How to Put Your Own Art on a Frame TV

To put your own art on Samsung The Frame, add the image to Art Mode with the SmartThings app, save it to the TV, then select it to display. For a 4K Frame TV, a 16:9 image at 3840 x 2160 pixels is a good starting point. Requirements and mat options vary by model.

That's the quick answer. The rest of this guide goes through each step in plain terms. It also covers when a mat is worth using, and what to do if the colors look different from what you expected. If you have another 16:9 TV, there's a section for you near the end.

What You Need

Before you start, gather a few things. You may already have all of them.

An image in 16:9 shape. This is the same wide shape as your TV screen. If the image is a different shape, the TV will crop it or add bars around it.
A size that suits your screen. On a 4K Frame TV, 3840 x 2160 pixels matches the screen, so the art looks sharp and clean. Smaller files can work, but they may look soft up close.
A phone with the SmartThings app. The app is free. You can find it in your phone's app store.
The TV and phone on the same Wi-Fi network, with internet access. This is how the phone finds the TV. If they are on different networks, the TV may not show up in the app.
A Samsung account. SmartThings asks you to sign in, and the TV needs to be added to your account.
Photo access for the app. If your phone asks, allow SmartThings to access your photos so it can find the image.

Save the image to your phone's photo gallery before you begin. If you downloaded the art on a computer, you can email it to yourself or move it with a cloud folder. Then save it to your phone. Once it's in your gallery, the app can find it easily.

If your download came as a zipped folder, open it first and save the image inside.

Adding Your Art in the SmartThings App

The steps below describe the general flow. App menu names can change with updates, so the wording on your screen may be a little different. The idea stays the same.

Open the SmartThings app. If this is your first time, the app will ask you to add your TV. Follow the prompts. Make sure the TV is on and connected to Wi-Fi.
Tap your TV. It should appear as a device on the main screen of the app. Tap it to open its controls.
Go to Art Mode. Look for the Art section in the TV controls. This is where you choose what the TV shows when it's in art mode.
Choose to add your own photos. You'll see an option called something like Add Your Photos. Tap it, and the app opens your gallery.
Pick your image. Select the art you saved. You can usually pick more than one if you want to rotate between a few pieces.
Save it to The Frame. Tap Save, or the option that sends the image to the TV. After a short wait, the image is stored in the TV's art collection.
Select it to display. Choose the saved image so the TV shows it in Art Mode. Adjust the mat in the available display options. Choose None if that option is available for your model and image. The position and names of the mat settings vary by model and app version.

If the image doesn't show up, check the Wi-Fi first. Then close the app and open it again. Turning the TV off and back on can also help the phone and TV find each other.

Once your art is on the TV, it usually stays in the TV's art collection, so you do not need to send it again. You can switch between pieces from the app or with the remote, and you can delete pieces you no longer want.

Mat or No Mat

This is mostly a matter of taste. A few simple guidelines can help you decide.

Choose None when the art was made for the full screen. If your file is already 16:9 at 3840 x 2160 pixels, it was likely designed to fill the screen edge to edge. A mat reduces the displayed image area; check the preview for any cropping. Wide scenes, landscapes and pieces with a lot of empty space usually look more natural without one.

Choose a mat when you want the look of a framed print. A mat adds a plain border, the way a paper mat sits inside a picture frame. This can make a small subject feel calm and deliberate. It also suits pieces that have a lot of detail near the edges.

Think about the room. In a room with simple walls and few objects, a full-screen piece can feel like a window. In a busy room, a mat can give the art some breathing space and help it stand apart.

Match the mat to the art, not the room. Pick a mat color that sits quietly next to the image. Light neutral tones suit pale, airy art. Darker tones suit art with deep blacks, such as ink work. If the mat catches your eye before the art does, try a softer option.

You can change the mat at any time, so you don't have to get it right on the first try. Live with it for a few days. If it starts to bother you, switch.

If the Colors Look Off

Sometimes the art looks different on the TV than it did on your phone. It may look too bright, too dim, too warm or too cool. This is normal. Every screen shows color a little differently, and the light in your room makes a big difference.

Here are a few things to check:

Art Mode brightness. The TV has a separate brightness setting for art mode. If the art looks like a glowing screen instead of a picture on the wall, turn the brightness down. If it looks dull or gray, turn it up a little.
Color tone. Art mode also has a color tone setting. A warmer tone adds a soft, yellow feel. A cooler tone adds a crisp, blue feel. For paper-like art and ink work, a slightly warm tone often feels closer to a real print.
Room light. Look at the art at different times of day. Morning light, afternoon sun and evening lamps all change how the screen looks. A setting that looks right at noon may feel too bright at night.
Glare. If a window or lamp reflects on the screen, colors can look washed out. Moving a lamp, or closing a curtain partway, can help a lot.

Depending on your settings, the TV may also adjust its brightness to match the room. If the art seems brighter or dimmer at different times of day, that may be why.

Change one thing at a time. Then step back and look from where you usually sit. Small adjustments often fix the problem.

Using Another 16:9 TV

You don't need The Frame to enjoy art on your wall. Most TVs have the same 16:9 shape, and the same 3840 x 2160 pixel file will work on them.

There are two common ways to show your own images:

A USB stick. Copy the image to a USB stick, plug it into the TV, and open the TV's photo or media viewer. Choose the image and view it full screen.
A photo app. Many TVs have a built-in photo app, or let you add one. These apps can show images from your phone or a cloud folder. The setup is different on each TV, so look through the menus on yours.

A regular TV may not have an art mode, so it may turn off or show a screen saver after a while. If you want the art to stay up longer, check the settings for sleep timers or screen savers. Regular TVs can also be brighter than you want for art. Lowering the brightness and choosing a warmer picture setting can make the image look more like a print and less like a screen.

A Few Pieces to Try

If you're not sure where to start, here are three pieces from our library that look good on a 16:9 screen.

A samurai in black sumi ink. The bold strokes and empty space suit a room with simple lines. It looks clean with no mat, or with a light mat if you want a gallery look.
Red Mount Fuji at dawn, in woodblock style. The warm red gives a room a quiet focal point, especially in the morning.
Morning light through a shoji screen. It's soft and still, and it works well in a bedroom or reading corner.

Each piece is sold on Etsy as an instant download.

Once you have one piece up, it's easy to change things with the seasons or your mood. Keep a few pieces on the TV, rotate them now and then, and let the screen become a quiet part of the room.

Trademark and affiliation notes are in our shop policies.

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