Easy Wood Calc

How much moulding for an 8×10 picture frame?

Short answer

An 8 × 10 in photo in 1-1/2 in wide moulding needs about 53.4 inches of moulding, 10% extra included. Cut 2 @ 13-1/8 in, 2 @ 11-1/8 in, measured long point to long point, from 1 stick of 8 ft.

How to work it out

  1. Rabbet: art + 1/8 in clearance = 8-1/8 in × 10-1/8 in
  2. Long point: 10-1/8 in + 2 × 1-1/2 in = 13-1/8 in · 8-1/8 in + 2 × 1-1/2 in = 11-1/8 in
  3. 2 × (13-1/8 in + 11-1/8 in) = 48-1/2 in × 1.1 = 53-3/8 in (4 ft 5-3/8 in)

8×10 is the most common print size and a good first frame: short enough to cut accurately on any miter saw, big enough to show whether your 45° is really 45°. The rabbet opening is 8-1/8 × 10-1/8 in, so standard 8×10 glass and backing drop in without buckling.

Adjust for your project

in
in
in
Each side; the frame is sized to the mat
in
Lay the moulding face down and measure from the step the glass sits in (the rabbet) to the outer edge.
ft
The length the shop sells it in
More options: Room · Extra for cuts and mistakes
in
Added to the art size each way — 1/8 in lets the glass and backing drop in.
%
Cut 4 pieces (long point, 45°)2 @ 13-1/8 in, 2 @ 11-1/8 in
Moulding sticks to buy1 stick
Moulding to buy53-3/8 in (4 ft 5-3/8 in)4.45 ft
Long sides: cut 2 (long point, decimal)
13.125 in
Short sides: cut 2 (long point, decimal)
11.125 in
Rabbet opening
8-1/8 in × 10-1/8 in
Outside size of frame
11-1/8 in × 13-1/8 in
  • Long point = the longer, outside edge of a mitered piece. Measure and mark there.
  • Net moulding is 48-1/2 in; 53-3/8 in (4 ft 5-3/8 in) adds the allowance for trimming and one bad cut. Each 45° cut on profiled moulding also wastes a triangle roughly the moulding width long.

For this job · affiliate link
Band clamp with cornersA band clamp with corner blocks pulls all four miters tight at once and keeps the frame square while the glue sets.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

8×10 frame by mat border (1-1/2 in moulding)

8×10 frame by mat border (1-1/2 in moulding)
Mat borderLong sides: cut 2 (long point, decimal)Short sides: cut 2 (long point, decimal)Moulding to buy
0 in13.125 in11.125 in53-3/8 in (4 ft 5-3/8 in)
1 in15.125 in13.125 in62-1/8 in (5 ft 2-1/8 in)
1.5 in16.125 in14.125 in66-9/16 in (5 ft 6-9/16 in)
2 in17.125 in15.125 in70-15/16 in (5 ft 10-15/16 in)
3 in19.125 in17.125 in79-3/4 in (6 ft 7-3/4 in)

What to know about an 8×10 frame

Ready-made 8×10 glass, acrylic and backing board are cut to exactly 8 × 10 in. That is why the rabbet gets the extra 1/8 in: wood moves with humidity, and glass jammed into a tight rabbet can crack or push a corner open. The lip of the moulding covers a narrow strip around the edge of the print, so do not crop anything important close to the border.

One 8 ft stick is plenty. The four pieces plus the triangular offcut each 45° cut wastes use about 54-1/2 in, leaving roughly 40 in for test corners — cut a pair of scrap miters first and check them against a square before touching the good sides.

The mistake at this size is the mat. A mat sold for an “8×10 frame” usually has an opening for a 5×7 photo; to mat an 8×10 print you want a larger frame, commonly 11×14. If you add a mat border, enter it here and the frame is sized to the mat, not the photo.

Framing something bigger? How much moulding for a 16×20 picture frame covers the point where one stick stops being enough.

Different size? Use the full Picture Frame Calculator.

What you’ll need

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.

Frequently asked questions

What size frame do I need for an 8×10 photo with a mat?

Commonly an 11×14 frame with a mat cut for an 8×10 print. For a custom frame, enter the mat border width and the calculator sizes the rabbet to the mat.

How much moulding for an 8×10 print with a 2 in mat?

About 71 inches with extra: the frame is sized to the 12 × 14 in mat, so cut 2 @ 17-1/8 in, 2 @ 15-1/8 in. It still fits on 1 stick of 8 ft.

How much 3/4 in wide moulding for an 8×10 frame?

About 46.8 inches with 10% extra. Cut 2 @ 11-5/8 in, 2 @ 9-5/8 in, long point to long point — narrow moulding shortens each side by twice the width saved.

Other common sizes