The Ultimate Guide to Art Prints, Frames & Canvases

A bare wall is an opportunity.

For a giant mushroom. A particularly good piece of typography. Something geometric in pink and orange. Possibly all three.

Choosing artwork should be the enjoyable bit. Working out how big A2 actually is, whether you need a frame and how to get everything onto the wall without creating seventeen unnecessary holes? That’s where a little help comes in.

Welcome to the Love Frankie guide to art prints, framed prints and framed canvases. We’ll cover sizes, finishes, styles, gallery walls and the practical business of hanging your new favourites.

Just need a quick answer? Jump to our Artwork FAQs ↓

Print, Framed Print or Framed Canvas?

Start by choosing how you want your artwork presented.

You might already have a frame waiting for something better. You might want us to take care of the framing. Or you might fancy the extra depth of a framed canvas.

Check the individual artwork listing for the sizes and presentation options available for that design.

Art Print Sizes: What Do A0, A1, A2, A3 and A4 Actually Mean?

We list our posters using standard A-series sizes.

The slightly confusing bit is that the smaller the number, the bigger the print. A0 is the largest size in this line-up. A4 is the smallest.

Here are the actual measurements, without the mental arithmetic.

Measurements are shown with the shorter side first. For landscape artwork, the same measurements apply with the orientation reversed.

These are paper dimensions, not the outside dimensions of a frame. Framing adds to the overall footprint, so allow for that when planning your wall. For framed canvases, check the measurements stated for your selected option.

Which Print Size Should I Choose?

Think about the space around the artwork as well as the artwork itself.

These are styling suggestions, not compulsory seating arrangements.

An A4 print can look lovely on a shelf and rather lost above a large sofa. An A0 print needs enough space around it to feel deliberate.
Before ordering, mark out the dimensions with paper templates. Stand back and look from the places where you actually use the room.

The sofa view matters more than the view with your nose against the wall.

Buying Just the Print

Choose print only if you want the artwork without a frame.

It’s a useful option when you already have a frame, want to mix in vintage finds or prefer to choose a particular finish yourself.

Our paper prints are digitally giclée printed on 200gsm archival fine art paper with a smooth, matte finish. Giclée describes a high-quality inkjet printing process used to reproduce artwork with fine detail.

A matte surface keeps the paper finish understated while the design does the talking.

Choosing Your Own Frame

Match the frame’s stated picture size to your print size.

For example, an A3 print needs a frame designed to accommodate A3 artwork. If you want a mount around it, you’ll need a larger frame with a mount opening made for that print.

Don’t buy a frame based only on its outside measurements. Those tell you how much wall it occupies, not what fits inside.

Framed Prints: Black or Ash?

Our framed print options take care of the pairing for you, with black and ash frames to choose from.

Black can give a busy gallery wall a consistent thread. Ash can sit comfortably alongside wooden furniture and warmer textures.

Neither requires the rest of the room to obey it.

What’s Included in a Framed Print?

Our framed prints have a clear Perspex front and are supplied without a mount. The frame fits the selected poster size directly.

Perspex is acrylic glazing rather than glass. When cleaning it, use a soft cloth and a product suitable for acrylic rather than an abrasive cleaner.

Framed Canvases: A Little More Depth

A framed canvas gives the artwork a textured surface and a more substantial profile.

The print is printed onto canvas and stretched over a supporting frame, then surrounded by a slim wooden outer frame. A small gap between them creates the rather marvellous floating effect.

The canvas remains exposed rather than sitting behind Perspex, so its texture becomes part of the finished piece.

Choose from the sizes and frame finishes offered on the individual artwork listing. Paper-frame options and canvas-frame options should be checked separately.

Finding Your Kind of Artwork

You don’t need to identify your entire interior style before buying a print. Start with something you want to keep looking at.

Our artwork ranges from psychedelic mushrooms and expressive animals to graphic shapes and typography. They can share a wall quite happily.

Mushroom and Psychedelic Prints

Our shrooms bring surreal detail, strong colour and a slightly different view of the natural world.

