What this planner calculates
This tool lays out a rectangular grid of decorative picture-frame mouldings. Enter the full wall size, clearances, frame count and moulding face width. The result shows the outside dimensions of each frame and the total finished moulding length. All frames are identical. The side margins are equal; the horizontal and vertical gaps share one value.
How the layout is calculated
Frame width = (wall width − 2 × side margin − (columns − 1) × gap) ÷ columns. Frame height = (wall height − top clearance − bottom clearance − (rows − 1) × gap) ÷ rows. The clear opening is the outside size minus twice the moulding face width. The tool rejects frames with no positive inside opening.
Worked example: three tall frames
A 300 × 240 cm wall, 20 cm side margins, 25 cm top and bottom clearances, a 15 cm gap and three columns produce three outside frames of 76.67 × 190 cm. At a 3 cm face width, each opening is 70.67 × 184 cm. The total finished long-point length is 16 m, before blank allowances, kerf or spare material.
Obstacle checks and cutting assumptions
The optional obstacle is one rectangle measured from the wall’s top-left corner. The checker identifies overlaps with the actual moulding strips, not the empty frame openings. It does not move frames or omit pieces. A clash must be resolved before the layout is used. The cut planner packs square blanks into a single stock length using first-fit decreasing, reserving one kerf per blank and an end trim at both ends. It is a reproducible estimate, not a guarantee of minimum waste.
Before you order
Measure the actual wall and material. The piece lengths are outside long-point dimensions for rectangular 45-degree mitred frames; blank allowances are added separately. The model excludes installation, structural checks, pricing, fixings, defects and an automatic spare percentage. Downloaded drawings are scaled plans, not full-size cutting or drilling templates.
Common questions
Can I plan around a window?
You can enter one rectangular window or obstacle, including its trim. The tool warns if a moulding strip crosses it. It does not automatically redesign the wall.
Are the stock quantities exact?
They are exact for the displayed packing arrangement and inputs. They exclude defects and spare material, and the packing method may use more stock than an optimal arrangement.
Do my dimensions leave my browser?
The calculator does not send your inputs to a server. Downloads are generated on your device.