Blog Canvas Framing Guide: How to Frame Canvas Art Like a Pro in 7 Easy Steps

Framing your canvas art is a rewarding DIY project that not only elevates the visual impact of your artwork but also offers the structural support needed for long-term display. Whether you're working with custom canvas prints or original creations, learning how to frame canvas art yourself adds a personal, handcrafted touch to your space.

This comprehensive guide covers the essential materials, step-by-step techniques, and design considerations needed to create frames that match your décor and elevate the overall look of your canvas prints.

Why Frame Your Canvas Art?

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Framing does more than protect and support your artwork—it turns your pieces of artwork into polished, display-ready masterpieces. Whether you want a flush mount frame or a floater frame for that modern gallery look, the right approach adds depth, contrast, and character to your canvas wall art.

With a wide range of standard sizes readily available, framing canvas art doesn’t have to be expensive. From affordable pre-made options to custom frames made from solid pine or other quality woods, there are endless design choices and sizing variations to complement any aesthetic and fit any budget.

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Types of Canvas Frames

  • Floater Frame Link

    Floater Frame: Ideal for creating a shadow effect, floater frames give the illusion that the canvas is floating. This modern, minimalist option is excellent for contemporary wall art.

  • Wooden Frame Link

    Wooden Frame: Made from authentic pine frame materials or hardwoods, these real picture frames bring a natural, elegant touch to your décor. They’re ideal for larger or heavier pieces of artwork.

    Basic Frame Link

    Basic Frame: A cheap option for quick framing jobs, this type of canvas frame is simple and effective. Add personality with a custom size option, wood stain, or gold spray paint.

    Shadow Box Frame Link

    Shadow Box Frame: A shadow box frame adds depth and dimension to canvas prints by spacing the artwork away from the glass, creating a striking, gallery-style presentation that highlights the texture and detail.

    What Type of Frame is Best for Canvas Printing?

    When it comes to canvas printing, choosing the right frame depends on the style of your art pieces and the look you're aiming to achieve. A couple of popular options include floating frames, which provide a sleek, gallery-style presentation, and traditional wooden frames that offer a timeless, classic appeal. Both choices enhance the visual impact of canvas prints and help your artwork stand out in any setting.

    Custom Framing Link

    Custom framing and printing services

    What is the Easiest Way to Frame a Canvas Photo or Painting?

    The easiest and most hassle-free way to frame a canvas photo or painting is by using a professional framing service that handles everything for you—from printing to mounting. Pictorem's online framing service offers a streamlined solution where you can upload your image, choose your frame style, and receive a fully finished, ready-to-hang canvas delivered to your door.

    This eliminates the need for measuring, cutting, or assembly, making it ideal for anyone who wants museum-quality results without the DIY work. With a wide selection of frame types and finishes, it's a perfect blend of convenience and craftsmanship.

    Centered Framing Link

    Frame your prints with endless possibilities

    Step-By-Step Tutorial: How to Make a DIY Frame for Canvas Art

    This beginner-friendly tutorial guides you through creating your own custom picture frame, using straightforward techniques and a focus on craftsmanship and quality.

    Step 1: Get Your Photo Printed Onto Canvas

    Before you can frame your canvas print, the first step is bringing your image to life on canvas. At Pictorem, we transform your favorite photos and artwork into striking, large-format canvas prints using advanced printing technology.

    Whether it's a cherished family memory or a bold artistic statement, each piece is printed with vibrant color, sharp detail, and long-lasting durability. We ensure every canvas is expertly stretched and built to impress—laying the perfect foundation for custom framing that truly elevates your display.

    Step 2: Measure Your Canvas

    Canvas Artwork Link

    Begin by carefully measuring your canvas artwork. Focus on the width, height, and depth (thickness) of the stretcher bars, as these dimensions will determine your frame size. Add approximately 1/8 inch to each side for a bit of breathing room within the frame. If you're planning to use a floating frame or create a double frame effect, consider adding an additional 1/8 to 1/4 inch around all edges to achieve the desired spacing.

