Acrylic Prints vs. Canvas Prints - Finding The Perfect Fit For Your Needs!
Enhance your art collection with our ultimate guide to acrylic prints vs canvas prints. Discover the nuances & select the perfect medium for your masterpiece.
When you want to display your own personal or professional photographs, it is important to understand the differences in the materials and professional high-quality printing solutions available. Two of the most popular wall art materials today are Canvas Prints and Acrylic Prints.
This guide will help you decide which material and printing options suits your needs to display your custom artwork best. Knowing the differences between the two materials can ensure you pick the best option for the type of art prints you want to display.
After all of the hard work it takes to capture the perfect picture, you want to ensure the material reflects the photograph in the best way possible. We will discuss the differences and advantages of each material and how Printmoz can help you design a custom print to last a lifetime.
Acrylic Prints PresentationComparison to Canvas Prints
Both Acrylic and Canvas Prints are high-quality printing solutions that offer an incredible way to display photos. However, the appearance and presentation are completely different. Which you choose may come down to personal preference, interior design theme, or maybe even the cost between canvas and acrylic printing. There is much more to each process than creating the ideal composition; let's dive in and explain the primary difference between acrylic prints vs canvas prints!
Acrylic Prints Appearance
Are printed directly onto the acrylic sheet giving the photo incredible vibrancy and a glossy look. This type of printing solution is perfect for those that want a high-end feel with both the quality of the print and the way the acrylic mounts to a wall.
Canvas Prints Appearance
Canvas prints offer a textured material of cotton canvas, and the image is printed onto the surface of the canvas. The canvas is then rolled or wrapped and stretched over a wooden frame. This type of print is great for those that want a more traditional feel to their photo.
There are benefits to each type of print, and both options are popular amongst professional photographers and personal artists. Depending on the look you desire will help you determine which print option is best for your photograph.
Acrylic Prints
Acrylic Prints offer many features that make this material a high-end popular choice. This type of material is perfect for photographs that have bright colors, and the acrylic gives off a 3D effect that looks professional and sleek. The acrylic photo printing also reflects off the glass resulting in a glossy finish. Acrylic photo Prints are perfect for any personal or professional photograph that you want to display in your home or office. Our high-quality printing technology at Printmoz can create a customized image that is bold, vibrant, and museum-quality.
Acrylic Prints are constructed using two distinct processes. Both methods result in a high-quality image, but choosing a printing company that is experienced in Acrylic Photo Printing can ensure you will receive quality results.
Features
Extremely Durable
Acrylic offers extreme durability and is scratch-resistant, making Acrylic Prints easy to care for and clean.
Weather Resistant
Acrylic Prints are moisture-resistant and are printed on UV-resistant acrylic glass that protects the photo from discoloration, fading, or damage from the sun's intrusive UV rays.
Glass-like Appearance
The glass-like appearance of an Acrylic Print allows the photo to reflect light that further enhances the vibrant glossy colors of the image.
Acrylic Print Construction
Acrylic Prints are constructed for quality and durability and are perfect for professional printing solutions for those that want an image that will last. The acrylic printing process is more involved and uses expensive printing technology to produce images with superior clarity that catches the light and reflects off the glossy acrylic material while providing UV protection.
Acrylic Prints Finish
With Acrylic Prints, you can choose different finishes in the design process. Depending on the type of photograph, there are options to add a Flood White Finish layer behind the acrylic to enhance the photo. Other finish options include a Spot White Finish for photographs with transparency. This allows the colors within the photo to look even more vibrant and stand out while highlighting your image's transparent sections with the acrylic print's glass-like features. When designing a photo, it is always nice to have additional finish options to customize your image further.
Durability
Acrylic offers many protective benefits to extend the life of your photograph. The acrylic material can withstand locations with heavy traffic and is shatter resistant. The UV-resistant acrylic shields the photo from moisture, sun damage, or accidents.
Portability
Moving Acrylic Photos can be difficult, depending on the custom sizes you have in mind. They tend to be heavier compared to Canvas. Most Acrylic Prints are mounted on walls or propped up on an acrylic print stand and are not as easy to just pick up and move to another location. Check out our blog post for more info on How to Mount & Hang Acrylic Prints.
Affordability
If you are on an art budget, Acrylic Prints can be more expensive due to the process and materials used to create the print. However, there are budget-friendly options for Acrylic Prints if that is the material you prefer for your photo displays.
Direct UV Printing (Reverse)
The first method, which happens to be our preferred method, is direct printing the image onto the backside of the acrylic using a UV direct printer and then sealing the back with a white layer of ink.
Face Mount Printing
The other display technique is the face mounting method, where the image is printed onto high-quality photographic paper and then placed between two acrylic sheets. The image is sealed between two sheets of plexiglass, creating a lasting product protected from UV rays and resistant to scratches from both sides.
