Preview portrait sizes on your wall
1. What’s the portrait going above?
3. Orientation
4. Try a canvas size
Standard portrait sizes at a glance
| Size (inches) | Size (cm) | Ratio | Where it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5×7 in | 13×18 cm | 5:7 | Desks, shelves and small frames — not a wall focal point |
| 8×10 in | 20×25 cm | 4:5 | The classic framed-photo size, at home in hallway groupings |
| 8×12 in | 20×30 cm | 2:3 | Smallest gallery canvas — narrow walls, desks, gift size · printable at PortraitGift |
| 11×14 in | 28×36 cm | 11:14 | Small wall art; strongest in a pair or trio |
| 12×18 in | 30×46 cm | 2:3 | Entryways, offices and above consoles · printable at PortraitGift |
| 16×20 in | 41×51 cm | 4:5 | Common framed-print size for bedrooms and studies |
| 16×24 in | 41×61 cm | 2:3 | The most versatile single-portrait size for living spaces · printable at PortraitGift |
| 18×24 in | 46×61 cm | 3:4 | Poster size — off-the-shelf frames are easy to find |
| 20×30 in | 51×76 cm | 2:3 | Reads clearly across a living room; strong over a dresser · printable at PortraitGift |
| 24×36 in | 61×91 cm | 2:3 | Statement size — over sofas, beds and mantels · printable at PortraitGift |
Everything runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded or saved. Furniture widths use common defaults (84 in sofa, 60 in queen bed, 48 in console); measure yours for a precise fit.
Find a portrait for that spot — free preview first →How to choose the right portrait size for a wall
A portrait size guide is really answering one question: how wide should the artwork be relative to what it hangs above? The rule interior designers actually use is the two-thirds rule — art above a sofa, bed or console looks balanced at roughly two-thirds the width of that furniture, and starts looking lost below about a third. The visualizer above does that arithmetic for you: it draws each standard portrait size to scale on your wall, flags the sizes that land in the balanced band, and is honest when none do (very wide sofas genuinely need a pair or a three-piece grouping, not one heroic canvas).
Height matters just as much and is easier to get right: galleries hang artwork with its vertical center about 57 inches from the floor — average eye level — and above furniture the frame’s bottom edge should clear the top by 6–10 inches. The preview marks both, so the size you pick comes with the hanging height that makes it look intentional.
Standard portrait sizes — and what your photo can support
The reference table below lists the standard portrait size dimensions you’ll meet in frame shops — 5×7, 8×10, 11×14, 16×20, 18×24 — alongside the 2:3 gallery-canvas sizes PortraitGift prints, from 8×12 up to 24×36 inches, with centimeter equivalents for everything. Ratios are worth a glance before you buy a frame: a 4:5 print will not fit a 2:3 frame without a mat or a crop.
One thing this guide deliberately does not ask about is your photo. Whether your picture has enough pixels to print sharply at a given size is a separate question, and the free canvas size calculator answers it — drop the photo there and it rates every canvas size by real print DPI. Choose the size for the wall here, then confirm the photo can carry it there. (If the photo is becoming an AI-generated portrait, resolution barely matters — the artwork is rendered at print resolution from scratch.)
How it works
- Tell the tool what the portrait will hang above — sofa, bed, console, or an empty wall — and how wide the wall is, in inches or centimeters.
- Flick through the canvas sizes and watch each one drawn to scale on your wall, with a balanced / too-small / too-wide verdict and the right hanging height.
- Take the best-fit size with you — browse portraits made for it, or check your photo supports it with the canvas size calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What are the standard portrait sizes?
The common portrait print sizes are 5×7, 8×10, 11×14, 16×20 and 18×24 inches, and the standard 2:3 canvas sizes are 8×12, 12×18, 16×24, 20×30 and 24×36 inches (20×30, 30×46, 41×61, 51×76 and 61×91 cm). The table on this page lists all of them with where each works best.
What size portrait should I hang above a sofa or bed?
Aim for artwork about two-thirds the width of the furniture. A single portrait rarely gets there over a full 84-inch sofa — which is why designers hang pairs or three-piece groupings above sofas, and why this tool will tell you that honestly instead of pretending one canvas fills the span. Over a 48-inch console, a single 24×36 portrait lands right in the balanced band.
How high should a portrait be hung?
Center the artwork about 57 inches from the floor — the gallery convention for average eye level. Above furniture, ignore the 57-inch rule and instead leave 6–10 inches between the furniture top and the frame bottom, so the two read as one arrangement. The wall preview draws both guides for you.
Does this guide check whether my photo is sharp enough for these sizes?
No — on purpose. This page answers what fits the wall; the free canvas size calculator answers what your photo’s resolution can support, by rating each size in real print DPI. Use both: pick the size here, then confirm the photo there. Everything on this page runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Customers love what they create
A Victorian portrait of me for my 50th — the auburn curls and freckles are unmistakably me. It feels like a real heirloom.
My husband and I can’t stop grinning at it. Looks like a movie poster and the canvas is seriously premium.
I actually gasped — they made me a pirate queen! Thick, gallery-wrapped canvas, exactly like the free preview.
Explore all custom portrait styles →