    Pro Tip: Think about whether you’re framing the canvas after painting or re-mounting an existing piece. Canvas prints often arrive with standard stretcher bar dimensions, making the framing process easier and more consistent.

    Step 3: Cut the Frame Pieces

    Use a miter box to cut all four frame sides at precise 45° angles, allowing the corners to join neatly and form perfect right angles. Each piece of wood should be cut to match your exact frame measurements. Once cut, secure the corners with clamps and double-check that each joint aligns cleanly from corner to corner for a seamless, professional-looking fit.

    Step 4: Assemble the Frame

    Apply wood glue to each corner joint, then fasten them using your nail gun. Choose brad nails, 1-inch pin nails, or gauge nails, depending on the wood thickness. Reinforce each joint with corner braces or angle iron for extra durability. Wipe excess glue with a damp cloth, and once dry, fill any additional nail holes with wood filler.

    Step 5: Customize the Finish

    This is your chance to get creative. Choose a bold paint color, a sleek gold spray finish, or a rustic wood stain to match your desired aesthetic. Whether you’re going for a classic, gallery-style frame or something more artistic and unconventional, you can customize the finish to perfectly complement your canvas artwork.

    Step 6: Mount the Canvas

    Position your finished canvas frame face-down on a protected surface. Carefully place your canvas print inside. For a flush mount frame, attach the canvas directly into the frame. For a floater frame, center the canvas to leave a gap between the canvas and frame edges. Use your nail gun or hanger on nails to secure the canvas print through the stretcher bar from the back. Add a picture frame wire to the back for easy hanging.

    Step 7: Display Your Art

    Once framed, your piece of art is ready to hang. Use appropriate hardware and avoid damage by securing nails into wall studs. If mounting on a batten accent wall or bunch of walls, consider grouping canvas prints with complementary art frames for a gallery effect.

    Custom Wall Art Link

    The 5 reasons you need a custom wall art print

    Can You Hang Canvas Art Without a Frame?

    Yes, canvas art can absolutely be hung without a frame—and it’s a popular choice for achieving a sleek, modern display. Gallery-wrapped canvases are especially well-suited for this style, as their edges are neatly finished and stretched tightly over a wooden stretcher, allowing for direct wall mounting.

    Hanging your canvas print without framing is a minimalist approach to wall art display.

    Hanging your canvas print without framing is a minimalist approach to wall art display.


    This minimalist approach draws full attention to the artwork itself and fits beautifully in contemporary interiors. To hang an unframed canvas, simply use hooks, nails, or adhesive strips, making sure the piece is level for a clean, polished presentation.

    Get Your Art Printed and Framed With Pictorem

    At Pictorem, we specialize in turning your photos into museum-quality wall art, printed on your choice of canvas, acrylic, wood, or metal. As artists and photographers ourselves, we’re deeply committed to craftsmanship, detail, and lasting quality.

    Whether you're enhancing a home, office, or commercial space, we bring your vision to life with advanced printing technology and carefully curated finishes. Our mission is simple: to exceed your expectations with every piece and deliver art that’s built to inspire—and built to last.

    Contact Us

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Sell your art online with Pictorem


Team up with Pictorem to take advantage of an existing sales tool without needing to develop one yourself. 

We handle the e-commerce transactions, production & the logistics of fulfilling each order so you can focus on your art and your promotion.

Click on the video link below for more information
 
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If you’re an artist, graphic designer, or photographer looking to sell your art reproductions, the process is super simple: all you have to do is create an account, upload your art, & set your price. Then, just promote your gallery & Pictorem takes care of rest.
 
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Why choose us

We offer a variety of printing mediums such as acrylics, metals, murals, posters, photo paper, canvas & wood to be able to meet all your printing needs. Our team also reviews every order by hand and makes sure to give you the best print quality.