Try one as the main event in a quieter room, or add it to a wall that already has plenty going on. Pulling a colour from the artwork into a cushion, lampshade or smaller print can help connect it to the space.

No need to turn the whole room into an enchanted forest. Unless plans are already underway.

Bauhaus-Inspired Prints

Circles, stripes, geometric shapes and confident colour combinations give our Bauhaus-inspired artwork a graphic presence.

These designs work well in pairs or grids, where repeated shapes create a sense of rhythm. They’re also useful alongside more detailed illustrations, giving the eye somewhere simpler to land.

Geometric does not have to mean colourless. We would find that deeply inconvenient.

Typography Prints

Sometimes the wall has something to say, and it would be rude not to listen. 

Typography brings words, humour and bold lettering into the arrangement. It works particularly well where people can get close enough to read it, whether that’s beside a dining table, in a hallway or above a desk.

Choose a phrase you’ll still enjoy seeing after the first week. You’re the one who has to have breakfast with it.

Animals, Characters and Smiley Faces

Animal artwork and character prints can give a room a focal point with a little attitude.

Pair a detailed animal illustration with simpler shapes or lettering, or repeat one of its colours elsewhere in the display.

Smiley faces bring an immediate graphic hit. Very little explanation required. The wall appears to be in a good mood, as will you be. 

How to Style a Gallery Wall

A good gallery wall doesn’t need every print to match. It does need the pieces to feel as though they’ve met. Start with a few favourites and give yourself permission to rearrange them before committing.

Choose Your Main Piece

Begin with the largest artwork, or the one you most want people to notice. Build the rest around it. This gives you a starting point and helps avoid a collection of tiny prints scattered across a very large wall.

Find Something That Connects Them

That might be a repeated pink, black frames, botanical subjects or a mixture of rounded shapes. You don’t need all those connections at once. One or two will usually do.

Plan Before You Hang

Arrange the framed pieces on the floor first. Then use paper templates cut to their outside dimensions to test the layout on the wall.

Include the spaces between frames. Those gaps are part of the arrangement too.

Use a wall-safe temporary fixing suitable for your paint or wallpaper, and test it somewhere discreet first.

Keep the Gaps Deliberate

For a compact arrangement, you might start with roughly 5–8cm between frames, then adjust for the artwork and wall.

Treat that as a styling starting point. Larger pieces may need more breathing room.

Stand back between adjustments. A layout can feel very different from the doorway.

For more ideas, read our guide to creating a gallery wall with colourful art prints.

Hanging Artwork: Which Fixings Do I Need?

Choose fixings for the finished artwork’s weight, the wall construction and the hanging attachment on the frame.

Paper size alone won’t tell you which fixing to buy. Two A2 artworks can weigh different amounts depending on their frames and materials.

Hanging equipment is not included with our framed canvases. Arrange suitable hanging hardware and wall fixings before installation. For framed paper prints, check the product details and the attachments on the back.

Before drilling, check for concealed cables and pipes. If you’re unsure about the wall or fitting, ask a competent installer.

Aim to position the artwork where it feels connected to the room. Above furniture, avoid leaving such a large gap that the picture appears to be trying to escape towards the ceiling.

Keeping Your Artwork Looking Good

Keep artwork away from direct sunlight, damp and strong heat.

For canvas, gently remove dust with a soft brush. Don’t use liquid or chemical cleaners on the printed surface.

Handle unframed paper prints by the edges with clean, dry hands and protect them while you arrange framing.

A steamy bathroom or the space directly above a hob needs more consideration than a dry living-room wall. Pick the location as carefully as the print.

Ready to Give the Wall Something to Do?

Choose the artwork first, then the size and finish that suit your space.

Print only if you want to handle the framing.
A framed print if you want the pairing sorted.
A framed canvas if you’re after more depth and texture.

Then stand back and relish in all your hard work. You deserve a lie down. 

Explore Love Frankie artwork, prints and framed options →

Artwork FAQs: Your Questions Answered