
• Gilded and classic. For warm-toned paintings and traditional rooms, a hand-gilded gold frame adds depth and prestige that printed gold finishes cannot match. Explore gold gilded picture frames.

Framing canvas, oil paintings and special pieces

Certain works almost always call for a made-to-measure approach, simply because a standard frame cannot accommodate them properly. Stretched canvases need depth, so a deep or floating box construction is the right answer; I cover the options in my guide to picture frame types for canvas paintings. Oil paintings have their own conventions, and you can read how I handle them on my framing oil paintings page. Canvas prints and photographs printed on canvas are a separate case again, covered on my canvas print framing page. And when a piece carries real value, conservation matters more than appearance: acid-free mounts, appropriate glazing and reversible hinging all protect the work for the long term, which is the focus of my archival and museum framing service.

The same logic applies to mirrors

This ready-made versus made-to-measure question is not unique to artwork. A standard mirror rarely fits a specific wall, an awkward alcove or a particular pier between two windows. The same workshop logic that produces a frame built to your dimensions produces a mirror sized to your space, in a frame that matches the rest of your interior. If you are weighing up a stock mirror against one made to fit, my piece on made-to-measure hallway mirrors explains the difference, and you can see the full range in mirrors in frames.

How to decide: a simple rule of thumb

If your print is a standard size, the piece is not precious and you want it done quickly and cheaply, a ready-made frame is the right tool. If the dimensions are non-standard, the work has financial or sentimental value, you want a specific profile or finish, or you are framing a stretched canvas, a made-to-measure frame is worth the difference. When you are not sure, send me a photograph of the artwork or the wall along with the measurements, and I will suggest suitable options and prepare a quote. The first consultation is non-binding, and I usually reply within a day.

Frequently asked questions

What is a ready-made picture frame?

A ready-made picture frame is a frame manufactured in a fixed, standard size and sold ready to use. You buy it off the shelf, insert a print or photograph that matches the format, and hang it without any measuring or ordering to specification.

What are the most common ready-made frame sizes?

The most common formats are 13 x 18 cm, 21 x 30 cm (A4), 30 x 40 cm, 40 x 50 cm and 50 x 70 cm, with A2 and 60 x 80 cm covering larger posters and prints. These sizes fit the majority of standard photographs, certificates and printed posters.

Are ready-made frames good quality?

For standard prints and everyday photographs they are perfectly adequate and represent good value. Their limitations show with non-standard sizes, stretched canvases and valuable works, where the thinner materials and standard glazing offer less protection than a frame built to order.

Do ready-made frames fit canvas paintings?

Usually not. Most ready-made frames are too shallow to house a stretcher bar, so a stretched canvas either will not sit in the frame or protrudes from the back. Canvas almost always needs a deeper or floating frame made to the right depth.

When should I order a made-to-measure frame instead?

Choose a made-to-measure frame when your artwork is a non-standard size, when it has real value, when you want a particular profile, finish or hand-gilded edge, or when you are framing a canvas. In those cases an exact fit and proper materials matter more than speed and price.

Can you make a frame to any size?

Yes. I build frames to the exact dimensions of your artwork, in your choice of wood, profile, colour and finish. Because the frame is constructed around the work rather than the other way round, there is no standard format to work within.

How long does a made-to-measure frame take?

A typical commission takes around fifteen to thirty business days, depending on the profile, the finish and whether the frame is gilded. I confirm the lead time with the quote so you know exactly when to expect the finished frame.