Inventory & Frame Management

GalleryPlanner treats every frame as a physical item in your inventory, ensuring you never lose track of dimensions.

• Adding FramesOn desktop, open the Frames panel and click Add Frame; on mobile, tap Library. Pick a tab: Common for standard sizes, Custom to enter your own width, height, border, and mat, Brands for retailer presets, Bulk to paste a list or upload a CSV, Layouts for Starter Layouts, and Objects (Pro; Object on mobile) for Wall Objects. New frames usually land in your Library, ready to drag onto the wall or fill with Auto-Layout; on mobile, Custom can also Add to Wall directly. A Starter Layout goes straight onto the wall, and so does a Wall Object. Added the wrong one? Select it and press Delete; it's undoable.
• Adaptive Grid InventoryThe sidebar shifts between list and grid views to maximize screen space. Frames on the wall are clearly marked "Placed." Search, sort (newest, oldest, size), and filter (unplaced, placed, portrait, landscape, square, round) to find what you need. Click a placed row to select its matching frame(s) on the canvas. Frame previews sit on your wall color, and in list view each row also shows the frame color and border width, plus the mat opening and mat color for matted frames. In grid view, choose Small, Medium, Large, or Extra Large tiles from the View Options menu.
• 1:1 Manifest LogicEvery frame is accounted for individually. Removing a frame from the wall returns it to your "Unplaced" inventory rather than deleting it.
• Measuring Your FramesWhen you add a custom frame (Add Frame → Custom on desktop), Width and Height are the glass size: the size printed on the label (an "8×10 frame"), or the inside edge of the frame where the glass sits. Don't measure the outside edges. Border is the moulding width (the frame itself), and GalleryPlanner adds it around the outside, so an 8×10 with a 1" border takes up 10×12 on the wall. If the frame has a mat, turn matting on and enter Opening W and Opening H, the window you see the photo through. Spacing and the Hanging Guide use the full outside size.
• MattingSelect a frame and check Matted? in the Properties panel on desktop, or tap Edit and turn on Mat on mobile, to add a mat. Opening W and Opening H are the window you see the photo through, and the glass size stays the same, so a mat never makes the frame bigger. Change the mat color in the same panel. Some retailer presets in Add Frame → Brands come with a mat already cut; turn it off if you plan to print full-bleed. Wall Objects don't have mats.
• Labeling a FrameTo name a frame (for example "Wedding Photo"), select it and type in the Label field at the top of the Properties panel on desktop, or tap Edit and use Label on mobile. Rename it anytime by changing the text.
• Bulk CSV ImportOpen Add Frame → Bulk on desktop (or tap Bulk in the mobile Library sheet) to paste a list (e.g., "8×10, 11×14") or upload a CSV. Download the CSV template to fill in dimensions, color, mat color, label, and quantity. The columns match the Pro Shopping List export, so you can round-trip an entire frame inventory between projects.
• Brands: Retailer Frame PresetsPlanning around store-bought frames? Open Add Frame → Brands on desktop (or tap Brands in the mobile Library sheet) and pick a frame family. Every preset carries the real glass size, moulding width, and mat opening from the retailer's published specs, so an IKEA RÖDALM 12×16 lands in your library as the 12¾×16¾" frame it actually is, with a mat cut for an 8×10 print. IKEA is free; Pottery Barn, West Elm, and CB2 presets are part of Pro. Presets add with the included mat — turn it off in Properties if you plan to print full-bleed. Sizes are US catalog data for planning convenience; GalleryPlanner isn't affiliated with these brands.
• Starter LayoutsStart from one of 100+ curated wall arrangements, then customize every frame. Free collections cover Essentials, Organic, Architectural, and Salon; Pro adds Curated Finds, The Townhouse Collection, and Editorial Mix. Filter by category, frame count, shape, or free vs. Pro to narrow the list. Layouts use your frame color from Settings → Frame Defaults. If the wall already has frames, you'll be asked whether to swap them for the new layout, with your photos moving into its frames, or add it alongside. On desktop, open Frames → Add Frame → Layouts; on mobile, tap Library → Layouts. For worked examples with frame sizes and hanging tips, see our example layouts.
• Locking & GroupingLock frames to prevent accidental edits. Group frames so they move, lock, and delete together. Available from the right-click menu, floating toolbar, or keyboard shortcuts.
• Aesthetics & CustomizationLabel frames (e.g., "Wedding Photo"), adjust frame borders (they grow outward, so the glass size stays the same), customize frame and mat colors, and use Round/Oval frame shapes.