A1, A2 and A3 size in inches: a print size guide for wall art

A1 is 23.4 x 33.1 inches (59.4 x 84.1 cm). A2 is 16.5 x 23.4 inches, A3 is 11.7 x 16.5 inches, A4 is 8.3 x 11.7 inches and A5 is 5.8 x 8.3 inches. Each A size is exactly half the one above it, so two A2 prints laid side by side make one A1.

That is the short answer. The useful answer is which size to choose for your wall, and how A sizes compare with the 12x16, 18x24 and 24x36 inch sizes sold in North America. This guide covers both.

A1, A2 and A3 size in inches and centimetres

A frame adds to these sizes, usually 2 to 4 cm on each side, so allow for it when you measure a space.

Why A sizes have that shape

A sizes come from the international standard ISO 216. The sheets share one shape: the long side is the short side multiplied by the square root of two, about 1.414. Fold any A sheet in half and you get the next size down with exactly the same proportions. A0 has an area of one square metre, and every size below it halves the area.

For wall art that shape is a gift. Many paintings from the 1700s and 1800s sit close to it, so an A print shows the whole canvas with little or nothing trimmed.

A sizes or inch sizes?

North American frames come in inch sizes, and the shop offers the three most common: 12x16, 18x24 and 24x36 inches. Each sits near an A size, but none matches it exactly.

Because the shapes differ, an inch-size print trims a thin strip from the edges of the painting. Choose an A size if you want every brushstroke to the edge. Choose an inch size if you already own a frame in that size, or if you live in the US or Canada where those frames are easier to find.

How to choose the right size for your wall

Measure the furniture, not the wall. Art hung over a sofa, bed or sideboard looks settled when it spans about two thirds of the furniture's width.

• Over a 200 cm sofa: about 130 cm of art. One landscape A1 with a frame, or two A1 portraits side by side.
• Over a 140 cm sideboard: about 90 cm of art. One landscape A1, or two A2 portraits.
• Over a desk or reading chair: one A2, or a pair of A3s.
• On a narrow hallway wall: a column of two or three A3 or A4 prints.

Hang the centre of the picture about 145 to 152 cm (57 to 60 inches) from the floor. Galleries use this height because it puts the painting at eye level for most people. Over furniture, leave 15 to 25 cm between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame.

A portrait or a landscape painting?

Tall paintings suit tall spaces: the wall beside a bookcase, a chimney breast, the end of a corridor. Wide paintings suit wide furniture. If your wall is wide but you love a portrait painting, hang two portraits side by side with a gap of 5 to 8 cm. Madame X and The Boxer make a striking pair.

Why some prints stop at A2 or A3

A print can only be as sharp as the photograph of the original. Some paintings were photographed at a resolution that holds fine detail up to A1. Others lose the texture of the brushwork above A2 or A3. The shop caps those paintings at the largest size that still looks like paint, and each listing says where its limit sits. Read more on printing and delivery.

Frequently asked questions

Every painting at The Dark Academia Store comes in A5 to A1, or the largest size its photograph allows, plus inch sizes, framed in black, white or oak or unframed. Browse the prints and pick a wall.