ABOUT FRAME WORKSHOP
A clearer plan before the first cut.
Frame Workshop is a free planning calculator for people making picture frames. Start with the art you have, understand the shape of the wood around it, and take a clearer cut list to the workbench.
What it helps you plan
Choose a floating canvas frame with a one-piece support ledge or a recessed plywood back panel, or a standard rabbeted frame with a front lip. The calculator shows a proportional front view, a lettered cross-section, and four finished rail lengths. You can plan lumber to buy or check whether boards you already own can yield a common profile.
How the measurements work
All geometry is calculated in inches; switching to millimeters changes the display, not the stored precision. Each rail has two 45° miters. Its long-point length is the outside frame dimension; its short-point length is measured along the innermost edge of the complete rectangular rail blank. The difference is twice the blank width.
A floating frame’s visible opening is the canvas size plus a gap on each side. A standard frame’s visible opening subtracts the front lip’s artwork overlap on each side. Its back recess adds fitting clearance on each side. These are different edges: the opening you see is not always the edge used for the short-point cut.
Why a board choice can change your frame
In “Design a frame,” the buying plan rounds the requested stock thickness up to an available nominal hardwood grade using the selected milling assumptions. Extra usable thickness may widen the frame face or leave more wood at the back. The displayed drawings and cut list use this adjusted profile. “Use boards I have” instead starts with the actual usable dimensions you enter.
What the tool cannot check
This is a geometry and material-planning aid, not a structural rating or a complete assembly plan. It cannot inspect grain, defects, wood movement, joinery, machine setup, glass, or hanging hardware. Material allowances do not guarantee enough clear stock around every knot or split. Measure the actual artwork package and wood, make test cuts, and dry-fit before final cutting or assembly. Use tools according to their manufacturer’s safety instructions.
Start with a worked example
The guides below walk through specific calculator inputs and explain which edges to measure. They are examples, not presets for every artwork or material.