Part 1 shows how to choose a frame on the Inset Frames page. Part 2 shows how to set it up on the frame's own page, using the 5mm Black Stain inset frame as the example.
Example board: 500 × 400mm. Recorded 18 October 2026.
Part 1: Choosing an inset frame
Inset frames are made for canvas boards and artist boards. Your board sits in a recess at the front of the frame, with a slim 5mm edge around it, so nothing covers the painting. This part shows how to price a frame for your board, try the other ways of entering a size, and use the links under each frame.
Video: choosing an inset frame on the Inset Frames page.
Prefer our earlier video? Watch “How to Order Inset Frames for Canvas Boards” on YouTube.
1. Enter the exact size of your board
Every frame is made to fit your board, so start by entering its size. Measure the board itself, edge to edge, and enter it exactly: the frame is made to this size.
Leave Units on mm .
Type 500 in Board width and 400 in Board height .
The line under the heading changes to “To fit a 500 × 400mm board” , and every price updates. The standard 5mm frames are £29.75 at this size.
Width and height entered in millimetres. The summary line and prices update straight away.
Inches
Click inches to work in inches instead. Your size is converted to the nearest ⅛ inch, so 500 × 400mm becomes 19⅝ × 15¾", and the price changes slightly (£29.68). Because of the rounding, switching back to mm gives 498mm, not 500mm. If you measured in millimetres, stay in mm for an exact fit.
The same board in inches, rounded to the nearest eighth of an inch.
Popular sizes
Click popular to choose a standard board size from a list, from A-sizes (A5 to A0) to common inch sizes. Choosing 20 X 16" sets the size to 508 × 406mm, and the prices update to match (£30.20).
A popular size chosen from the list. The summary line shows the size in millimetres.
In the video we then switch back to mm and re-enter 500 × 400.
Under every frame are three links: Compare , Order sample and View profile .
The three links sit under the price of every frame.
View profile
View profile opens a drawing of the frame's cross-section with its measurements. The standard frames have a 5mm face, a 9mm recess for your board, and are 30mm deep and 19mm wide. Press Esc or the cross to close it.
The profile of the 5mm frames: the step at the top right is the recess your board sits in.
Order sample
Order sample adds a short length of the moulding to your basket (£2.16), so you can see the colour and finish before you order the frame. A Thank You! message confirms it; click Continue to carry on.
The sample is added to your basket.
Compare
Tick Compare under each frame you're interested in, up to four. This demo picks the 5mm light grey stain, the 5mm black stain and the deep 5mm light grey stain.
A bar at the bottom of the screen counts how many are ticked. Click Compare in the bar.
Three frames ticked. The bar at the bottom holds the Compare button.
The comparison view shows just those frames, with extra details: Total depth , Material , Finish and number of Colours . Here you can see the deep version is 49mm deep where the standard frames are 30mm, and costs £37.18 at this size. Back to all frames returns you to the full list with your size kept, and Clear in the bar unticks them all.
The comparison view, with the extra details highlighted on the first frame.
3. Open your frame's page
Found the frame you want? Click its picture to open its page. The size you entered comes with you.
Click the frame's picture to open its page.
Ready? Carry on with Part 2 below.
Part 2: Customising your inset frame
How to use an inset frame's page to check your size, preview your artwork, look at the frame from every side, add the tape you need to fix your board, check the specification, save or share the design and add it to your basket. The example is the 5mm Black Stain inset frame.
Video: customising an inset frame on its own page.
1. Confirm your board size
The size you entered on the Inset Frames page carries over, so Width and Height already show 500 and 400mm. Check them against your board, and type a new size if you need to.
Just below is the frame's recess depth: “Recess depth: 9mm (3/8"). The recess at the front of the frame holds your board. It suits canvas and artist boards about 3 to 7mm thick, not stretched canvases.”
The board size carried over from the list, and the recess depth note.
Inset frames are for canvas boards and artist boards only. They aren't suitable for stretched canvases or paper artwork, and they come without glass or a backing board.
2. Preview your artwork in the frame
Under the preview, click Upload your artwork to preview it , or drag a file onto it. JPG, PNG or PDF files are accepted.
A message explains it's a preview only: “WE DO NOT PRINT THE IMAGE.” Click I understand – upload image .
Your picture now fills the board in the preview. Use Change image or Remove image under it if you need to.
Confirm the preview-only message.
The artwork shows in the frame.
This demo used a sample landscape graphic.
3. Corner, profile, frame sizes and 3D
The buttons above the preview show the frame in different ways.
Corner : a close-up of the moulding, so you can see its colour and grain.Profile : the cross-section, with the 5mm face and the 9mm recess your board sits in.Frame sizes : the finished frame's approximate outside size, measured from the front. For a 500 × 400mm board it's about 512 × 412mm.
Corner.
Profile.
Frame sizes.
3D and AR
3D and AR shows a model of your frame with your artwork in it. Click and drag to turn it: you can go all the way round and see the back, where the board sits in the frame. On a phone or tablet, the same button lets you see the frame on your own wall in AR.
The 3D model from the front.
Turned round to show the back.
There's also 360° spin , which turns a short sample of the moulding, and On a wall , which shows the frame in a room.
4. Add double-sided tape to fix your board
Your board is held in the frame's recess with strong double-sided tape, or glue, on the back edge of the frame. Tape isn't included with the frame , so make sure you have some before your frame arrives.
Under Recommended extras , the page suggests a 10 metre roll of 9mm double-sided extra strong foam mounting tape for £3.00. Click Add : the button changes to Added , the heading shows “1 selected” , and the price goes from £29.75 to £32.75. Other tapes and fixings are under More extras .
