3 ms·

I recently discovered something strange. If you buy a large format photo printer then a common paper size for larger prints is A3+, which is roughly 13"x19". Th

I recently discovered something strange. If you buy a large format photo printer then a common paper size for larger prints is A3+, which is roughly 13"x19". The paper is readily available in this size in office stores and online. If you then go to a craft store or art supply store to buy photo frames, you will find very few if any frames that match that paper size. It seems that the "fine art" world uses certain sizes that are not common sizes of photo paper! This is frustrating for me as I will sometimes want to print a photo as a gift for someone last minute and I always have to order frames from mail order and keep a few extras around. I wish i could go to the local shop and buy A3+ sized frames but even when there are some the selection is extremely limited compared to other sizes.

stephen_g 3y ago
My understanding is that the kind of workflow used in that area is to print from a roll of paper with a bit of bleed (printing slightly larger so there’s no white edge) and then cutting down to the desired size? It is annoying trying to get good sized frames, maybe a lot of them are custom made too? Often they’ll at least have a custom mat board cut I think.
- TaylorAlexander 3y ago
  My printer uses sheets and cannot print on rolls. It prints borderless (that is, cleanly up to the full edge of the page) so no cutting is needed. I can order frames online (Craig Frames company). I was just surprised when I found out that this rather common large format photo printing paper size was a very uncommon frame size, and at three different local stores which sell a lot of large frames, they had little to no selection in that particular size.
callalex 3y ago
My fiancée made a wonderful series of 3 watercolor paintings for me of the musical instrument I play. She’s not a pretentious paper art genius (she makes digital art for video games), so she just used the standard size she bought at the store that came as a full stack of tear-off pads for watercolor: 14”x20”, assuming that we would just be able to slap them in frames when we were done. All the local framing shops and even the chain store quoted us hundreds of dollars just to cut the border mats that would adapt them to standard frames. Online I found a solution that was tens of dollars for all 3 frames and mats and it really made me feel like a loser for going out of the way to drive around and shop local in the SF Bay Area.
- NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
  So I encountered this Purgatory over the course of several years, since I began to earn professional certifications. These certificates came in standard Letter size, 8.5x11 pages, with glossy durable paper. They also issue them electronically in PDF format, Letter-size as well, so it's easy to print them and even upgrade paper quality. Last year, I finally earned graduation from college, and my certificate came in the mail: 8.5x11 as well! So where are the Letter-size picture frames? I want to hang these credentials on my wall, or frame them and place them on a shelf! They will look very nice that way! But all picture frames on the market are for 8x10 photographs! So it's horrible; I can't use the standard-issue, original certificates at all. I can't print them as-is, and reducing their size does not yield the 8x10 aspect ratio you need. Eventually, over the course of several years, I've managed to amass a few 8.5x11 picture frames from thrift stores. It wasn't easy, they don't match one another, and they're uncommon, but they do exist. Likewise, no big-box store or specialty framing store seems to carry such an animal. So if these frames are so unobtanium, why are these authorities issuing certificates in this size? Don't they know we have little hope of framing them nicely? Surely there is some sort of disconnect, and surely there is a market-niche opportunity, especially for college-grads, like Josten's, or our college bookstore, to source these and sell them to us!
  - ghaff 3y ago
    I’ve bought 8.5x11 frames at the local arts and crafts chain so they’re not quite unobtainium. But 8x10 is definitely more common.
  - TaylorAlexander 3y ago
    Yeah there’s so many different options for 8x10 and then 8.5x11 there’s often only very cheap looking thin glossy black plastic frames. Take a look at a company called Craig Frames. That’s where I get my A3+ frames and they are lovely. Pay attention to which ones are solid wood and not just a veneer, if you have a preference. Though the veneer looks good too. My only frustration with this situation is that I have to go online as local shops ignore that size.
  - wlesieutre 3y ago
kozak 3y ago
A3+ is for getting your end result as an A3 sheet after you cut the edges.
- TaylorAlexander 3y ago
  Maybe that’s why it was created, but I think my use is pretty far removed from that. I simply want to print the largest photos possible on my printer and that’s A3+. It prints beautiful borderless photos with no need to cut them. But despite readily available paper, frames are much less common.

stephen_g 3y ago

My understanding is that the kind of workflow used in that area is to print from a roll of paper with a bit of bleed (printing slightly larger so there’s no white edge) and then cutting down to the desired size? It is annoying trying to get good sized frames, maybe a lot of them are custom made too? Often they’ll at least have a custom mat board cut I think.

TaylorAlexander 3y ago
My printer uses sheets and cannot print on rolls. It prints borderless (that is, cleanly up to the full edge of the page) so no cutting is needed. I can order frames online (Craig Frames company). I was just surprised when I found out that this rather common large format photo printing paper size was a very uncommon frame size, and at three different local stores which sell a lot of large frames, they had little to no selection in that particular size.

callalex 3y ago

My fiancée made a wonderful series of 3 watercolor paintings for me of the musical instrument I play. She’s not a pretentious paper art genius (she makes digital art for video games), so she just used the standard size she bought at the store that came as a full stack of tear-off pads for watercolor: 14”x20”, assuming that we would just be able to slap them in frames when we were done. All the local framing shops and even the chain store quoted us hundreds of dollars just to cut the border mats that would adapt them to standard frames. Online I found a solution that was tens of dollars for all 3 frames and mats and it really made me feel like a loser for going out of the way to drive around and shop local in the SF Bay Area.

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
So I encountered this Purgatory over the course of several years, since I began to earn professional certifications. These certificates came in standard Letter size, 8.5x11 pages, with glossy durable paper. They also issue them electronically in PDF format, Letter-size as well, so it's easy to print them and even upgrade paper quality. Last year, I finally earned graduation from college, and my certificate came in the mail: 8.5x11 as well! So where are the Letter-size picture frames? I want to hang these credentials on my wall, or frame them and place them on a shelf! They will look very nice that way! But all picture frames on the market are for 8x10 photographs! So it's horrible; I can't use the standard-issue, original certificates at all. I can't print them as-is, and reducing their size does not yield the 8x10 aspect ratio you need. Eventually, over the course of several years, I've managed to amass a few 8.5x11 picture frames from thrift stores. It wasn't easy, they don't match one another, and they're uncommon, but they do exist. Likewise, no big-box store or specialty framing store seems to carry such an animal. So if these frames are so unobtanium, why are these authorities issuing certificates in this size? Don't they know we have little hope of framing them nicely? Surely there is some sort of disconnect, and surely there is a market-niche opportunity, especially for college-grads, like Josten's, or our college bookstore, to source these and sell them to us!
- ghaff 3y ago
  I’ve bought 8.5x11 frames at the local arts and crafts chain so they’re not quite unobtainium. But 8x10 is definitely more common.
- TaylorAlexander 3y ago
  Yeah there’s so many different options for 8x10 and then 8.5x11 there’s often only very cheap looking thin glossy black plastic frames. Take a look at a company called Craig Frames. That’s where I get my A3+ frames and they are lovely. Pay attention to which ones are solid wood and not just a veneer, if you have a preference. Though the veneer looks good too. My only frustration with this situation is that I have to go online as local shops ignore that size.
- wlesieutre 3y ago

kozak 3y ago

A3+ is for getting your end result as an A3 sheet after you cut the edges.

TaylorAlexander 3y ago
Maybe that’s why it was created, but I think my use is pretty far removed from that. I simply want to print the largest photos possible on my printer and that’s A3+. It prints beautiful borderless photos with no need to cut them. But despite readily available paper, frames are much less common.