How to Use a Measuring Tape

Written by Mark Rogers

Beyond Eyeballing: Measuring Your Masterpiece

If you're an artist, a decorator, or any DIY framer, you're likely familiar with the importance of accurate measurements. Whether you have a canvas you're fitting to stretcher bars, or you’re styling a wall in your home, you’ll need to make sure you know the dimensions of your art or area.

Here at Frame Destination, we get a lot of questions about measuring artwork accurately to ensure the correct frame size is purchased. After all, this is a critical aspect of framing art with precision and care. In this blog, we’ll share tips and our preferred measuring tool to help you avoid mistakes when choosing frames or mats to showcase your artwork.

Types of Measuring Tools

There are several types of measuring tools, some best suited for certain types of work. Our preferred option for measuring frames or artwork is a contractor’s tape, shown here.

Others that work well are a standard wooden ruler, a flat architect’s ruler, or the old-school yardstick, which is also acceptable if it’s in good condition. Even a tailor’s measuring tape is fine though it may be a bit trickier to get it to lay flat. Whatever you use will need to extend and lie perfectly straight and flat for accuracy.

Measuring tape being used to measure short edge of photo.

Calculating Measurements

Let's talk about the contractor’s measuring tape and why it is our favorite when measuring frames or art. It’s long enough to measure multiple sizes, rigid enough to stay straight, and it helps us do some of the work by identifying the main fractions of measurement.

A contractor’s tape labels the main ticks or markings that represent fractions of an inch. This is helpful because often, you’ll need to note those fractions if your item measures to those ticks. If you don’t have these labels on your ruler or tape, let’s understand what all the ticks mean so you can quickly note them in your dimensions.

Pointing out 1/2 inch mark on retractable tape measure.

The markings on a ruler from the start to the 1-inch mark are: 1⁄16“, 1⁄8“, 3⁄16“, 1⁄4“, 5⁄16“, 3⁄8“, 7⁄16“, 1⁄2“, 9⁄16“, 5⁄8“, 11⁄16“, 3⁄4“, 13⁄16“, 7⁄8“, 15⁄16“, and 1 inch. If the measurement is over 1 inch, simply use the number on the ruler and add the fraction. For instance, if it is two ticks past the number 3 tick, the measurement is 3 and 1/8 inch.

illustrating the steps from 0 inches to 1 inch calling out in 1/6th inch increments.

Generally, a standard photo or piece of art will come close to the inch or half-inch mark, so remember that the large-number ticks are your inch marks, and in between the inch markings are the mid-sized, half-inch markings.

3 Important Tips for Measuring

1. Inches vs. centimeters. Make sure you’re using the correct unit of measurement. Generally, the dimensions of art or frames in a retail shop in the US or online will be stated in inches. Most rulers or measuring tapes have inches marked on one side and centimeters marked on the other.

2. Start at zero. Note that some measuring tools have a little extra space at the beginning, so always start at the zero mark. Line up the edge of your item at that zero mark or where the ruler ticks begin, not the edge of the measuring tape.

3. Write it down. Keep a pen and paper or digital device handy to write down the measurements as you take them. You think you’ll remember — until you don’t!

Now you can display your creations at their best! Framing is not just about protection; it's about presentation, enhancing the visual appeal of your art, and ensuring it captures the attention it deserves.

Even though measurement math can seem fuzzy, we hope you can see the method in the madness. And if not, no worries because Frame Destination is here to help. Watch our video where Sean walks you through these steps and tips.

When you're ready, our step-by-step tutorial will show you how to measure your picture frame or artwork to get the exact precise look you desire every time.

For any questions or to order your custom hand crafted frames please give us a ring at 972-479-1188, chat with us on our website, or email us at info@Frame Destination.com.

Last updated August 8, 2024

Written by Mark Rogers

Mark Rogers is the President and Co-Founder of Frame Destination. With over 20 years of experience in the field, Mark has become a leading authority on framing techniques and best practices, and has earned a reputation for his innovative approaches to custom framing and frame services for photographers and artists.