Guides
Canvas Print vs. Poster vs. Acrylic Block: Which Is Best for Your Photo?
Canvas print, wall poster or acrylic photo block? How they compare on size, look, price and where they go, and which styles look best on each.
You’ve got a photo you love, maybe turned into a painting or an illustration, and you want it on display. We make three products for that: canvas prints, wall posters and acrylic photo blocks. They suit different rooms, budgets and photos, so here’s how to choose.
The short answer
- Canvas print: the centerpiece. Choose it for a living room or bedroom wall, and for gifts.
- Wall poster: the most size for the money. Choose it for big walls, kids’ rooms, rentals and frames you already own.
- Acrylic photo block: for a desk or shelf, not a wall. Choose it for small spaces and offices.
Canvas prints
A canvas print is your image printed on canvas and stretched over a wooden frame. It arrives ready to hang, with hangers built in.
- Sizes: seven, from 8″ × 8″ to 24″ × 36″.
- Depth: 0.75″ or 1.5″. The deeper one stands further off the wall and looks more like a gallery piece.
- Frame: none, or an outer frame in black, white or walnut.
- Look: the canvas texture suits painted styles, and there’s no glass, so there are no reflections.
Canvas costs the most of the three at larger sizes, and it’s the one that feels most like a finished piece of art.
Wall posters
A wall poster is printed on premium glossy or matte paper.
- Sizes: seven, from 8.5″ × 11″ to 36″ × 48″, which is larger than our biggest canvas.
- Paper: glossy makes colors pop and suits bold, saturated styles. Matte has no shine, so it’s better opposite a window and for softer styles.
- Hanging: it’s light enough for removable strips or putty, so it works in a rental or a dorm. It comes unframed, and the standard sizes fit off-the-shelf frames.
A poster is the least expensive way to fill a wall, and the easiest to swap out later.
Acrylic photo blocks
An acrylic photo block is a clear, 1″ thick block of acrylic with your image in it. It stands on its own, upright or sideways, with no frame or stand.
- Sizes: four, from 4″ × 4″ to 6″ × 6″.
- Look: the thick acrylic gives the image depth, and the finish resists glare and scratches.
- Where it goes: a desk, bookshelf, nightstand or mantle.
It’s the one to pick when there’s no wall space, or when the gift is for someone’s office.
Which styles look best on each
Any style can go on any product, and your preview is shown on all of them before you order. Some pairings work especially well:
- On canvas: painted styles like Starry Night, Matte Watercolor and Chinese Painting, where the texture adds to the effect.
- As a poster: graphic styles with flat color and bold outlines, like Vintage Travel Poster, Ukiyo-e Woodblock and Comic Book.
- In an acrylic block: close-up portraits and pets in a bright style like Cartoon, which stay readable at a small size.
Before you order: check the shape
Each size has its own proportions: a square 12″ × 12″ canvas shows a different crop of your image than a 24″ × 36″ one. Your preview is shown on each product before you order, so check that nobody’s head is near the edge before adding it to your cart. As a rule, square sizes suit close-up portraits, and the longer ones suit landscapes and full-body photos.
Ready to see yours? Pick a style, upload your photo and compare all three.
