Picture frame boxes
Picture frame boxes for framed art and mirrors
Framed work fails in transit for three reasons: point loads on the corners, flex across the glazing, and a box that is the wrong size so the piece moves. We are a family run corrugated box manufacturer making picture frame boxes, mirror boxes and corner-protected transit packs to measure in Letchworth Garden City, from one-off sizes to pallet quantities.
Made to your frame size
Boxes cut around the moulding, glazing and clearance you actually need — no forcing a frame into a stock size.
Manufactured in-house
Corrugated frame and mirror boxes made on our own machines at Letchworth Garden City, no tooling charge on standard styles.
Stocked and delivered
Call-off stock holding for repeat sizes, free local delivery over £100 within 30 miles, UK-wide carriage beyond.
Styles we make
Picture frame box styles
Flat framed art box
A shallow double wall box made to the frame's exact footprint, with face pads either side so the glazing cannot flex in transit.
Mirror and long frame box
Slim, tall boxes for mirrors and narrow frames, specified so the pack keeps its rigidity when handled upright by a courier.
Corner-protected transit pack
Box plus corrugated or foam corner protectors and U-profile channels, suspending the frame away from every box wall.
Gallery approval pack
Tape-light, re-closable outers for work going out on approval, so the same box comes back with the piece intact.
Not sure which style fits your range? Our bespoke packaging page explains how made to measure boxes are produced, and we can make a free sample so you can pack a real frame before committing to a run.
Sizes and board grades
Picture frame box size and board guide
These are the frame sizes we get asked for most often, with the internal box dimensions we would cut and the board grade that suits them. The dimensions already include a small cushioning allowance, but the safest route is to send us your actual frame sizes and let us cut the box to fit. Board weight varies between mills, so treat grades as a guide rather than a fixed specification.
| Frame size | Suggested internal box size | Suggested board grade |
|---|---|---|
| A4 print, unglazed | 230 x 320 x 40 mm | Single wall 125K |
| A3 print, unglazed | 320 x 450 x 50 mm | Single wall 150BC |
| A2 framed print | 450 x 630 x 60 mm | Single wall 150BC |
| A1 framed print | 630 x 880 x 70 mm | Double wall 200BC |
| Mirror up to 1200 mm | 800 x 1250 x 90 mm | Double wall 200BC + edge protection |
| Deep box canvas | Frame size + 60 mm depth | Single wall 150BC |
| Oversized / gilt frame | Made to measure | Triple wall or timber crate |
Most UK courier networks apply a length surcharge past around 1200 mm, with hard limits beyond 1500 mm. Cutting the box depth down often moves a parcel into a cheaper band, which is why a made to measure box frequently costs less to ship than a stock box that is 40 mm too deep.
Gallery
Picture frame box styles in detail
Getting the pack right
Specifying a frame box that arrives intact
Start with the frame, not the box. Measure across the moulding rather than the aperture, note the depth including any backing board, and decide how the piece will be interleaved. Glassine or acid-free tissue goes against the artwork surface, then face pads either side control flex across the glazing, then corner protection takes the point loads that do most of the damage.
Once the frame is suspended off every box wall, board grade becomes a load question rather than a protection one. BC double wall handles most framed work; go heavier for oversized canvases, gilt mouldings and anything travelling overseas, where a timber crate is often the honest answer.
For a step-by-step walkthrough, our blog post on packing framed art and mirrors covers measuring, interleaving and corner protection, and packaging for fragile products explains layered protection more generally.
We also supply everything that finishes the pack — corner protectors, foam profiles, bubble wrap, tissue, tape and labels — from our product range, alongside the wider fine art and gallery packaging work we do.
Delivery
Delivery, stock holding and lead times
Free local delivery
Free delivery on orders over £100 within 30 miles of our Letchworth Garden City factory, covering Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and North London.
UK-wide carriage
Beyond 30 miles we ship by pallet or courier across the UK. Oversized and long-length packs are made up to 2.8 m on our own machines so large frames rarely need a timber crate.
Call-off stock holding
We hold your repeat sizes on our own site and deliver them as exhibitions come up, so you buy at volume pricing and take only the space you need. Typical made to measure lead time is a few working days from approved sizes.
See the full list of towns and counties we cover on our areas we cover page.
Send us your frame sizes and we will size the box
Tell us the frame dimensions including the moulding, the glazing type and the quantity you need. We will come back with a style, a specification and a price, and make a free sample before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
- What size picture frame box do I need?
- Measure the frame's height, width and depth including the moulding, then allow clearance on every face for corner protection and interleaving. Because framed work fails at the corners and across the glazing rather than through the board face, the fit matters more than a heavier grade. Send us the frame sizes and we will make the box around them.
- Can you make picture frame boxes to our own sizes?
- Yes. Every frame box we supply is made to measure on our own box-making machines, with no tooling charge on standard case-maker styles. That suits galleries and framers whose stock changes constantly, so you are not forcing a 900mm frame into the nearest stock box.
- What board grade suits framed art and mirrors?
- BC double wall (around 7mm) covers most framed work up to roughly 40kg. Where a clean white or printable face matters for gallery presentation we use EB double wall, and oversized canvases, heavy gilt frames and crated pieces move to triple wall or a timber crate.
- Do you supply corner protectors and inserts as well?
- Yes. Corrugated and foam corner protectors, fluted face pads to stop flex across the glazing, U-profile foam channels to suspend the frame off the box wall, glassine interleaving and anti-static bubble wrap all come on the same delivery as the boxes.
- Can a frame box be opened and re-closed for work sent on approval?
- Yes. For galleries sending work out on approval we specify tape-light closures and reusable styles so a client or courier can open the pack and send the piece back in the same box without it falling apart.
- What quantities do you supply?
- From a single one-off size through to pallet quantities, with call-off stock holding on our own site for framers and galleries who order the same sizes repeatedly.
- Do you deliver picture frame boxes across the UK?
- Yes. Free local delivery applies on orders over £100 within 30 miles of our Letchworth Garden City factory, covering Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and North London. Beyond that we ship UK-wide by pallet or courier, and we can hold repeat sizes on call-off so you only take delivery as you need the space.
- Can you print our gallery branding on the boxes?
- Yes. One and two colour flexo print is done in-house on our own machines, carrying your logo, handling marks and a 'this way up' instruction. For higher coverage seasonal ranges we arrange litho laminated or digital print through our print partners.
- How long do made to measure picture frame boxes take?
- Typical lead time for a made to measure run is a few working days from approved sizes, faster when we already hold your size as call-off stock. We make a free sample first so you can pack a real frame before committing to a run, which keeps the production clock honest.