Standard print sizes and aspect ratios: fitting your artwork to A2, 50 × 70 and beyond

Nothing derails a first print order faster than discovering, after the file is perfect and the paper is chosen, that the artwork doesn't fit the size. The sky gets cropped. The signature disappears. Or a white band appears where you didn't want one. All of it is avoidable with ten minutes of arithmetic before you upload. This guide lists every Print Punch standard size with its aspect ratio, explains which artwork proportions fit each one, shows how borders and crops absorb small mismatches, and tells you when a custom size is the honest answer.

Aspect ratio in one paragraph

Aspect ratio is the relationship between width and height, written as width:height. A 50 × 70 cm print is 5:7, or about 1:1.4. A 60 × 90 cm print is 2:3, or 1:1.5. A square is 1:1. Your artwork has a ratio too; divide its longer side by its shorter side and you have a single number to compare. An artwork at 1:1.4 fits 50 × 70 without cropping. An artwork at 1:1.5 fits 60 × 90. An artwork at 1:1.33 (the common 3:4 camera ratio) fits neither exactly and will need a small crop or a border.

Paper sizes: framed and unframed

Print Punch framed paper prints and unframed fine art prints share six sizes:

• A2 · 42 × 59.4 cm. Ratio 1:1.41 (the ISO paper ratio, √2). Fits scans of A-series paper and anything near 5:7.
• 50 × 70 cm. Ratio 1:1.40. Very close to A2's proportion; the two are nearly interchangeable for fit.
• 60 × 90 cm. Ratio 1:1.50 (2:3). The classic 35mm and full-frame camera ratio. Most photographs fit without cropping.
• 70 × 100 cm. Ratio 1:1.43. Between A2 and 2:3; a comfortable fit for most 5:7 work and a small crop from 2:3.
• 100 × 130 cm. Ratio 1:1.30. Close to 3:4 and 4:5. Suits paintings and illustrations in those proportions; crops a 2:3 photo noticeably.
• 120 × 150 cm. Ratio 1:1.25 (4:5). Suits 4:5 paintings and medium-format photography. Not available on Textured Cotton Rag (the 1118 mm roll can't produce a seamless 120 cm width).

All six can be bordered or edge to edge. With the even 5cm border the printable area is smaller and its ratio shifts: 50 × 70 becomes a 40 × 60 printable area at 2:3, for example. The border or edge to edge guide explains why that can help.

Canvas sizes

Framed canvas prints come in eleven sizes, including squares the paper range doesn't offer:

• A2 · 42 × 59.4 cm (1:1.41)
• 50 × 70 cm (1:1.40)
• 60 × 90 cm (1:1.50)
• 70 × 70 cm (1:1)
• 70 × 100 cm (1:1.43)
• 90 × 90 cm (1:1)
• 100 × 100 cm (1:1)
• 100 × 130 cm (1:1.30)
• 120 × 120 cm (1:1)
• 120 × 150 cm (1:1.25)
• 120 × 180 cm (1:1.50)

The listed dimensions describe the canvas face, which is the printed artwork area. The frame sits around that, so the outside dimension is larger by the frame width and shadowline on each side. Canvas has no border option; the preview offers "Fill and crop" (artwork centre-cropped to fill the face) or "Keep full artwork" (the whole image shown with visible fit space). Square sizes make canvas the natural home for square work.

Blank canvas sizes for painters

The blank canvas with floating frame has 23 sizes from A2 and 50 × 50 cm up to 120 × 180 cm, with many squares and classic rectangles between. If you paint originals and also sell prints, choosing a blank canvas size that matches a printed size (70 × 100, 100 × 130, 120 × 150) means the finished painting reproduces without cropping. The blank canvas guide covers the painter's side.

Matching common artwork ratios to sizes

2:3 (1:1.50), most digital cameras and 35mm film. Fits 60 × 90 and 120 × 180 (canvas) exactly. Small crop to 70 × 100 or 50 × 70. Larger crop to 100 × 130 and 120 × 150. With a 5cm border, 50 × 70 and 70 × 100 fit 2:3 almost perfectly because the printable area shifts toward 2:3.

3:4 (1:1.33), many phone cameras and medium format. Fits 100 × 130 closely. Small crop to 70 × 100 and 50 × 70. Larger crop to 60 × 90.

4:5 (1:1.25), common painting and large-format ratio. Fits 120 × 150 exactly and 100 × 130 closely. Noticeable crop to 60 × 90.

5:7 and √2 (1:1.40 to 1:1.41), A-series paper and many illustration formats. Fits A2, 50 × 70 and 70 × 100 with little or no crop.

1:1, square. Canvas squares (70 × 70, 90 × 90, 100 × 100, 120 × 120). On paper sizes a square image needs a border or a custom size.

Panoramic (1:2 and wider). No standard size fits. Request a custom size, or consider whether a crop to 120 × 180 canvas (1:1.5) keeps the composition.

How much crop is acceptable?

A crop of up to about 5 percent on one axis is usually invisible: it trims a sliver of sky or foreground. Between 5 and 10 percent you should look at exactly what's lost and whether a border would be better. Above 10 percent, change the size or request a custom one. The product page preview shows the crop at every size; check the edges and corners, not just the centre.

Work out the number quickly: if your artwork is 1:1.50 and the size is 1:1.40, the difference is about 7 percent of the long side. That's borderline, and worth a look.

