Blog How to Print on Canvas: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Print on Canvas | Pictorem

How to Print on Canvas

Printing on canvas is a fantastic way to turn your favorite memories or artwork into stunning, long-lasting pieces of art. Whether you’re looking to create custom canvas prints of personal photos, a statement piece for your home, or high-quality prints for a business, the process of printing on canvas offers a variety of possibilities.

This article walks you through how to print on canvas from selecting the right materials and adjusting printer settings to adding finishing touches that elevate your print. It also explores professional printing services for those seeking a simpler, high-quality solution.

What is a Canvas Print?

A canvas print is an image printed onto a sheet of canvas material, typically made from cotton or polyester fibers. It is then stretched over a wooden frame (often referred to as a stretcher bar) to create a high-quality, gallery-style artwork. The result is a durable, textured image with an artistic feel, perfect for displaying photos, artwork, or personal designs.

When to Print on Canvas

Canvas printing is a versatile and impactful way to showcase meaningful visuals. Here are perfect occasions to choose a canvas print:

  • Preserving Memories: Print your favorite photos, such as family portraits, wedding pictures, or travel memories to keep those moments alive.
  • Creating Custom Artwork: Turn personal images into unique pieces of art for your home or office, adding a personal touch to your décor.
  • Gifting: A custom canvas print makes an ideal gift, such as baby canvas prints or family canvas prints, that carries sentimental value.
  • Business Use: For business owners, canvas prints are perfect for office walls, featuring branding, company achievements, or motivational art.
  • Gallery Displays: Print on canvas for gallery-style presentations of photography or artwork, giving your display a professional and artistic look.

Explore our professional canvas printing options

What is the Best Way to Print on Canvas?

The best way to print on canvas is to use a professional online service like Pictorem, which combines state-of-the-art digital presses with carefully selected premium materials to ensure vibrant color, sharp detail, and the authentic texture that makes canvas prints so appealing.

Pictorem offers a range of canvas product, all produced with specialized equipment designed for gallery-quality results and long-lasting durability. Customers consistently praise the rich texture, flawless finish, and the convenience of receiving ready-to-hang pieces, making it an ideal choice for anyone seeking high-quality photo canvas prints without the hassle of managing specialized printers or materials themselves.

Print your custom canvas

How to Choose the Right Canvas Size and Frame

The next step in the printing on canvas process is determining the canvas size and frame style. The canvas print size you choose will depend on the space available in your home or office and the desired impact of your print.

Popular Canvas Print Sizes

  • 16x20 inches: Ideal for personal photos or small portraits, this size works well in bedrooms or small spaces.
  • 24x36 inches: Perfect for medium-sized portraits or wall art in living rooms or galleries.
  • 30x40 inches: Great for large prints, making a bold statement as a centerpiece.
  • 40x60 inches: Best for extra-large, room-filling art or commercial spaces, creating a dramatic visual impact.

Stretched Canvas vs. Gallery Wrap

When it comes to framing, there are two common options:

Stretched canvas involves stretching the canvas material over a wooden frame known as a stretcher bar. This option gives the print a traditional look and allows the image to be visible from the front and sides.

Gallery wrap is a more modern style where the canvas is wrapped around the frame, and the image continues around the edges of the frame. This method gives the print a more contemporary, seamless appearance, ideal for larger canvas wall art pieces.

Frame and Edge Options

When selecting a stretched canvas, you also have to choose the type of frame and canvas edge options. Popular edge styles include gallery wrap (where the image wraps around the edges), black, or white. For a more polished look, consider wooden frames, which work well for gallery displays or canvas gifts. For a personal touch, add a sawtooth hanger to the backside of the canvas for easy hanging, or opt for a cord on nails for a more rustic feel.

Canvas framing guide: How to frame canvas art like a pro in 7 easy steps

How to Print on Canvas: The Printing Process Explained

1. Preparing the Image

Before printing, make sure your original image is properly prepared. Adjust the resolution in editing software to ensure sharpness and clarity. For personal photos, use high-resolution formats (preferably JPEG or TIFF) to maintain quality. Use advanced editing tools to crop, enhance colors, or adjust brightness as needed.

2. Upload & Customize with Ease

Once ready, upload your image to Pictorem’s online platform and:

  • Choose your preferred canvas size, format (rolled or stretched), and edge style.
  • Apply basic edits like filters, contrast adjustments, or cropping directly on the platform.

3. Professional Printing on Premium Canvas

Pictorem uses high-resolution inkjet technology on museum-grade canvas for vibrant, accurate color reproduction. Each print is handled by professionals to ensure perfect ink adhesion and flawless detail.

4. Protective Coating & Finishing Touches

Every canvas print is finished with a UV-resistant, archival-quality coating that protects against fading, dust, and scratches. Options include gallery wrap, framing, or floating frames for a polished, professional look.

How to choose the perfect edge: A guide to canvas print wraps

Is Professional Canvas Printing Worth It?

Yes, getting your custom prints professionally printed on canvas is worth it. Professional printers ensure your canvas image is printed with exceptional quality and vibrant colors. They use high-quality materials and advanced canvas printing techniques to produce durable, long-lasting prints on canvas.

  • High-Quality Prints: Professional printers use advanced technology to ensure superior image quality with vibrant colors and high-resolution prints that last.
  • Canvas Selection: Professional services offer a wide range of canvas materials, from acid-free canvas to artist-grade canvas.
  • Expert Printing Process: Advanced equipment and seasoned expertise ensure flawless results—minimizing errors, optimizing color accuracy, and ensuring a gallery-ready finish.
  • Framing Options: Many professionals provide wooden frames and gallery wrap options for convenience.
  • Long-lasting Quality: Protective coatings help preserve your canvas photo print and prevent fading.

Why choose Pictorem to print your images?

Canvas Print FAQs

Can any photo be printed on canvas?
Yes—but high-resolution is best. Pictorem alerts you if your image won’t scale well.

Can canvas prints be customized?
Absolutely. Select size, frame, edges, effects, and more—directly online.

How long do canvas prints last?
Over 100 years with archival materials and UV coating—just avoid direct sunlight.

Are canvas prints waterproof?
They’re water-resistant but not fully waterproof. Avoid humid areas unless sealed.

Get Your Images Professionally Printed with Pictorem

At Pictorem, we offer a wide range of professional printing options designed to bring your favorite images and visions to life. Whether you're creating wall art for your home, office, or a gallery, we use advanced printing technology and premium materials to ensure exceptional quality.

From canvas and acrylic to metal and wood, our diverse formats give you the freedom to personalize every detail. We’re here to help turn your favorite moments into beautifully printed, lasting works of art!

Contact us

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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.

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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.
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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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