Picture frame cut calculator
Make a four-rail cut list for a rectangular photo frame. Enter artwork size, an even mat border, moulding face width, rabbet overlap, per-side clearance and saw kerf. Opposite rails must match.
Result
Package / glass 16" × 19"
Mat window 10 1/2" × 13 1/2"
Finished outside 18 5/8" × 21 5/8"
Sight opening 15 5/8" × 18 5/8"
Top/bottom long point 18 5/8" · short 15 5/8"
Left/right long point 21 5/8" · short 18 5/8"
Your dimensions will carry over. Add your own artwork next.
- Top/bottom long18 5/8"
- Top/bottom short15 5/8"
- Left/right long21 5/8"
- Face1 1/2"
- Rabbet lip1/4"
- Kerf1/8"
Worked example
- Top/bottom long18 5/8"
- Top/bottom short15 5/8"
- Left/right long21 5/8"
- Face1 1/2"
- Rabbet lip1/4"
- Kerf1/8"
Inputs
- Artwork: 11" × 14".
- Artwork borders: top and sides 2 1/2"; bottom 2 1/2". Overlap: 1/4" on each edge.
- Face width 1 1/2"; rabbet overlap 1/4"; clearance 1/16" on each side.
- Saw kerf 1/8"; stock allowance is zero in this example.
Calculated result
- Board / glass / backing
- 16" × 19"
- Mat window
- 10 1/2" × 13 1/2"
- Window borders, before the frame covers them
- Top 2 3/4", bottom 2 3/4", left 2 3/4", right 2 3/4"
- Actual rabbet recess
- 16 1/8" × 19 1/8"
- Visible sight opening
- 15 5/8" × 18 5/8"
- Finished outside
- 18 5/8" × 21 5/8"
| Rail | Long point | Short point |
|---|---|---|
| top | 18 5/8" | 15 5/8" |
| bottom | 18 5/8" | 15 5/8" |
| left | 21 5/8" | 18 5/8" |
| right | 21 5/8" | 18 5/8" |
Use these four long/short-point pairs to label the rails. Continue in Studio and choose Workshop to plan sticks by profile; the four finished lengths alone are not a purchase order.
Continue this example in StudioCalculated with the same FramePlan engine as the tool. Inches display to the nearest 1/16; internal dimensions use 0.01 mm precision. Examples are plans, not measurements of a purchased frame.
Which dimension are you measuring?
- Artwork size
- The physical photo, print or artwork area used by the calculation. Decide which edges can be covered; do not mix image size with a larger sheet of paper.
- Mat window
- The opening cut through the matboard. For an overlapped rectangular image, each dimension is artwork size minus twice the overlap.
- Board / glass / backing size
- The outer size of the rectangular package placed in the frame. Mat borders grow this size; window overlap does not.
- Nominal frame size and actual rabbet
- A shop’s label usually describes the components it accommodates, not the outside. The actual back recess may include additional fitting room. Check the maker’s sizing convention and measure it before ordering parts.
- Sight opening
- The opening visible from the front of the frame. The rabbet lip covers the package edges, so this is smaller than the actual rabbet recess.
- Finished outside size
- The frame measured between its outermost edges. Use it for wall space and long-point rail lengths; do not use it as a retail opening size.
Scope and making notes
This tool sizes four rectangular picture-frame rails with 45° mitres, an even single mat and a uniform face width. It does not calculate wall trim, polygon frames, compound mitres or a saw-specific cutting sequence.
Kerf changes how rails fit on a stick, not their finished dimensions. This page lists rails; Workshop distinguishes your recorded inventory from stock that needs purchasing. Add only materials you actually own.
The optimizer models lengths and gaps between pieces. It does not reserve every angled offcut, first-end trim, damaged section or machine-specific cut. Treat the displayed packing as a planning model, allow for your actual process and check it before cutting.
Logan’s F100-2 saw manual, pages 3–4 shows the importance of the fence, clamps, stops and measurement reference. Match the long/short-point list to your saw’s reference; a rabbet-corner scale is a different measurement.
How it works
Each frame needs four rails and eight mitres. Top matches bottom. Left matches right.
The length you cut is the long point. Kerf is not added to that length. It is the wood the blade removes between two pieces on the same stick.
Open the same numbers in Framing Studio when you have more than one frame. Workshop packs by profile and distinguishes recorded stock from purchase requirements. Its length model does not include every angled offcut or end trim.
Common mistakes
- Assuming two rails that add up to the stick will fit. The kerf between them needs room.
- Mixing walnut and oak on one stick because the lengths happen to nest.
- Writing the cut list on scrap and then changing the mat without updating the rails.
Frequently asked questions
How many cuts does one frame need?
Four rails and eight mitres. Opposite rails share a long point.
Why do two pieces that add up to the stick still not fit?
The saw kerf between them uses length.
Can different moulding profiles share a stick?
No. Each profile is packed on its own stock.