What Size Art Print Do I Need? A Simple Guide

Choosing the right size is one of the most common things people get wrong when ordering art prints. Go too small and it gets lost on the wall. Go too big and it overwhelms the room. Here's how to get it right every time.

The quick answer

As a general rule, go bigger than you think. Prints almost always look smaller on a real wall than they do on screen. If you're torn between two sizes, choose the larger one.

What each size actually looks like

A4 (21 × 29.7 cm) is roughly the size of a sheet of printer paper. It works well on small walls, in groups of three or more, on shelves, or on a narrow section of wall like a staircase. On its own on a large wall, it can feel a little lost.

A3 (29.7 × 42 cm) is a versatile middle ground — big enough to hold its own as a solo piece, small enough to group easily. It works well above a desk, in a hallway, or as part of a gallery wall.

A2 (42 × 59.4 cm) starts to feel like a proper statement piece. It suits living rooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms where you want something that draws the eye. Above a sofa or a bed, A2 is often the sweet spot.

A1 (59.4 × 84.1 cm) is a large format print that fills a wall. It works best in spacious rooms, hallways with high ceilings, or anywhere you want one bold focal point rather than a collection of smaller pieces.

How to measure your wall

Before ordering, measure the wall space where you want to hang the print. A useful rule of thumb is that your print should fill roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of the width of the furniture below it — so if your sofa is 180 cm wide, you'd want a print (or gallery wall) that spans about 120–135 cm.

For a single statement piece, hold a piece of paper or card cut to the size you're considering up against the wall. It takes ten seconds and saves a lot of guesswork.

Gallery walls

If you're building a gallery wall, mixing sizes works better than using identical frames. A typical combination might be two A3 prints flanking a central A2, or a cluster of A4 prints around a single A3 anchor piece.

Start by laying your prints out on the floor first to find an arrangement you like, then transfer it to the wall.

Matte or glossy?

Once you've settled on size, the finish is the next decision. Matte gives a softer, gallery-style look with no glare — it suits most artwork and most rooms. Glossy has more punch, stronger colour, and more contrast — it works well for photography and bold graphic prints.

If in doubt, matte is the safer choice. Most art galleries use it for a reason.

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Still not sure? Our size guide has a visual comparison of all four sizes to help you decide, and if you order and it's not right, get in touch — we're happy to help.