Guide to Borders
Adding borders to your prints helps with handling and framing — for your printer, for you, and for your customer.
For pieces with dark or saturated inks running right up to the image edge, it can be very difficult to trim or handle without causing imprinting, scuffing, or damage.
We recommend adding at least a 0.5-inch border around your prints whenever possible.
What to Include in Your Order
To avoid delays, please specify both your desired image size and paper size:
Image size — the exact dimensions of your artwork’s printed area.
Paper size — the total dimensions of the paper, which includes the image plus any borders.
For example, when you want to specify a 0.5-inch border, remember that it’s 0.5 inches on each side, so you add 1 inch total to both the width and height of your paper size.
For example:
Image size: 8 x 10 inches
Borders: 0.5 inches on all sides → adds 1 inch to each dimension
Paper size: 9 x 11 inches (8+1, 10+1)
If you only specify one measurement (e.g., “I need an 8x10”), we won’t know whether you expect the image to print full bleed to the edge, or if you want a border — and if so, whether the border is part of your specified size or added on top of it. This ambiguity can cause delays or result in prints that don’t match your expectations.
Border Pricing
Border sizing can affect the final cost of your print, depending on what you’re going for. Here’s how it works:
Prints 16x20" and smaller can have up to a 0.5" white border at no additional charge. If you're sticking with a 0.5" border or smaller, look up your image size on the price sheet for your cost.
Prints larger than 16x20" can have up to a 1" white border at no extra cost.
If you’re requesting larger borders than what’s listed above:
For prints 16x20" and under, anything beyond a 0.5" border will be priced based on the full paper size, including the border.
For prints larger than 16x20", anything beyond a 1" border will also be priced based on the final paper size.