Canvas Prints
Canvas Prints are another popular material used for displaying photographs. The photo is printed onto a canvas material using inkjet printers and tends to be more cost-effective and lighter in weight compared to acrylic photo prints. A Canvas Print can add texture to your photos while keeping a more traditional look. Digital photography can transform into canvas artwork that is classic and timeless. Canvas is perfect for portraits, wedding and family photos, landscapes, or any type of wall art at home or the office. Printmoz uses the latest printing technology when creating our Canvas Prints to give our customers a print that is vivid and beautiful.
Canvas Prints are made by printing a photo directly onto the material. This process is known as dye sublimation, which keeps the detail of the print intact and produces a quality, vivid image with texture. A UV laminate coating is added for durability, and then the material is then rolled or stretched over a wooden frame. Depending on design choices, the image can continue over the edges when the canvas is wrapped, or a color can be added to the edges to frame the photograph.
Features
Gallery Quality
Canvas Prints resemble oil paintings and show texture similar to paintings seen in a museum gallery. The material works well with all colors resulting in a vibrant and more traditional look than art prints.
Lightweight & Portable
Moving Canvas Prints is easy because this type of art print is very lightweight and easy to transport or ship.
Glare-Free
Canvas tends to be less glossy and more subdued compared to the high gloss effect with an acrylic print. Photographs look traditional but still with gallery quality colors and texture.
Canvas Print Construction
The construction process for Canvas Prints involves printing the image directly onto the canvas. This process uses special inkjet printers that add color for optimal coverage results. The prints can be rolled and ready to be framed at home or stretched and wrapped around a frame. High-quality materials are used to prevent warping or sun damage.
Rolled Canvas Prints
Rolled or unstretched canvas prints give customers the option to frame their art themselves. This method makes the print more affordable to transport and ship.
Gallery-Wrapped Canvas Prints
When it comes to Canvas Prints, there are two options for wrapping and stretching them over a frame. One option is to wrap the image around the edges, creating a 3-dimensional effect. Another option is to have a solid white or black color edge.
Canvas Prints Finish
A canvas print can be created with a glossy or matte finish. These two options give the customer the ability to make the made canvas art really look like the original oil painting or photograph. Both options still display the colors vividly and can make the image pop on the canvas. The finish depends on preference and the type of photograph used.
Durability
The canvas material used has a UV laminate coating to help protect the print from damage, moisture, or scratching. The coating helps with cleaning the print and ensures your photograph will not warp and will last for years. These prints are perfect for areas that do not have heavy traffic. They are durable, but they tend not to be as durable compared to Acrylic Prints.
Portability
The material and framing used with Canvas Prints are extremely light, making this type of print easy to transport or move to different locations. Hanging canvas prints is easier and doesn't require mounting hardware like Acrylic Prints.
Affordability
Canvas Prints are more affordable due to the difference in materials and printing process. They still give quality, vivid results making this a great choice if you are on a budget. Shipping is also more affordable with Canvas Prints because they are lightweight and they can be rolled up for easy packaging.
Canvas vs Acrylic Prints: Final Thought To Help You Decide!
When deciding between Canvas and Acrylic, think about the type of photograph and which option will best enhance your photo. Do you want a more traditional look or a vibrant, glossy, and modern feel to your photo? Consider where you will be hanging your photograph, the light in the room, and who will be around the artwork.
If you are looking for a more modern feel, then acrylic may be best, and if you prefer a more subdued look at a more affordable price, canvas may better suit your taste. Try both to see which you prefer and enjoy the experience of creating and designing your custom photograph. Printmoz offers bespoke sizes to match your style and taste and affordable prices to help you create the perfect gallery-quality masterpiece!
For pricing and more details on either product, follow the links below
Acrylic Photo Printing takes a photograph and prints the image directly onto an acrylic sheet using UV-cured ink. This process produces a crystal-clear image that is vibrant, glossy, and modern. The glass reflects the quality of the image as well as adds depth. Acrylic photos can be hung at home to display personal photos or used for professional photos in an office or lobby.
what do acrylic prints look like?+
Acrylic Prints are a modern way to display photographs; the image is glossy and vibrant. The acrylic brings out the colors of the photo resulting in brilliant quality and visual depth. If you are looking to display a photo collage or a single photo, acrylic prints are stunning and are gallery-quality images.
What is a canvas Wrap print?+
Canvas Wrap Prints are photographs that are printed directly onto canvas. This type of print has a traditional feel and can be either rolled for personal framing or stretched and wrapped around a frame. Canvas Prints give photographs a classic appearance while also highlighting the vibrant colors of the photo, making them an excellent option for a gallery wall featuring personal or professional photographs.
which is better, acrylic or canvas print?+
Both Acrylic and Canvas prints are beautiful ways to display photographs both personally and professionally. The decision to choose a canvas print or acrylic is personal and must align with the look you want for your photograph.
Acrylic prints stand-alone are modern, glossy, and vibrant and can be mounted using standoffs to allow the photograph to float off the wall. Canvas prints are classic and traditional but also boast beautiful colors and can be hung and transported easily.
Depending on the type of photo, your budget, and where you choose to hang it will help you decide which option works best for you. Printmoz can help you design your custom print easily, and we offer many options to help you achieve the very best results!
