Canvas Printing: Photo Canvas Prints from A3 to A0

Canvas printing turns a photo or a piece of artwork into something you can hang without glass or a trip to the framer: the image is printed on canvas with pigment or archival inks and stretched tight over a wooden frame. People print wedding and family photos, pets, holiday shots, artwork to sell and big pieces for offices and lodges. Tell us the size, how many and what the photo is, and we pass your request to local canvas printers who quote you directly. It is free, with no obligation.

What a canvas print is, and the options

A stretched canvas (often called a gallery wrap) is printed, then pulled around a wooden frame and stapled at the back, ready to hang. The choices that change how it looks:

Frame depth: a slim frame sits close to the wall, a deeper one reads more like a painting.
Edge: the image wraps around the sides, a mirrored edge copies the border outwards, or the sides are a solid colour.
Finish: a varnish or protective coat helps against dust, damp and fading.
Split sets: one picture across two, three or more panels.
Rolled canvas: printed but not stretched, for artists and framers.

For paper prints behind glass, see poster printing.

Choosing the size for your photo and your wall

Most studios offer A sizes: A3 (297 x 420 mm), A2 (420 x 594), A1 (594 x 841) and A0 (841 x 1189), plus squares and custom sizes. Measure the wall first and hold up a sheet of paper or newspaper the size of the canvas to judge it.

The bigger the canvas, the more detail the photo needs. A recent phone photo usually holds up well at smaller sizes, but a large canvas needs the original full-size file. Photos saved from a chat app or social media are compressed and can look soft. Ask the printer to check your file before you pay.

Files, colour and caring for a canvas

Send the original JPEG or TIFF, not a screenshot. Remember that a strip of the picture wraps around the frame, so keep faces and important details away from the edges. Screens glow in RGB and are brighter than any print, so dark night photos and neon colours can print duller; ask for a proof or a small test.

Hang the canvas out of direct sun, dust it with a soft dry cloth and keep it out of steamy bathrooms.

Canvas printing prices and what changes them

The size and how many canvases
Frame depth and edge style
Varnish or a protective coat
Retouching, colour correction or restoring an old photo
Split sets, packaging and courier

Published South African price lists put a stretched A2 canvas at roughly R360 to R500 and an A0 at roughly R1,300 to R1,500, which works out to about R1,300 to R2,000 a square metre. Smaller canvases cost more per square metre. Canvases make good gifts beside printed mugs, or for a couple after the wedding invitations.

What to include in your request

The size, or the wall space it must fill
How many canvases, or a split set
Edge: image wrap, mirrored or a colour
Retouching or colour correction needed
Collection or courier to your town

Canvas Printing for different clients

Families and individuals: a wedding, baby or family photo stretched on canvas for the lounge or as a gift
Small businesses and start-ups: artists, photographers and decor sellers printing canvases of their work to sell at markets
Companies and offices: large canvases of local landscapes or company milestones for boardrooms, reception areas and passages
Shops, restaurants and salons: canvases for restaurant walls, guesthouse rooms, salons and furniture showroom styling
Events, conferences and clubs: canvas portraits for memorial services, milestone birthdays and guest signing pieces at weddings
Schools, churches and NGOs: canvases of class photos, art department work and church history for halls and offices
Government and municipalities: canvases of local heritage and landscapes for municipal offices, libraries and visitor centres
Designers, agencies and resellers: photographers and designers sending print-ready files to a canvas printer under their own name

Frequently asked questions

How much does canvas printing cost?

Published South African price lists put a stretched A2 canvas at about R360 to R500 and an A0 at about R1,300 to R1,500, roughly R1,300 to R2,000 a square metre. Small canvases cost more per square metre because the frame and handling cost the same. Deeper frames, varnish, retouching and courier add to it, so ask what each quote includes.

What size canvas print should I get?

Start from the wall. Over a couch or a bed, a canvas around two thirds of the furniture width usually looks right, which often means A1 or bigger. In a passage or beside a door, A3 or A2 works. Cut paper to the size, tape it up for a day and check it from across the room before you order.

Can I print a phone photo on canvas?

Usually, yes. A recent phone photo taken in good light holds up well on small and medium canvases. Send the original file from the phone or the cloud, not a copy from a chat app, which is compressed. For big sizes, low-light photos or old prints that were scanned, ask the canvas printer to check the file and tell you the largest size it will take.

How long does canvas printing take?

Many studios print and stretch a canvas within a few working days after you approve the proof, and some do faster collection if you ask early. Retouching, split sets and big orders take longer, and courier to smaller towns adds a few days. If it is a gift for a set date, tell the printer the date and ask for a firm one back.

Your best photo, stretched and ready for the wall

What a canvas print is, and the options

Choosing the size for your photo and your wall

Files, colour and caring for a canvas

Canvas printing prices and what changes them

What to include in your request

Canvas Printing for different clients

Frequently asked questions

Canvas Printing by province and city

More printing, signage and supplies

Print shop

Large format & signage

Apparel & promo

Supplies & equipment

Request canvas printing quotes

01The job

02Size it (optional, it helps the quote)

03Delivery and when

04Job lines (optional)

05Your details