Find the right place for your sky
Measure the space first. The right size is the one that feels at home there, with a dedication you can comfortably enjoy.
One wall. Three paper sizes.
Sky-source attribution: HYG · CC BY-SA 4.0. Deep sky: NASA/Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio; Gaia DR2: ESA/Gaia/DPAC. Constellation figures: IAU and Sky & Telescope (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg); Alan MacRobert; D3 modifications by Olaf Frohn; CC BY 4.0, modified. Fictional reference artwork.
The artwork is generated separately at each supported size. The 140 cm console is a scale reference, not a photograph of a physical sample. Illustrative frame surrounds do not specify overall frame dimensions.
Dimensions without the guesswork
| Design size | Paper in millimetres | Approximate inches | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 × 40 cm | 300 × 400 mm | 11.81 × 15.75 in | 3:4 portrait |
| 40 × 50 cm | 400 × 500 mm | 15.75 × 19.69 in | 4:5 portrait |
| 50 × 70 cm | 500 × 700 mm | 19.69 × 27.56 in | 5:7 portrait |
The inches are conversions, rounded to two decimal places. A 12 × 16, 16 × 20 or 20 × 28 inch product is not necessarily the same paper size. Use the exact specification of the actual print and frame offered, not a rounded name.
A simple wall test
Mark out the rectangle
Use removable paper or tape to outline the exact paper dimensions on your wall. Include space around furniture and nearby pictures. Stand where you would normally view it rather than only looking close up.
Decide how much attention it should hold
A 30 × 40 cm print can sit within a group;50 × 70 cm can become a focal piece. Neither is automatically right. Consider whether the sky or the dedication should be the part you notice first.
Check the chosen layout again
The three sizes have different aspect ratios. The design adapts; it is not simply stretched. After changing size, review line breaks, margins and the whole finished proof. A room mockup is a scale aid, not the approval document.
Paper size and frame opening are different measurements
The paper rectangle
This is the dimension used by the design. It tells you what the print itself occupies before any overlap, mount or surrounding frame. Match it to the supplier’s exact metric paper specification.
The visible opening
A frame or mount can cover part of the paper edge. Check the actual aperture and frame profile before pairing a print with a frame you already own. Keep important words away from edges; a rendered frame does not establish how many millimetres will be covered.
Readable words start with fewer words
A dedication is a line to enjoy, not a paragraph to fit at any cost. Compare “All the ordinary days, with you” with a longer account of the whole relationship: the short version lets the sky and type breathe. Keep the longer story in a letter. Check the final size-specific proof, including accents, punctuation and wrapping; a magnified screen view does not prove readability from across a room.
Place and care, with the real materials in mind
Keep a print away from damp, condensation and direct sources of heat. Avoid prolonged direct sunlight as a general precaution, without treating that advice as a tested fade-life guarantee. Follow the instructions for the actual paper, glazing and frame offered. Do not spray cleaning liquid onto artwork or assume a particular glazing material from the preview.
Size questions
Are metric and nominal inch formats identical?
No. Check the exact dimensions. The conversion table describes the current metric design formats; it does not introduce a separate inch product range.
Link to this answer: Are metric and nominal inch formats identical?Does a frame cover the artwork edge?
It can, depending on the actual frame or mount. Check the offered aperture and keep meaningful content inside the safe composition. We do not infer overlap from a decorative preview surround.
Link to this answer: Does a frame cover the artwork edge?Can I choose 70 × 100 cm or landscape?
Those formats are not part of the current three portrait design choices. A size mentioned by another shop or search result does not create a supported Starmap product.
Link to this answer: Can I choose 70 × 100 cm or landscape?Find the format that belongs there
Choose your moment and compare the supported sizes in the designer. Actual orderable finishes remain destination-specific.
Explore your print