<PRE><B>Question 970734</B>
You mean the UNIFORM WIDTH of the frame around the square picture is  3 inches.


Picture area, {{{9*9}}};
Total area frame plus picture {{{(9+2*3)(9+2*3)}}}.
Area of just the surrounding frame, {{{highlight((9+2*3)(9+2*3)-9*9)}}}, and (1) this can be generalized and (2) the {{{9*9}}} terms will cancel according to being present as additive inverses.


{{{(9+6)^2-9^2}}}
{{{9^2+54+54+36-9^2}}}
{{{2*54+36}}}
{{{108+36}}}
{{{highlight(144)}}}</PRE>