Best Art Print Sizes: How to Choose the Right Size for Your Artwork

Whether you're stocking your online shop, preparing for Artist Alley, or printing your latest illustration for your wall at home, learning how to choose the right size for your artwork is just as important as choosing the right paper. The best print sizes aren't necessarily the biggest; they're the ones that fit your artwork, your audience, and your budget. In this guide, we'll cover the most popular art print sizes, when to use them, and a few tips to help you choose the right option for your next print run.

❤️ The Most Popular Art Print Sizes

5" x 7"

Best for: Small illustrations, giftable artwork, mini prints, and gallery wall collections.

This is a great entry-level size for selling at conventions or online. Smaller prints are affordable for customers, easy to frame, and make excellent add-on purchases.

8" x 10"

Best for: Portraits, photography, digital art, and home décor.

One of the most recognizable print sizes, 8" × 10" fits a wide variety of ready-made frames. If you're just starting to sell prints, this is an excellent place to begin.

11" x 17"

Best for: Artist Alley, comic artists, anime illustrations, and detailed artwork.

This is one of the most popular sizes for conventions because it creates an impressive display without becoming difficult to transport or package.

12" x 18"

Best for: Large illustrations, fan art, promotional posters, and statement pieces.

If you're looking for something with even more impact, 12" × 18" offers additional space for intricate details while still fitting many commercially available frames.

Larger than 12" x 18"

Once your print exceeds 12" × 18", it becomes a wide-format poster. These options are designed for larger reproductions while maintaining excellent color and detail.

CatPrint offers wide-format printing on several premium stocks, including:

• Archival Uncoated Poster Paper

• Luster Gloss Poster Paper

• Art Quality Poster Canvas

💰 Save More on Popular Art Print Sizes

If you're looking to maximize your budget without compromising on quality, 11" × 17" and 12" × 18" are two of the best sizes to choose. At CatPrint, these popular art print sizes are available at discounted pricing on many of our standard and specialty paper stocks, making them a favorite among artists, illustrators, photographers, and convention vendors. Whether you're stocking your online shop, preparing for an art fair, or printing your latest collection, these sizes offer an excellent balance of visual impact, versatility, and value.

🖼️ Don't Forget About Frame Sizes

One of the easiest ways to increase the appeal of your prints is to offer sizes that fit readily available frames.

Popular frame-friendly sizes include:

• 5" × 7"

• 8" × 10"

• 11" × 17"

• 12" × 18"

• 16" × 20"

  
  

When customers can purchase a frame from their favorite retailer without paying for custom framing, they're often more likely to purchase your artwork.

📏 Should You Offer Multiple Sizes?

In many cases, yes. Offering two or three sizes gives customers more flexibility while allowing different price points for your artwork.

For example:

• Small (5" × 7" or 8" × 10") for impulse purchases

• Medium (11" × 17") for your best-selling designs

• Large (12" × 18" or wide-format posters) for collectors looking for a statement piece

This approach works especially well for artists selling online or at conventions.

📄 Choosing the Right Paper Matters, Too

Print size is only part of the equation. The paper you choose has a huge impact on the finished piece. At CatPrint, artists can choose from more than 40 paper options, including smooth, textured, shimmer, felt, linen, and cotton stocks to complement different artistic styles. Whether you're reproducing watercolor paintings, acrylic artwork, digital illustrations, or comic art, there's a paper designed to enhance your work.

Want to make your prints stand out even more? Add Holographic Finishing for a bold prismatic effect or Foil Finishing for eye-catching metallic accents. Both are popular choices for anime, comic, and limited-edition artwork.

📐 Need a Custom Size?

Not every piece of artwork fits a standard frame, and that's okay. If your design calls for something unique, CatPrint offers custom-sized art prints, allowing you to print exactly what your artwork needs without being limited to standard dimensions.

✅ Ready to Print?

The best print size depends on your artwork and where you plan to sell it. For many artists, 11" × 17" and 12" × 18" strike the perfect balance between affordability, presentation, and customer appeal. If you're looking for something truly one of a kind, custom sizes, specialty papers, holographic finishing, and foil can help your work leave a lasting impression.

No matter what size you choose, ordering a free hard-copy proof before your full print run is a great way to make sure your colors, paper choice, and final product are exactly what you envisioned.

Questions? Contact the experts.

Contact our Customer Service Team at support@catprint.com or call us at 877-228-7768.