Wall prints photography and design guide feature image

Wall Prints Photography and Design Guide

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What are Signs For Home Products?

Our Signs For Home products are specifically designed with home decor and photography in mind. Combine unmatched printing quality and unique, versatile material options and you have yourself the best interior design solution on the web. All of our Signs For Home products are crafted to give your photos incredible clarity and a long-lasting finish that can be the centerpiece or addition to a beautifully decorated area.

Our home decor lineup includes canvas prints, metal prints, matte and glossy photo prints, and metallic photo prints. Each material has unique qualities that enhance printed photos and add one-of-a-kind design to your home.

Canvas Prints

Create simple, beautiful works of art using canvas prints. Canvas is a commonly used material for printing photos because of the canvas’ absorbent properties and cost-effective production. The result is an exceptional canvas print that’s easily hung or mounted, and can be incorporated into any interior design scheme. Whether you’re an expert photographer or you’re just looking to professionally display your family photos, canvas prints are an impressive addition to your home decor.

Canvas Photo Print Example

Photography tips and image quality

Canvas is an excellent surface for printing family portraits, scenic photographs, and inspirational quotes and images. Though simple in nature, canvas provides an excellent surface to create lasting prints, much like museum-quality paintings. The material itself has a semi-gloss appearance, giving your photo a slight sheen without visible glare (no glare means image quality will not be affected by direct light).

Printing photos or images on canvas results in a different image quality than if you were to print on photo paper. Though the image is clear and crisp, the texture of the canvas is noticeable when viewed up close. This means that small, finite details might be absorbed by the texture of the canvas. With that in mind, we recommend using high-quality photographs to ensure detail is still visible despite material texture.

Colors appear vibrant on the canvas material without any dulling or fading, so there should be no worries of lack of contrast or colored image quality. Black and white images will appear clear as well, though the white portion of the image will not be covered in ink

Canvas sizes range anywhere between 12”x12” to 36”x24”, giving plenty of options for wall placement in any size room.

Decoration Ideas*

canvas wall layout

Image courtesy of Pinterest

Combining different sizes of canvas prints to decorate your wall can help transform an empty space into an area with life and vibrance. There are limitless ways you can display a grouping of photos on your wall, including random arrangements that step outside the boundaries of conventional square or rectangle arrangements. Make sure not to overcrowd your walls with photos (overwhelming the room with images can be a visual nightmare).

canvas prints displayed on shelf

Image Courtesy of Pinterest

Small canvas prints can be easily displayed on shelves, coffee tables, or nightstands. Miniature prints are ideal for seasonal decoration and smaller rooms (bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen areas).

*Photos seen in these images can be replaced using our canvas prints.

Metal Prints

Metal seems like an odd material for printing photos but, in actuality, it’s an ideal choice for creating durable, rigid works of art. We like to think that the unconventional metal print is a hidden gem for photographers because of its impressive image clarity and resolution. The ink is infused into the .045” aluminum, resulting in an image that is scratch resistant and has an unrivaled life span. This also means you’ve got yourself a photo print that can be handed down through the generations.

metal photo print

Photography tips and image quality

With ink infused into the aluminum, photographs will have a rich color palette. Think of metal prints as 4K quality tv images – incredibly sharp with unmatched detail. With that in mind, we recommend using metal prints for landscape images and detailed close-ups. Though, any type of photo will appear in beautiful vibrance.

When purchasing metal prints it’s important to consider the different options available:

White Matte – Metal fabricated with a white face. Matte provides no sheen.

White Gloss – Metal fabricated with a white face. Gloss adds sheen and increases vibrancy.

Brushed Matte – Metal with a brushed metal look. Matte provides no sheen.

Brushed Gloss – Metal with a brushed metal look. Gloss adds sheen and increases vibrancy.

Decoration Ideas*

metal photo print mounted on metal

Image courtesy of Pinterest 

Whether it’s a family photo or an image of scenery, metal prints will give greater longevity and vibrancy to the image. Whites become more brilliant and darker colors pop from the print, enhancing any space in your home. Prop up metal prints on tables, nightstands, or counters to enhance the atmosphere of any room.

small metal prints

Image courtesy of Pinterest

Decorate bedrooms or offices with smaller metal prints, adding to the functionality of smaller spaces.

*Photos seen in these images can be replaced using our metal prints

Metallic Prints


You may be scratching your head as to why we offer both metal prints and metallic prints, while asking yourself, “Aren’t they the same thing?” In short, no. There are a few differences between metal and metallic prints. As noted above, metal prints literally infuse your photograph into the .045” aluminum material. Alternatively, metallic prints are a special archival photo paper that has a metallic look. That paper can be mounted to our ½ inch ultraboard to give it rigidity.  

metallic photo print example

Photography tips and image quality

The metallic properties of the print will enhance light colors (yellows, oranges, light blues, etc.) more so than darker colors. The shining effect will be more evident with such colors (it is still visible with darker colors).

