16 × 24 frame size
A 16×24 frame with a mat can mean a 16×24-inch outer board around a smaller picture. To surround a full 16×24 print, compare a larger board such as the 20×28 example below. The full sheet is 40.64×60.96 cm with a 2:3 ratio.
Artwork is the full sheet. Nominal frame size is the stated insert reference. The visible opening is the area left after the frame lip or mat covers the edges. Actual frames, mats, rabbets and listed openings vary by manufacturer; these dimensions do not guarantee fit, preservation, hanging safety, load capacity or compatibility.
16 × 24 inches in cm, mm and both orientations
| Measurement | Portrait / listed order | Landscape / reversed order |
|---|---|---|
| Inches | 16 × 24 | 24 × 16 |
| Centimeters | 40.64 × 60.96 | 60.96 × 40.64 |
| Millimeters | 406.4 × 609.6 | 609.6 × 406.4 |
| Aspect ratio | 2:3 | 3:2 |
Swapping width and height changes portrait to landscape without changing area. Product features determine which orientations a particular frame supports. A matching ratio preserves shape when scaling an image; it does not make different physical sheet sizes interchangeable.
Without a mat: start with the full 16 × 24 sheet
Compare a frame described for a 16 × 24-inch insert. Measure any printed paper margin as part of that sheet. Do not subtract the front lip from the artwork dimensions unless the supplier explicitly asks for a visible-window measurement. The back opening, depth and clearance must come from the specific product; no universal rabbet allowance is assumed here.
Two meanings of “16×24 frame with mat”
A nominal 16×24 frame may contain a mat intended for a smaller photo. Here, a 12×18 sheet behind a 16×24 board has an illustrative 11.75×17.75 window, leaving 2.125-inch side borders and 3.125-inch top and bottom borders. A full 16×24 print requires a different arrangement: the board must extend beyond that complete sheet. A listing can use the artwork size, window size or outer board size in its title, so compare the labeled measurements individually.
A 20×28 outer board around the full print
At ⅛-inch overlap per edge, a full 16×24 print uses a 15.75×23.75 example window. Centering it in a 20×28 board leaves 2.125-inch borders all around. A 24×36 board keeps the same window but gives 4.125-inch side borders and 6.125-inch top and bottom borders. The latter board shares the print’s 2:3 ratio, yet its mat borders are unequal. Equal borders follow equal additions to the sheet dimensions, not proportional enlargement.
16×24 versus 16×20 for a photograph
The two formats share a 16-inch short edge but differ by 4 inches on the long edge. A portrait 2:3 image scaled to 16×24 would lose 4 inches of height to fill a 16×20 print: one sixth of its scaled image area, or about 16.67%. Fitting the whole image within 16×20 instead gives about 13.333×20 and leaves side space. These are printing choices; a mat cannot enlarge an already printed sheet or recover a removed part of the image.
With a mat around a full 16 × 24 print
These centered examples use ⅛ inch overlap on each artwork edge, producing a 15.75 × 23.75-inch window. This is an editable illustration, not a prescribed cut. Board sizes are comparison scenarios, including possible custom dimensions; stock availability is not asserted.
| Outer board / nominal frame (in) | Window (in) | Left / right border (in) | Top / bottom border (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 × 28 | 15.75 × 23.75 | 2.125 | 2.125 |
| 24 × 36 | 15.75 × 23.75 | 4.125 | 6.125 |
Window = artwork − 2 × overlap
Centered border = (outer board − window) ÷ 2
Open this 20 × 28 mat example in the calculator to change the board or overlap. Some suppliers take artwork dimensions and make their own deduction; others want the final window size.
Smaller artwork inside a 16 × 24 outer board
This reverses the question: keep the nominal frame at 16 × 24, then compare smaller pictures. It is useful when a listing says “matted to” a smaller photo size. These are calculated scenarios, not a claim about an included mat.
| Full artwork (in) | Window (in) | Left / right border (in) | Top / bottom border (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 × 18 | 11.75 × 17.75 | 2.125 | 3.125 |
| 12 × 20 | 11.75 × 19.75 | 2.125 | 2.125 |
Before comparing a frame listing
- Confirm the full sheet and the portion of the image that must remain visible.
- Identify the nominal insert, outer mat board and exact cut window separately.
- Request the actual back opening, rabbet depth and manufacturer tolerances. Width and height alone cannot establish suitability for thick artwork.
- Use the listed outside dimensions for a visual gallery layout; these tables do not provide them.
Questions about 16 × 24 frames
What size frame surrounds a full 16×24 print with a mat?
The 20×28 and 24×36 outer-board examples show two possible geometries. They use the same 15.75×23.75 sample window but different borders. Confirm the complete sheet, actual board, cutting convention and frame specifications before selecting a product.
Does a 16×24 mat have a 16×24 cut opening?
Not necessarily. It may name the outer board or intended artwork. The example window for full 16×24 artwork is smaller by 0.25 inch overall in each dimension; a supplier may use a different overlap.
Does 24×16 need a second frame size?
It reverses the same nominal dimensions into landscape order: 60.96×40.64 cm with a 3:2 ratio. The frame’s supported orientations remain product-specific.
Compare related frame sizes
Return to the frame-size directory · Work backward from a frame you already own · Understand mat terminology