How to Frame a Custom Map Print: A Simple Guide to Getting It Right
A custom map print is already a meaningful thing. It marks a place that mattered — a city you lived in, a trip you'll never forget, the stretch of coast where you got engaged. But a print sitting in a cardboard tube doesn't do much for anyone. The frame is what turns it into something you actually live with.
Framing a map print isn't complicated, but there are a few decisions worth making intentionally. The wrong frame doesn't ruin a great print, but the right one makes it look like it was always supposed to be there.
Here's how to think through each choice.
Start with the Print Size
Before you think about frames, you need to know your print dimensions. This sounds obvious, but it's where most people run into trouble — they pick a frame they love and then discover the print doesn't fit, or they order a print without knowing what standard frame sizes are available.
Standard frame sizes that are easy to find at most home stores:
- 8×10 — Small accent piece, works well on a shelf or in a gallery wall cluster
- 11×14 — The most versatile size; large enough to read the detail, small enough for almost any wall
- 16×20 — Statement piece; holds its own on a larger wall without needing anything around it
- 18×24 — Poster size; commanding presence, works best with plenty of breathing room
- 24×36 — Large format; best for open walls in living rooms, offices, or hallways
If you're ordering from Waymarked, you can size your print to match a standard frame dimension from the start — which saves you the hassle of custom framing later.
Choosing a Frame Style
The frame should complement the map without competing with it. A few guidelines:
For vintage and antique styles, warm-toned frames work beautifully. Thin gold, antique brass, or natural wood frames pick up the warm tones in sepia and parchment maps. Avoid cold metallics — they flatten the warmth the style is trying to achieve.
For modern and minimalist styles, a thin black or matte white frame is almost always the right answer. It keeps the focus on the map itself. Thin frames (half-inch to one inch) feel contemporary; wider frames start to feel heavy.
For dramatic or high-contrast styles — dark terrain maps, midnight noir, bold color palettes — a simple black frame or a dark-stained wood frame reinforces the moodiness without fighting it.
For sketch and watercolor styles, natural wood tones or light frames feel organic. These maps tend to have a handmade quality, and the frame should echo that rather than introduce a hard industrial edge.
One rule that holds across almost every style: the simpler the frame, the better. Maps have a lot of visual detail. The frame's job is to contain that detail and direct attention inward — not to add more visual noise.
To Mat or Not to Mat
A mat is the border of paper or foam board that sits between the print and the frame. It serves two purposes: it creates breathing room around the image, and it prevents the print from pressing directly against the glass (which can cause moisture damage over time).
Use a mat when:
- Your print is smaller than the frame opening
- The map has a lot of visual detail close to the edges
- You want a more formal, gallery-style presentation
- You're using a standard frame that's slightly larger than your print
Skip the mat when:
- The print fills the frame cleanly and you want edge-to-edge coverage
- The style is bold and modern and you want a tight, graphic look
- The map has its own built-in border or design element at the edges
If you do use a mat, white or off-white is safe for almost any map style. A cream or ivory mat pairs especially well with vintage and parchment styles. Avoid colored mats unless you really know what you're doing — they tend to date quickly and can fight the palette of the map.
Glass or Acrylic?
Most standard frames come with either glass or acrylic (plexiglass). For a map print, either works. The practical differences:
- Glass is clearer, heavier, and more scratch-resistant once in the frame. It's the better choice for anything you're going to keep in one place long-term.
- Acrylic is lighter and shatter-resistant, which makes it a better choice for large-format pieces (anything over 16×20) or rooms where you're worried about breakage — a kids' room, a rental, a space with active foot traffic.
For valuable prints or anything you care about preserving, look for UV-protective glass or acrylic. It's worth the upgrade if you're hanging a map in a room that gets direct sunlight.
Where to Hang It
The framing decision doesn't end when the frame goes on the wall. Placement matters too.
Eye level is the default starting point. The center of the print should sit roughly 57 to 60 inches from the floor — the standard museum hanging height. Most people hang things too high. If your map feels like it's floating above the room, bring it down.
Above furniture, leave four to eight inches of space between the bottom of the frame and the top of the piece below it. Close enough to feel related; far enough to breathe.
In a gallery wall, a custom map print works best as an anchor — the largest or most visually distinctive piece, usually placed left of center. The other pieces arrange around it. See gallery wall ideas with travel maps for specific layout approaches that work.
In a hallway, a single map print hung at eye level and centered on the wall creates a strong focal moment without needing anything else around it.
In a bedroom, above the headboard is the classic position. A 16×20 or 18×24 map print works well here — large enough to anchor the space, personal enough to feel right in a bedroom.
Orientation: Landscape vs. Portrait
Most custom map prints are square or near-square, which gives you flexibility. But if your map lends itself to a clear orientation, a few rules of thumb:
- Portrait (taller than wide) feels more formal and traditional. It works well above furniture and as a single statement piece.
- Landscape (wider than tall) feels more casual and expansive. It's a natural fit above a sofa, a bed, or a long console table.
If you're ordering a print specifically for a space you have in mind, design the map to match the orientation that works for that wall — not the other way around.
A Note on Custom Framing
Everything above applies to off-the-shelf frames from home stores or online retailers. Custom framing — where a framing shop cuts the mat and frame to your exact dimensions — is also an option and produces a more polished result.
It's more expensive. But for a meaningful print — the map from your honeymoon, the neighborhood you grew up in, a retirement gift with real sentimental weight — the extra investment is usually worth it. Custom framing also lets you choose archival materials that protect the print for decades.
If you go this route, bring the frame shop your print and let them guide you. They'll have samples of mouldings and mats, and they can show you how different combinations look against the actual colors in your map.
Making It Easy from the Start
The easiest way to get the framing right is to make the decision before you design the map. Choose your frame size first, then design your custom map print to fit it exactly. That way you're not adapting — you're building a finished piece from the first decision to the last.
Waymarked lets you set the exact dimensions and orientation when you design your map, so the print you receive is sized for whatever frame you already have in mind. Pick your place, choose a style that fits your room, and the rest follows naturally.
For more on how to choose a map style that works in your space, the custom map wall art guide covers every style option from vintage and antique to minimalist and terrain-based. And if you're thinking about how this print fits into a larger wall arrangement, vintage map prints for home decor has specific advice on placing and pairing maps in different room contexts.
The print deserves a frame that does it justice. Take ten minutes to think through the decisions above, and what ends up on your wall will look like it was always supposed to be there.