Decoration Ideas*

metallic photo print decoration idea

Image courtesy of Pinterest

Combine multiple metallic prints to create a single image or scene. Allow metallic prints to work with other design elements in a room; doing so will help create a theme or consistent motif in your home.

small metallic photo print

Image courtesy of Pinterest 

Smaller metallic prints are perfect for desktop displaying using an easel or stand. Display family portraits or inspirational images using metallic prints, bringing out image details and adding design elements to your desk or side table.

*Photos seen in these images can be replaced using our metal or metallic prints.

Wooden Prints

Modern, wooden prints are becoming a staple for interior design. Elegant simplicity is the key to the rise in wooden print use for home decor; the brilliance of the natural, maple wood veneer combined with your photo will add warmth to any room of your home. Deciding on wood prints comes down to your preferred design style. If you’re looking for a modern, natural look, then we highly recommend incorporating wood prints into your home decor.

Wooden photo print

Photography tips and image quality

The wood grain in each individual print is one-of-a-kind because of the variances in the natural wood grain. You can lighten your photos to allow the wood grain to be even more visible; this emphasizes the natural appearance of the wood. One way to bring out the grain is by using photos with areas of very light or white coloring. Black and white photos also work great for this reason.

Decoration Ideas*

Wood prints are versatile in home decor use. Utilize wall space in larger rooms by combining multiple wood prints to form a picture display. Larger displays are great for family photos or scenery shots. Incorporate glossy or matte photo prints around the wood print to further enhance the unique quality of the wood, providing contrast to normal photo prints.

wood photo print on wall

Image courtesy of Pinterest 

The versatility of wooden prints allows for wall-mounted display in any room. As we mentioned before, lighter colors allow the wood grain to show through the actual image, adding a unique, natural quality to your print (as demonstrated by the above photo).

wood photo print bookshelfImage courtesy of Pinterest

Playing around with wooden print sizing opens the door to displaying in tight spaces or large areas. Place prints in book shelves, on easels, or hang them on doors. Since wood prints have a semi-gloss appearance, direct light will reflect off of the surface. Darker colors will be harder to see in direct light because of this.

*Photos seen in these images can be replaced using our wooden prints.

Photo Prints: Matte and Glossy

Matte Photo Prints

Matte prints may seem like your typical photo print, but when used correctly in design they can add just as much prominence as any other photo print. Photo prints are simple, yet cost-effective ways to display professional style photographs in your home. With matte prints, the image will be printed on archival photo paper that has a matte, non-reflective surface. Vibrant, saturated colors are printed digitally, giving your photo an unparalleled look. Matte photo print example

Photography tips

Matte photo prints are specifically produced to allow rich colors and details to be visible in well-lit spaces. Unlike glossy prints, matte photos will not reflect light, giving you the flexibility in printing images with bright colors. Colors will not be washed out or faded in direct light, nor will there be any loss of clarity in the image. We suggest brightening your photos before printing to ensure that details and colors pop from the photo.

Glossy Photo Prints

Professionally printed glossy photos give your image an ultra clear appearance. The sheen of the photo paper aids in lightening dark areas of your photograph, enhancing the brilliance of the print. Glossy photos are perfect for mimicking the quality of the digital image used. With a vast range of print sizes (anywhere between 4”x6” to 4’x8’), there are limitless design and positioning possibilities.

Glossy photo print example

Photography tips and image quality

As we mentioned above, glossy photos are perfect for dimly lit photos. As with all glossy products, light will reflect off of the surface, producing glare in brightly lit locations. When considering glossy prints, plan on where the photo will be displayed to ensure that the image is not washed out by direct light.

Decoration Ideas*

matte photo print no glare

Image courtesy of Pinterest

Large photo prints can be displayed as centerpieces to your room decor, no matter the style of your home decor. The matte appearance will reduce glare, meaning these prints can be displayed in rooms with natural or fluorescent light. We recommend displaying glossy photos out of direct light (avoid placing across from a window) in order to maintain the clarity of the design or image.

matte photo print wall display

Image courtesy of Pinterest

Prints can be arranged in picture frames or as standalone images. Smaller prints are ideal for seasonal images or portraits, while larger photos can be the mainstay image on your wall.

*Photos seen in these images can be replaced using our matte and glossy photo prints.

Ready for Printing


Your photo design and home decor needs will be satisfied with the use of any of our Sign For Home products. With a variety of materials and ways to display your print, there is no shortage for interior design ideas. If you need any help choosing a material or are in need of photo uploading or editing, contact us at info@signs.com or call us at 888-222-4929.


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