Looking for a medium to showcase your favorite photos and memories? Why not display them at your own home? Invest in home decor with wall art! Decorate and display stunning artworks and photos in your living room, bedroom, or even outside. Read about the best printing mediums for your wall art here.
This article offers all you need to know about wall art! From definitions to all the materials it’s available in – we got you covered.
Table of Contents
Wall Art
Wall Art is a printing form catered for home decoration and display. These are available in different mediums – Canvas, Mounted, Metal, Acrylic, and Wood. They prioritize longevity to serve their primary function as display pieces. Occasionally, some Wall Art forms are also displayed in museums and galleries.
Wall Art Printing Mediums
Wall Art printing mediums are Canvas, Mounted, Metal, Acrylic, and Wood prints. Each printing medium offers its own pros and cons. The focus of this section is a rundown for each medium regarding their printing process, appearance, and life span.
1. Canvas Prints
Canvas prints are images printed onto a canvas with an inkjet printer. These are often stretched and gallery-wrapped then displayed. The materials used in Canvas Prints are strong and durable fabric made of hemp, cotton, or polyester.
Printing Process :
In creating a Canvas Print, the gallery-wrapping technique is often used. The canvas is wrapped around stretcher bars and secured to a frame.
Appearance :
The gallery-wrapping technique offers a professional and elegant look. Printing on cotton polyester canvases offer more richness in hues and colors.
Life-span and Longevity :
Estimates for the lifespan of Canvas Prints amount to a whopping 60 years for colors and 100-150 years for black and white.
Check out more about Canvas Prints and The Best Canvas Printing Companies in 2022 here.
2. Mounted Prints
Mounted Prints are also known as framed prints. These are Wall Art that are printed onto paper for the purpose of framing. Mounted Prints usually use the color scheme of the image in connection to the color of the frame to convey coherence.
Printing Process :
In mounted prints, the paper is attached to a backing board, so it can be framed or hung on a wall.
Appearance :
The frames play an important role in the appearance of Mounted Prints. Choosing a black or white frame brings the focus to the image itself. Some use stylized frames to bring a contemporary look to the Wall Art. Take note that the color of furniture should be considered so that the display pieces are not out of place.
Life-span and Longevity :
Typically, mounted photo prints would start to fade in the 25-50 year mark. Ways to minimize fading and prolonging this wall art are available. As much as possible, avoid direct sunlight. If done, it could bring the lifespan to 100 years.
3. Metal Prints
Metal Prints are modern and high definition pieces of Wall Art. These prioritize quality without compromising longevity. They are well known for being the toughest and most long lasting medium for Wall Art.
Printing Process :
Metal prints are typically printed on aluminum. These metals have a white base coat that will make any color stand out and vivid. The process uses dye sublimation – infusing the image directly to the metal’s hard coating.
Appearance :
The look of metal prints vary from either a white matte or white gloss option. The white gloss brings out a more saturated and vivid look. On the other hand, the white matte brings a subtle and suppressed look.
Life-span and Longevity :
Metal prints are the most scratch and wear resistant among all printing mediums. They fare well against humidity and heat, outclassing other print mediums.
Read more about Why Metal Prints Should Be Your Go To here.
4. Acrylic Prints
Next, Acrylic Prints are premium prints, coming at a slightly higher price point. These offer the highest image quality among all the wall art printing mediums.
Printing Process :
Acrylic Prints are printed on photo paper. The print is then pressed between either plexiglass or acrylic sheets.
Appearance :
Colors on Acrylic Prints are vivid but in different lighting conditions could cause a glare. The glare is caused by the glass sheets of this wall art.
Life-span and Longevity :
The material used in Acrylic Prints make them minimally resistant to scratch and wear. Strong scratching forces can really damage glass. They are also moisture resistant and are able to minimize the effect of wear due to light.
5. Wood Prints
The Wood Print medium creates a unique photo style that also offers a long lifespan. No two Wood Prints are alike because of the unique grain patterns on each wood canvas. These are eye-catching pieces because of their distinct appearance. Involving nature with art is worth showcasing and displaying.
Printing Process :
Wood Prints also use the process of dye-sublimation. Colors are infused to the wood grains.