Tape added: the price now includes it.
5. Check the specification
Scroll down to Specification and check it before you order. In this example it read:
Frame style 287167000 · 5mm Black Stain Frame size 500 × 400mm Included Hanging fixtures only Accessory 9mm Double Sided Extra Strong Foam Mounting Tape × 10m Face width 5mm Recess depth 9mm Total depth 30mm Material / finish Ayous wood, Black Stain Glazing and backing None
The specification confirms your size and lists the tape you added.
6. Save design or email design
Under the price are two links for keeping or sharing your design.
Save design adds it to your Design Gallery (“This design has been added to your Gallery” ). You can type a title and click Update Title , open the gallery, or click Continue to carry on.Email design opens a form. Enter the recipient's email address, edit the personal message, type the verification word, then click Submit . It's useful for checking with someone before you order.
The email form was opened in this demo but nothing was sent.
The two links sit under the price and dispatch date.
Save design, which goes to your Design Gallery.
Email design: recipient, message and verification.
7. Add to basket
Happy with everything? Click Add to basket . The confirmation repeats the key details: “Your £32.75 Custom Inset Frame has been added to your basket. Frame to fit board size: 500 X 400mm.” From there, choose Continue , Basket or Checkout .
Added to basket, with the board size confirmed. (The basket also holds the moulding sample from Part 1.)
Screenshots taken on 18 October 2026. The orange outlines and labels were added for this guide and aren't part of the site. The demo stopped at the basket, and no order or email was sent. Prices may change.
An accurate size matters when you order an inset frame or a St Ives frame : your board sits in a recess or rebate made to its size, so a couple of millimetres can make the difference between a neat fit and a board that won't go in. This short guide shows how to measure a canvas board, or any rigid artist board or panel.
You'll need a metal tape measure, and a pen and paper.
How to measure a canvas board
Video: how to measure a canvas board, step by step.
Prefer our earlier video? Watch “How To Measure A Canvas Board” on YouTube.
Step by step
1. Lay the board flat
Put the board face up on a clean, hard, level surface, such as a table or worktop. Not a bed, sofa or carpet: a soft surface lets the board and the tape sag, and the measurement will be out. Use a metal tape measure (a cloth tape can stretch), and work in millimetres , which are more exact than inches or centimetres.
A firm, flat surface.
2. Measure the width
Hook the end of the tape over the left edge of the board, run it straight across, and read where the right edge falls. Boards aren't always perfectly square, so measure across the top , the middle and the bottom , and use the largest of the three.
Reading the tape at the right edge.
Top, middle and bottom: use the largest.
3. Measure the height
Do the same from top to bottom: hook the tape over the top edge and read the bottom edge, at the left , the middle and the right . Again, use the largest.
Left, middle and right: use the largest.
4. Check the thickness
Measure the thickness of the board at its edge. Inset frames take boards about 3 to 7mm thick; St Ives frames take boards and panels 2 to 5mm thick. Stretched canvases on wooden bars are too deep for either: see canvas picture frames or canvas floater frames instead.
A 4mm board suits both.
Never go by the packaging. The sizes printed on labels are often approximate, or rounded from inches. The board in the video is sold as 16 × 12 inches (406 × 305mm) but measures 405 × 303mm. Always measure the board itself.
The label, and the board's real size.
5. Write it down, then order
Write the sizes down clearly, width first, then height . On the frame's page, enter the exact sizes you measured in the width and height boxes. Don't add anything for the fit: for an inset frame, we make the frame a few millimetres larger so the board goes in with a little movement.
Width, height and thickness.
Enter the sizes as measured.
Still not sure? Send us a photo of your board with the tape measure across it, by email to sales@easyframe.co.uk , or call 01234 856501, and we'll be happy to advise.
An inset frame is made for a canvas board or artist board about 3 to 7mm thick. The board goes into a recess at the front of the frame, with a slim 5mm edge round it and no glazing in front, so the whole painting is on show. This short guide shows how to fit it.
How to fit an inset frame
Video: how to fit a canvas board into an inset frame.
Prefer our earlier video? Watch “Inset Frames: Measure, Order and Fit” on YouTube.
You'll need
your inset frame, with its D-rings, screws and cord for hanging;
your canvas board;
strong double-sided foam tape , such as our 9mm roll, which you can add on the frame's page, or glue;a small screwdriver, and a clean, flat surface to work on.
The frame, face up and ready to fit.
How an inset frame works
The board sits in a recess at the front of the frame, on a ledge, held in with double-sided tape or glue. A slim 5mm edge of the frame runs round it. The frame is made a few millimetres larger than your board, so it drops in with a little room all round.
The board in the recess, seen from the side.
Step by step
1. Lay the frame face up
Lay your frame face up on a clean, flat surface.
2. Stick tape round the recess ledge
Stick double-sided foam tape all the way round the ledge in the recess, then peel off the red backing.
Tape round the ledge.
Backing peeled off.
3. Lower the board in, and press
Lower your board gently into the recess, then press firmly all round the edges so the tape bonds well.
The board in the recess.
Pressed in all round.
4. Fit the D-rings and cord
Turn the frame over. Measure a third of the way down each side, and screw a D-ring to each side there. Tie the cord between the two D-rings: the cord takes the weight on your wall hook.
A D-ring a third of the way down each side.
The cord between them.
All done: your frame is ready to hang.
Ready to hang.
Tip: work on a clean, flat surface, and handle the board by its edges with clean hands, to avoid marks on the painting.
Questions? Our team is always happy to help: email sales@easyframe.co.uk , or call 01234 856501.
