If you sell prints — at markets, online, or through a shop — you'll eventually run into this decision: should your prints be borderless (aka full bleed), or should they have a border? It seems like a small production detail, but it actually shapes how easy your prints are to sell, and how much flexibility your collectors have once they get them home.
There's no universal "right" answer necessarily. But there are some considerations that may make it a better fit for certain audiences and/or selling channels.
Here's how to think through it.
What "Borderless" Printing Means
A borderless print is printed edge-to-edge: the image fills the entire sheet, with no white space around it. So when you order an 8x10 print, you will get an 8x10 image on 8x10 paper.
Why it works well:
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It's a clean, modern presentation
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It's convenient for collectors: a borderless print in a common, standard size drops straight into a ready-made frame with no adjustments needed
This is often the easiest option to sell. There's no extra decision for your collector to make; they buy a frame off the shelf, and the print is ready to go.
The Trade-Off With Borderless Prints
The convenience comes with a limitation. Because there's no extra paper around the image, there's nothing for a mat to overlap or grip onto. For example, if we take that same borderless 8x10 print and try to stick it in an 11x14 frame with an 8x10 mat opening, there is now very little margin for error with positioning the print under the matting.
For a lot of buyers, that's a non-issue. But it's worth knowing before you commit a whole print run to borderless.
What Bordered Prints Offer Instead
A bordered print keeps some white space around the image. At The Giclée Shop, this comes in two forms:
Included Border
The image and border are scaled to fit within your chosen paper size, so the final paper size is predictable and exact. For example, if you order a 12x16 print with an included border, then your image will be scaled down to fit on 12x16 paper WITH a proportional white border.
Added Border
Extra white space is added around your image while the image itself stays at your selected size so the total paper size increases. A 12"x16" image with a 1" border, for example, prints on 14"x18" paper.
Both give you:
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A margin for handling, so the image area itself doesn't need to be touched during framing
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Space for a signature or edition number, if that's part of your practice
However, despite getting the added handling-margin and space for a signature with an Included Border, you will run into the same limitations with framing flexibility as a full bleed print.
Adding a border on top of the image is what is going to give collectors the most flexibility down the line, and this is the generally accepted standard within the fine art print industry. Although it is an extra step for a collector to trim excess paper later, it is a relatively minor inconvenience for a lot of added flexibility.
Borderless vs. Added Border vs. Included Border, at a Glance
|
Borderless |
Added Border |
Included Border |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Final paper size |
Matches image exactly |
Larger than image |
Matches your selected size |
|
Best for |
Ready-made frames, no matting |
Matting, gallery presentation, reframing later |
Standard frame sizes, exact final dimensions where you want to include a signature |
|
Handling |
Image area may need direct handling |
Margin protects image during handling |
Margin protects image during handling |
|
Flexibility later |
Locked to one exact size |
Flexible — room to mat or trim |
Somewhat flexible though limited to exact paper size |
Why This Is Worth Thinking Through Before You Print
If you're printing to sell, this isn't just an aesthetic choice: it affects how easy the print is for your collector to frame, and how much say they have in how it's eventually presented. Borderless prints tend to be the easier, lower-friction sale. Bordered prints trade a bit of that simplicity for flexibility your collector may appreciate later, especially if they're the type to have work custom framed or matted.
Neither option is objectively better as it it depends on your collectors, your price point, and how much control you want to hand off to the person buying your work.
FAQ
Can I offer both bordered and borderless versions of the same piece?
Yes — plenty of artists print a piece both ways and let the collector choose based on how they plan to frame it.
What border width should I choose?
It depends on your print size and how you want it framed. Our Border Sizing Guide breaks down recommended widths for both added and included borders, from small prints up to large-format pieces.
Does a border affect the image quality or resolution?
No, the border is just added paper (or scaled framing) around the image; it doesn't change the resolution or quality of the printed image itself.
At the end of the day, borderless and bordered aren't a right-or-wrong choice: they're both about giving your collector what they need to hang the piece with as little friction as possible. Once you've settled on which works best for a given piece, paper choice is often the next thing worth thinking through, and our Paper Guide breaks down how different papers work best for your art.