Canvas, acrylic, metal or foamboard?

Once you have settled on a size, the next question is what to print it on, and the samples on the counter do not always make the difference obvious. Each material changes the photograph, not just the price.

Canvas softens

Canvas has a weave, and the weave takes the edge off fine detail. That is a fault in a technical image and a virtue in most family photographs, because it flatters skin and hides the limits of a file that was never that sharp to begin with.

There is no glass, so no reflection and no weight on the wall. It suits living rooms, landings and anywhere a piece needs to look settled rather than smart. If you are unsure about size, the sizing guide is the place to start.

Acrylic sharpens

Acrylic does the opposite. The image sits behind a thick clear face, which deepens the blacks and makes colour look wet. Detail is held rather than softened.

It wants a good file and a strong image, because it shows everything, including what is wrong. It also reflects, so it fights a window directly opposite.

Metal is for colour

Metal prints push saturation further than anything else here. A sunset or a bright cityscape comes off hard and vivid. A soft, muted photograph tends to look thin on it.

It is the most robust of the four, which is why it ends up in kitchens, bathrooms and businesses rather than bedrooms.

Foamboard is light and temporary

Foamboard is the practical one. Cheap, very light, hangs with nothing more than adhesive pads. It will not last decades and it is not meant to.

For an event, a display, a classroom or a temporary piece it is exactly right, and spending more would be a waste.

If you cannot decide

Bring the image in. We will show you the same photograph on the materials we have to hand, and the choice usually makes itself in about a minute. People who were set on acrylic often leave with canvas, and the other way round.

For something large, a split canvas or a floater frame changes the feel again without changing the print.