Gallery-wrapped canvas vs framed canvas: how to choose

Gallery-wrapped canvas is high-definition canvas stretched on wooden stretcher bars, with the print wrapped round the edge. There is no frame, so the piece reads as a clean block on the wall. ArtzFolio offers a hanging fitting of your choice, and an optional floater frame.

Framed canvas sits inside a frame in wood, polystyrene fibre or metallic finishes. ArtzFolio makes wooden framed paintings with solid natural wood, synthetic framed paintings with a 0.75 inch polystyrene-fibre frame, and deep, shadow box and metallic styles. Rolled unframed canvas is canvas with an extra margin on all sides, supplied rolled so your customer can frame it locally.

The table sets out the main differences. Treat it as a way to decide what to ask for, not as a price comparison.

On a gallery-wrapped canvas the image continues round the edge, so the artwork needs enough image beyond the front to wrap. If the key subject sits close to the border, part of it can turn the corner. Tell the factory how you want the edge treated, and confirm at sampling which edge options are available.

A framed canvas hides a small amount of the border under the frame lip, so a face or a line of text near the edge can be clipped. Check where the frame will cover the image before you approve the sample.

• Wrapped edge: allow extra image beyond the front, and decide how the edge is treated.
• Framed piece: keep important detail clear of the border.
• Rolled canvas: the margin is there for your customer's framer, so say so in the pack.

Think about how the piece will be sold. Frameless wrapped canvas is light and quick to hang, which suits online sellers and modern interiors. Framed canvas looks finished and suits retail shops and hospitality. Rolled canvas is supplied rolled, so it is the easiest to carry, but the customer has to arrange the framing.

Large formats are best planned as sets or panels. ArtzFolio makes multi-panel sets such as pairs and triptychs cut from one artwork, and large formats can be made as panels. Say how many panels you want and whether they are equal in size.

Name the build from the list, give the size and send the artwork at the largest size you have, in its original file format. For a framed piece, name the frame colour. ArtzFolio frames come in six standard colours: Black, White, Dark Brown, Natural Brown, Golden and Antique Gold, and any other colour is made on request. Floater profile and depth are agreed at sampling.

Canvas can be printed on cotton in gloss, matte or satin, or on matte polyester. Price, minimum order and lead time depend on the build, size and finish, so ArtzFolio confirms them in the quote. Samples are paid, and by agreement the sample cost can be reimbursed or adjusted in your final order.

Canvas is a soft surface, so it should be kept away from direct sun, heat and damp, and dusted gently with a dry cloth. Your pack insert can say this in a sentence, and it can prevent returns that are really care problems.

Hanging matters as much as the print. A frameless wrapped canvas hangs from a fitting on the back, and a heavy framed piece needs a fitting that suits its weight and a wall fixing that suits the wall. ArtzFolio offers a hanging fitting of your choice on gallery-wrapped canvas, and wooden framed paintings arrive with hanging fittings in place. Tell the factory how heavy a piece will be. Wall fixings for brick, plasterboard or other walls are chosen by your customer, so your own pack insert can carry that guidance.

Finally, protect the corners in transit. Canvas edges and frame corners are the parts most often marked, so ask how the pack is planned and check it when you open the sample.