Appearance :
Wood Prints automatically are eye-catching because of their uniqueness. The most noticeable feature of this Wall Art is the wood grains. Most wood prints display a yellowish and warm hue. It affects the color of the photo but adds to the one-of-a-kind look of this piece.
Life-span and Longevity :
Wood prints are water and heat resistant thus making sure it would have long life spans. Ultraviolet light is the main cause of fading in the colors of Wood Prints. Typically, the life-span of Wood Prints run from 100+ years if preserved correctly.
Choosing the Best Printing Medium
Upon knowing the appearance and lifespan of the various printing mediums, there is still stuff to prepare. Here are the things you need to do before choosing what printing medium best fits the occasion.
Prepare and keep in mind the location of your placement. Most often than not, these display pieces will go into the living room. Take note of the furniture, wallpaper, and empty space for you to display these photos.
Next, keep in mind the overall tone and color of your photos. Will it properly accentuate the area of placement? Does it feel out of place? A cohesive wall display piece does wonders than that of a messy one. Pick and choose your photos for display properly.
Exhibiting More
Aside from printing single images, there are more ways to utilize these wall arts. You can either choose multiple photos and make a collage or do multiple prints of sections of an image.
Feeling like one photo isn’t enough to capture the beauty of a special day? A collage can bridge the gap of this! By combining multiple photos taken on a special day, your wall art surely depicts the memories that come with it. We prepared an article discussing the best online collage makers to assist you in making that perfect collage! Find it here: Best Online Collage Maker in 2022.
Another feature that most printing companies offer is the division of your photos to multiple parts. This allows you to create a massive display piece of a whole photo but dividing them into multiple prints. This is greatly recommended for large negative spaces on walls in your home. Turning that blank space to a massive display surface is a great application of these wall art printing mediums.
Wall Art After Care
In the previous sections, we discussed the lifespan and longevity of the different wall art mediums. Nevertheless, after care for these wall art is still notable. Here are the main points to follow to ensure the longevity of your display pieces.
1. Avoid Direct Sunlight
Sunlight is harmful to any type of prints due to the UV exposure it causes. Direct exposure to sunlight causes changes in color particularly fading.
Proper lighting can bring out the colors of these display pieces. Indoor light sources are preferred rather than placing your prints in areas that are hit with direct sunlight.
2. Avoid Wet and Humid Areas
Another factor for wall art deterioration is the humidity. Humidity causes your prints to be subjected to vapor. Wetness affects the surface of the printing medium and with time, also changes not just the durability but also the color.
General tip for this is to display these wall art in air conditioned rooms if possible. Air conditioners regulate not just the temperature of the room but also the room’s humidity.
3. Avoid Rubbing
When cleaning your wall art it is of best practice to dust them instead. Rubbing the wall arts causes friction to its surface. Friction causes heat and at times, scratches. Heat also affects the paint applications on your chosen medium. Though most mediums are scratch resistant, it’s still best practice to use a feather duster instead of a cloth.
4. Avoid using Chemicals
It’s tempting to use cleaning chemicals to easily clean various surfaces. With regards to prints though, it is best to avoid them. The ink used on your wall art pieces may have certain reactions to cleaning products and affect their overall appearance.
If some areas of your prints are still unclean upon dusting, a wet damp cloth will suffice. If this fails, it would be best to take your display pieces to professional cleaners.
Best Printing Medium
Choosing the best printing medium varies per person. It all boils down to personal preference. A person may either prioritize the visual look or the longevity of the piece. Others may consider the price point more important than other factors.
Metal Prints offer the best value for money. They are the most durable and wear resistant among all the printing mediums. Metal Prints also provide great value for color with the option of a white gloss base. The image quality provided by Metal Prints compare closely to Acrylic Prints, the standard for highest print quality.
Canvas Prints also provide great value for money. They are easy to display, being frameless. Also, a great selling point for this wall art is the market. There’s a huge market available for Canvas Printing. Learn more here.
Acrylic Prints provide the highest photo print quality but come at a higher price. Mounted Prints on the other hand are the cheapest but note that the frame choice is really important. Lastly, Wood Prints provide the most unique type of finish among these printing mediums. They offer a unique take on wall display pieces and definitely will spark up conversations!
