A canvas print is an image printed on canvas and stretched over a timber frame, ready to hang. For an office, standard sizes run to about 600 × 900 mm, and a single canvas can be ordered. The detail that catches people out is the wrap: the image continues around the sides, so the artwork must be extended 40 mm on every side.
Canvas suits photographs and large simple graphics for reception walls, meeting rooms and presentation gifts. It does not suit small type. This guide sets out how the wrap works, what to supply and what to settle before requesting a quote.
What is a stretched canvas print?
A stretched canvas is a printed cotton-polyester canvas stretched over a timber frame and stapled at the back, so the image continues around the sides. It is sold as a canvas print, a gallery wrap or a stretched print, and it is ready to hang once it is made.
The print uses pigment ink on a coated canvas. The weave softens fine detail slightly, which suits a photograph and fights small type. That makes canvas a good fit for office artwork, reception pieces and presentation gifts, and a poor one for a poster full of body text.
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Build | Printed canvas stretched over a timber frame and stapled at the back |
| Standard sizes | To about 600 × 900 mm |
| Ink | Pigment ink on a coated canvas |
| Minimum run | 1 canvas |
| Best for | Office artwork, reception pieces, presentation gifts |
How much of the image is lost around the frame?
Between 20 and 40 mm of image wraps around the sides of the frame. The safe approach is to extend the image 40 mm on every side beyond the frame size, so the wrap takes the extension rather than the picture. Keep text and logos well inside the face.
The common failure is a canvas with text near the edge, where the wrap swallows part of the wording. A logo drawn right to the edge of the face has the same problem. If the image has a subject near its edge, extend the background so there is something to wrap, or choose a design where the edge is plain colour. How the edge is extended is a design decision, so settle it with the artwork rather than after it.
What artwork should be supplied for a canvas?
Supply the image at 300 dpi at final size, with the image extended 40 mm on every side. Use vector artwork for logos where you can. Photographs work on canvas because the weave softens fine detail, and 6 pt type does not.
Artwork for printed items is supplied at 300 dpi at final size, with Pantone references where colours must match. Check the pixel dimensions of the image against the final size before the design is approved. If the picture is a company logo on a plain colour, supply the logo as vector artwork, and say which colour the background should be.
For the bleed itself, the 3 mm that applies to flat printed items does not apply here. A canvas takes 40 mm, because the wrap is far deeper than a trim.
How long does a canvas print take?
Standard turnaround is 7–14 working days. A canvas is printed, then stretched and stapled over a timber frame one piece at a time, which is piece work rather than a press run, and it is quoted inside the standard window. Express is quoted per job.
If the canvas is for a launch, an office opening or a presentation, send the date with the first enquiry. The quote then names the specification, and the production schedule is confirmed against it.
Worked example: a reception feature canvas
A planning example shows what to send with a canvas request: the finished size, the image and its resolution, the wrap extension and the date. This one is a single photographic canvas for a reception wall, written as the specification an office manager could send.
Hypothetical planning example. Actual production timing, paper availability, and logistics are confirmed individually upon artwork and specification review.
A professional services firm wants one photograph of its premises on the reception wall. The office manager sends this specification:
- Product: one stretched canvas on a timber frame, ready to hang.
- Finished size: 600 × 900 mm, the upper end of the standard range.
- Image: a photograph supplied at 300 dpi at the final size.
- Wrap: the image extended 40 mm on every side beyond the frame size, with the firm’s logo kept well inside the face.
- Quantity: 1, which is the minimum run for a canvas.
- Timing: standard 7–14 working days. The request gives the opening date and asks for an express quotation if it is tighter.
Related printing solutions
Canvas is one of several branded items for an office. See corporate gift printing, posters and large format printing. When the size and image are ready, request a quote.
Frequently asked questions
How much of a canvas image disappears around the frame?
Between 20 and 40 mm of image is taken by the wrap around the frame. Extend the image 40 mm on every side beyond the frame size, and keep text and logos well inside the face.
What resolution should artwork be for a canvas print?
Supply 300 dpi at final size for a printed canvas. The weave softens fine detail slightly, so photographs work well and very small type does not.
What is the largest standard canvas size?
Standard sizes run to about 600 × 900 mm. The minimum run is 1 canvas, so a single feature piece can be ordered.
How long does a canvas print take?
Standard turnaround is 7–14 working days. Each canvas is stretched and stapled over a timber frame one piece at a time. Express is quoted per job.
Same-day and urgent printing available. Subject to artwork approval, payment, print type and production availability. Timing confirmed per job.