Working from the file, not the original

Your production file's pixel dimensions set the ratio you're actually printing from, and they may differ slightly from the original artwork if the capture was cropped. Check the file's ratio, not the painting's. The file preparation guide covers resolution requirements per size; as a rough guide, 50 × 70 cm wants about 5900 × 8300 pixels for 300 ppi and 120 × 150 cm wants about 14200 × 17700, which few captures reach, so large prints usually run at 150 to 200 ppi. The guide to photographing paintings explains how to capture enough pixels.

Cropping with intent

If you must crop, do it in your own software before uploading, so the decision is yours and the file matches the size exactly. Crop toward the subject. Keep the horizon off the exact centre unless the composition wants it. Check that a signature or title inside the image remains at least 1 to 2 cm from the new edge. Save the cropped version with the size in its filename so you can reorder it exactly.

Custom sizes

When no listed size fits, request a custom size. On each printed product page a quote form asks for your first name, surname, email, mobile, art width, art height and the format (framed canvas, unframed paper print or framed paper print). Our team confirms the finished size, production method, price and artwork requirements before anything is made. Custom sizes aren't orderable online because the price depends on the dimensions, but the process is quick and the artist FAQs describe it.

Sizes and selling

A range of three sizes per artwork covers most collectors: a small entry size, a mid size for most walls and a large statement size. With print on demand you don't pay to offer more, but you should preview and ideally test each one, because a crop that's fine at 60 × 90 may not be at 100 × 130. The pricing guide shows how to build a coherent price ladder across sizes, and the guide to selling without stock explains why offering sizes you've never seen is the most common beginner mistake.

Quick reference

• Photographs from most cameras: 60 × 90 and 120 × 180 canvas fit exactly; bordered 50 × 70 and 70 × 100 fit very well.
• Paintings in 4:5: 120 × 150 exact, 100 × 130 close.
• Paintings and illustrations in 3:4: 100 × 130 close, small crop to 70 × 100.
• Illustrations at A-series ratio: A2, 50 × 70, 70 × 100.
• Square work: canvas squares, or a bordered paper print, or a custom size.
• Panoramas: custom size.

Sizes and the room they hang in

Collectors buy for a wall, so it helps to translate print sizes into rooms when you write a listing. A2 (42 × 59.4 cm) suits a hallway, a study, a bathroom or a gallery wall of several pieces. 50 × 70 and 60 × 90 cm suit bedrooms, dining nooks and above a console. 70 × 100 cm is the comfortable size above a sofa in most Australian living rooms and above a queen bed. 100 × 130 cm is a statement for a large living room, a stairwell or a commercial space. 120 × 150 and 120 × 180 cm are for walls with real height and width, and for interior clients. A sentence in your listing like "70 × 100 cm: suits a wall above a two or three seat sofa" removes the guesswork for the buyer and reduces returns.

Delivery follows size too. Larger framed pieces are bulky freight and the delivery calculated at checkout reflects that, so if you sell to distant or overseas collectors, the unframed fine art print at a large size may be the better offer; the turnaround and shipping guide explains how freight behaves.

Frames add to the outside dimension

A listed size describes the artwork area (the paper size for paper prints, the canvas face for canvas). The finished object is larger. On framed paper the frame face is about 2 cm wide, so a 50 × 70 cm print is roughly 54 × 74 cm outside; depth is about 3 cm up to 70 × 100 cm and 4 cm at 100 × 130 cm. On framed canvas the floating frame and shadowline add to each side. The frames and materials page records the profile, and it's worth quoting approximate outside dimensions in your listing so collectors can check the wall. For custom or very large pieces, ask us to confirm the outside dimensions before you publish them, as the specifications page advises.

A quick worksheet

For each artwork you plan to sell, write down: the file's pixel dimensions; its ratio (long side divided by short side); the three sizes you'll offer; the crop percentage at each (from the preview); whether a 5cm border fixes the fit; and the price at each size from the pricing guide. Ten minutes per artwork, once, and you'll never list a size you haven't checked. The file preparation guide covers the pixel side, and the test order checklist picks up when the first print arrives. The framed prints for artists page and the unframed printing page list the sizes each format offers.

Frequently asked questions

Which Print Punch size fits a standard photograph?

60 × 90 cm (and 120 × 180 cm on canvas) match the 2:3 camera ratio exactly. 50 × 70 and 70 × 100 cm fit with a small crop, or almost perfectly with a 5cm border.

Can I print a square artwork?

Yes. Framed canvas offers 70 × 70, 90 × 90, 100 × 100 and 120 × 120 cm. On paper, use a bordered print or request a custom square size.

What happens if my artwork doesn't match the size?

On paper you can add an even 5cm border, which absorbs small differences, or accept a centre crop. On canvas choose "Fill and crop" or "Keep full artwork" in the preview. For larger mismatches, change size or request a custom one.

Do the canvas dimensions include the frame?

No. The listed canvas size is the artwork face. The frame and shadowline add to the outside dimension.

Why isn't 120 × 150 cm available on cotton rag paper?

The cotton stock comes on a 1118 mm wide roll, so a seamless 120 cm wide sheet can't be cut from it. It's available up to 100 × 130 cm.

How do I order a size that isn't listed?

Use the custom size quote form on any printed product page. Our team confirms dimensions, method and price before production.

Check your fit

Divide your artwork's long side by its short side, find the nearest size above, then upload the file on the relevant product page and look at the preview at that size. If the crop worries you, the contact page is the quickest way to ask.