- Free, no monthly cost, no trial period.
- We don't ask for any exclusivity
- You can cancel anytime
- We don't take any commission on your rights
 
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For existing user, please login to your account and click on "Create your online gallery

How to transform your image into a mural print.


This article is to help you understand how to transform your image into a mural print.

Yes, we're talking about huge prints  that will cover your entire wall for an immersive experience ! 

We are going to talk to you about all the options you'll have, the requirements  and installation, of course process.

There's no actual limit to the size that you can have your print

Since your peel and stick wall mural will be arriving in sections, you can get any amount of strips that you need to make for a very easy installation

To get things started, if you want a sharp image, you will preferably need a high resolution image.

Nowadays, most digital cameras can provide 5000 to 8000 pixels in a single shot

One good trick is called image stitching which is a process of combining multiple shots with overlapping fields to produce one massive panoramic image!

Of course, this is all based on how sharp you actually need your image and how close you're going to be from your print

Images for mural prints are processed at 150 dpi which means we'll most likely upscale your  image

Let's say, for a 10ft wall, you'll need at least 8000 pixels wide to get some sharp details

With new 40 megapixel+ cameras, this is easily achievable

If you need help figuring out if your image is large enough for a mural print,

look into our DPI calculator and our image size analyzer on our website.

https://www.pictorem.com/dpicalculator.html


https://www.pictorem.com/checkprintsize.html

All this being said, keep in mind that, in most cases, you'll be looking at your mural from at least 3 or 4 feet away from your wall so don't be too worried if your resolution is not quite on the mark

We take pride in offering the best possible results for your image.

To make that happen, we don't make any compromises in our hardware, our material and, most importantly, our customer service.

Every single order is important to us and we take the time to review every single image that comes in

So if we notice any needed fine tuning or optimization, you can have peace of mind that we'll always keep you in the loop

We use state-of-the-art 10-color printers which provides the best printing resolution and color range for mural prints and we are very proud to offer the most vibrant color reproduction in the industry.  

As for the material, we use a sturdy, repositionable peel-and-stick vinyl

It has a subtle, matte, linen texture to it which helps absorb light and cover any imperfections on your wall, it's extremely easy to install and it's very forgiving

Installation

If you have a long wall, we suggest that you start from the center which will ensure the straightest installation

Peel and stick wall mural can be installed on a wide variety of smooth surfaces such

as gypsum boards, wood, glass, metal and some plastic panels.

The surface has to be clean, smooth, dry, and free of moisture


Peel down about 6" from the top of your Panel.

To minimize any deformation, apply the wall mural with minimal tension

and remove the protective paper about a foot and make sure not to remove too much at one time

Smooth out the wall mural by using the plastic scraper (which we will be provided with your order) starting from the center and working your way towards the edges of the panel

As I mentioned earlier, the peel and stick wall mural is very forgiving

So if you made a mistake, went a bit crooked or see an air bubble you can peel the mural back at reapply it with ease

And don't forget to apply a good pressure to insure adherence, especially towards the edges of each panel

Mural prints arrive in 50" inch sections, and each section has a half an inch with a guideline to help you with your installation

Once all the panels are installed you can cut off  the excess with a utility knife.

With our imaging processing service, our state of the art printing equipment and easy to install wall vinyl, we are convinced we will be able to provide the best impact for your project. 

Get Creative with your next Acrylic print


This article is all about acrylics prints.

If you want to bring a contemporary look, to your home, your office or any other space you want to "dress up",  this is the choice for you ,and we are going to guide you through all the different options available.

We print on the back of an optically pure acrylic sheet using the latest flatbed printer and we print right up to the edges of the acrylic, to provide a very neat finish.

Size

First up - Size. We can print any custom size you want - ranging from a small 8x8 all the way up to a majestic 96x48.  So if you want a large panoramic picture, or to even create a multi panel print, the only limit is your imagination.

Mounting options

We also offer different mounting options.

