Canvas Prints Vs. Framed Prints: Key Differences and What Looks Best in the Home?
If you are looking at having a photo enlarged and displayed on a wall, there are a few choices available. The first is an enlarged print that’s framed and hung on the wall. The second is a canvas print, which has a variety of ways for it to be displayed, including on its own, as a framed canvas, and other approaches. In this article, we look at the key differences between them and what looks best in the home.
What is a Canvas Print?
Canvas prints use state-of-the-art printers to deliver colour reproductions of an existing photo. The quality of the final product varies with canvas prints. A lacklustre printing process can allow dirt, dust, or blurring into the image that goes onto the canvas. The best printers are needed, which are well maintained, to make high-quality reproduction possible. Also, any blemishes to the original photo that aren’t touched up or corrected before printing will be seen on the canvas too. By then, it’ll be too late.
So, be sure to make any changes first, to avoid any regrets later. That means zooming in with each image to look at the finer detail. This ensures that you’re happy with the entire image before it’s selected for printing. For best results, canvas prints should be produced by reliable firms like PhotoBox. They can provide a range of different print solutions with canvas as their basis, and you can even print them straight from your phone.
What is a Framed Print?
A framed print can either be done by yourself if you’re excellent with woodworking as a hobby, or by using a framer. It’s also possible to supply a print, have it enlarged, and then inserted into a frame on your behalf. The company may themselves use outsourcing for the framing process, so that’s definitely worth asking about. The process of enlarging a photo doesn’t always produce the best outcome. A better company would inform you when the image isn’t going to look quite right, rather than simply going ahead with the printing and framing work.
The frame also makes a huge difference to the final result. One frame can appear to be high-quality while another gives off a cheaper feel. The frame needs to be durable enough to last the test of time, so make sure you look at your options.
Are Reflections a Problem for Viewability?
Reflections on the glass over a framed photo are a potential issue. For this reason, some framers will use low reflection glass to attempt to prevent visibility issues due to reflected light. There are few things more annoying about a framed print than when light glare prevents you from seeing it and so you need to move position to try to get a better view.
A better-sourced framed photo supplier should use improved glass to prevent this. But it’s honestly difficult to properly tell until you have the frame in your home and see how it plays in the space. That’s especially true on a bright day.
Which Version is More Aesthetically Pleasing?
The trouble with printed photos within a frame is that they are so common, they’re easy to overlook. It’s a bother to go to the time and expense of selecting a photo, checking it for image imperfections (and correcting them), getting the photo enlarged, selecting the frame, and then getting it printed and framed. When the photo is overlooked because a framed photo is rote at this point, then why bother?
On the other hand, canvas prints are still a relatively new thing. People aren’t used to seeing them on the walls of people’s homes. It makes them stop and move closer to look at them. Usually, they have probing questions about them too, like how much they were and where they were done. It can be a talking point.
Do Canvas Prints Look More Artistic Than Framed Photos?
Undoubtedly, canvas prints give off an artistic vibe compared to framed photos. That’s true of photos that have been reproduced on canvas, but it’s also true of artwork. If you want to develop a creative setting, then it’s worth considering canvas printing because it looks like nothing else. The process of printing, cutting, and stretching the canvas gives it a one-of-a-kind sense to it. Framed photos look attractive in the frame but just don’t deliver the same effect when observed.
Do Framed Photos or Canvas Photos Last Longer?
All things being equal, it’s likely that canvas will last longer than printed photos. However, there are exceptions to every rule. If lively parties or rambunctious kids are around, then there is a risk of a drink being flunk around and some of the liquid reaching the print. If it’s on canvas, that could damage it, especially once the liquid has stained it. However, with a framed photo, that’s usually not the case. The exception here is with framed canvas prints, which offer the best of both worlds for people worried about the above issue.
In most circumstances, canvas prints offer more than a framed photo does. They’re affordable too.
