Two very popular photo art products we offer are HD Metal Prints and Canvas Prints.
Both are made using premium materials and our proprietary photo printing software which creates sharp, crisp prints at a large scale. Both types of prints are also built to last, using inks that have a fade-resistant rating of over 100 years.
But which should you print your photo on? Metal or canvas? Let's find out.
What is a Metal Print?
A Metal Print is a photo printed on a metal panel. It's known for its sharp, vibrant look and is often used in modern or industrial-style decor.
Metal Prints are durable, making them suitable for outdoor display, and they have a glossy finish.
Metal Print Features
- Decor Style: Best for modern or industrial looks. Its crisp edges and frameless design fit well in contemporary spaces.
- Finish: Has a high-gloss finish, offering vibrant colors and sharpness. However, the glossy surface can create glare in brightly lit rooms.
- Outdoor Display: Ideal for outdoor use due to its durability and UV-stable inks.
- Hanging System: Comes with a Float Mount Hanging System, floating the artwork off the wall for a sleek look.
What is a Canvas Print?
A Canvas Print is a photo printed on canvas material. It offers a classic and timeless look, fitting well in various decor styles.
Canvas Prints have a textured, matte finish and are more suited for indoor use.
Canvas Print Features
- Decor Style: Versatile for any home decor, from contemporary to shabby-chic. Canvas Prints bring a classic and timeless feel.
- Finish: Features a satin-matte finish, reducing glare and making them suitable for brightly lit rooms.
- Indoor Use: Ideal for indoor environments, especially in areas with high humidity like bathrooms and kitchens.
- Size Variety: Offers a wider range of sizes compared to Metal Prints, providing more flexibility for different spaces.
Differences Between Metal and Canvas Prints
Use: High humidity and outdoors
If you want to display your artwork in an environment with high humidity, like the bathroom or kitchen, Canvas Prints and HD Metal Prints are both good options and are durable enough to withstand this type of environment.
If you want to display your artwork outdoors, an HD Metal Print is a better option over a Canvas Print thanks to the solid metal panel it’s made from. Our UV-stable inks are designed to protect your art from fading for over 100 years under normal lighting conditions.
This includes some sun, but not constant, direct sunlight. If you display your HD Metal Print in direct sunlight, some fading is likely to occur over time.
Decor Style: Edgy and Modern or Classic and Timeless
The most obvious, but most important, consideration when comparing HD Metal Prints to Canvas Prints is how it fits in with your home decor style.
One of the advantages of Canvas Prints is its versatility, you really can’t go wrong with a Canvas Print, it looks great in a contemporary, eclectic, traditional, or shabby-chic home. Canvas Prints are timeless and classic.
If your decor style is more modern or industrial, an HD Metal Print will take the lead compared to a Canvas Print. Your photo is printed on a 1mm metal panel and our proprietary Float Mount Hanging System is hidden on the reverse side, which floats the artwork half an inch off the wall.
Its unframed, crisp edges will look brilliant in a modern space.
Finish: Glossy or Matte
Another big difference between HD Metal Prints and Canvas Prints are their finishes.
A Canvas Print has a textured, matte finish whereas the HD Metal Print has a smooth, high-gloss finish. As we mentioned when looking at the benefits of canvas printing, photos printed on materials with glossy finishes can look stunning when displayed in the right space, but in rooms with a lot of light, the shiny finish can cause glare and reflections, which can be a disadvantage to HD Metal Prints. Canvas Prints, however, have a satin-matte finish making them the perfect medium to display photos in brightly lit rooms.
Size and Price
HD Metal Prints and Canvas Prints are available in a vast range of different sizes so if you’re looking for something that fits your space perfectly, you’ll likely find what you need with either option.
With that said, Canvas Prints do have more sizes, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for with an HD Metal Print, you could still be in luck with a Canvas Print.
HD Metal Prints and Canvas Prints aren’t miles apart when comparing prices, but if you’re on a tight budget, Canvas Prints are more affordable.
EPSON and HP Inks
With HD Metal Prints, photos are printed using dye-sublimation on a glossy white Chromaluxe high-definition metal panel using original EPSON inks. With our Canvas Prints, photos are printed using the Giclée method using original HP Vivera Latex inks.
Although we use different methods and inks for each type of artwork, both products display photos with sharp, vibrant, and true colour accuracy.
If colour accuracy isn't important to you and you're looking for a photo art product that's completely unique, check out our Wood Prints or our Classic Silver Metal Prints!
Takeaways
Whichever product you choose to print your photo on, you can be confident knowing your artwork will last a lifetime and years down the road your photo will look as sharp and vibrant as the day you got it.