The most popular configuration is a back mount frame. We have a black layer at the back of the acrylic print and this option will give your print a frame with a wire, so it's ready for easy hanging. It will also give the impression that your acrylic is floating slightly away from the wall.

You can also display your acrylic print with Aluminum Stand offs. It will be at the same distance from the wall, about 3/4 of an inch.  They are installed on each corner, so be sure to double check that we don't cut off any signature or crucial visual elements on your image. If you have a large acrylic, we suggest that you install more than 4 stand offs for a maximum distance between each stand off of about 40 inches. This will prevent your acrylic from bending.

Thickness

We offer 2 different thicknesses. You have the choice between 1/8" inch and 3/16".  

The 1/8 is already a great choice. It's very light and will remain flat if you are using a back mount frame.

The 3/16 thickness is a good option if you want to provide a greater optical depth, or when you have a large print to prevent the acrylic from bending between the stand offs, but it does add more weight.

Transparency

You can really explore your creativity with transparency.   We can print on specific areas only, and you can even go with a multi layer effect.  If you want to print your logo, or any other background-free visual, it's simple. Just provide us with a PNG or Photoshop file with a transparent area.  

You can create very interesting lighting effects with partial transparency like this "frost" effect. We will partially print the white layer so only the colors are fully printed.This looks absolutely stunning in natural light.

And if you want to use the acrylic on a lightbox with LEDs on the back, we can make a (backlit)  print . All these printing options are available on our website.

Shape

We can also cut the acrylic any way you want.  For example we can create rounded corners.

... or even  a circular print. Again, these options are all available on our website.

https://www.pictorem.com/acrylic-print.html


Choosing the right type of Canvas for your art.


Let's talk about the different type finishes that you can choose for your canvas prints!

The choice of your finish will have a big impact in the overall result and effect that you’re going for, so choosing the right one is an important first step!

MATTE

This canvas has a weight of 410 grams per meter. It’s a pure white, polyester cotton blend. It’s very strong, durable and natural feel to it.

The matte finish of this canvas provides a fine art look that works extremely well for photography, abstract paintings and everything else in between. It is a great all around canvas!

MATTE VARNISH

The matte varnish canvas is also called “satin canvas” because of the subtle shine that runs through it.

The matte varnish finish adds an extra layer of protection to resist scratches and fingerprints so if your reproducing an image that has lots of black in it, this product is and ideal choice and one that you might want to consider!

SEMI-GLOSS

On top of adding an extra layer of protection, colors will come out more vibrant so you can expect richer blacks and very vivid colors with this finish! Depending on the lighting, you can really see the texture of the canvas which can give an awesome complimentary effect to your artwork. Great choice if you want your colors to pop with an extra glossy look!

Semi-gloss canvas adds an extra layer of protection and the colors will appear more vibrant, so you can expect richer blacks and very vivid colors with this finish!

Depending on the lighting, you can really see the texture of the canvas which can give an awesome complimentary effect to your artwork. It is an exceptional choice if you want your colors to pop with an extra glossy look!

SILVER CANVAS

Silver canvas comes with a silver color base coat embedded into it. This means that all the white that you would normally see on a regular canvas will become silver, and all the other colors will come out looking metallic. We’ve seen some amazing photography and illustrations printed on this material that are simply mind-blowing!

KNIFE VARNISH

We call this canvas option the knife varnish process. With this technique, we can mimic or create paint strokes to give a more authentic look to a painting or simply add an extra textured look to a photograph.

EPOXY COATING

This process is the "showstopper". The epoxy coating will give your print a very luxurious, ultra high gloss finish.

This is the showstopper! The epoxy coating will give your print a very luxurious, ultra high-gloss finish.

This finish adds extra weight to the canvas so to make sure that the canvas doesn't buckle when adding the resin coat, we attach a masonite board behind the canvas. A canvas print with an epoxy coating requires more time and effort to produce, however, the results are totally worth it!



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