Take a moment to pick up your phone. How many photos do you have? Hundreds, maybe thousands? Each one captures a piece of your family’s story. But most stay hidden on the screen.

You’ve got blank wall space in the lounge, a narrow hallway that could shine, or a staircase waiting to speak your story. The big questions start: Canvas Prints or Framed Canvas? What style canvas should I pick? Will it look too big or too small? How do I begin?

Relax, we’re here to help. Think of this as a friendly chat over a cuppa, helping you turn digital memories into beautiful wall art. This isn’t just a guide about centimetres and inches; it’s a guide to choosing the perfect stage for your most treasured moments. 

What is the best canvas size for my photo?

The size of your canvas dictates the story’s impact. Some moments are intimate whispers, others are room-commanding shouts.

• Small Canvases (e.g., 30×25 cm, 40×30 cm): These are for little pockets of joy—a silly selfie, a pet photo, or a baby’s grin. They’re perfect for desks, bookshelves, or as part of a larger gallery wall. They make fantastic, personal gifts for grandparents.

• Medium Canvases (e.g., 60×40 cm): The versatile all-rounder. These are substantial enough to make an impact without dominating a room. Ideal for family portraits, holiday snaps, or professional photos. They look great above a two-seater sofa or on a chimney breast.
• Large Canvases (e.g., 100×75 cm): These are the showstoppers. Reserve these for unforgettable, breathtaking moments—an epic landscape, a dramatic wedding photo, or a multi-generational family portrait. They demand attention above a large sofa or king-size bed.

Which canvas print is best for each room?

Each room has a different vibe. Match your canvas to the space:

Room	Recommended Canvas Type	Ideal Size/Arrangement	Why it Works
Living Room	Single Canvas, Framed Canvas	75x50cm or 100x75cm landscape above a sofa.	Creates a stunning, inviting focal point for the main gathering space.
Hallway/Narrow Space	Canvas Panels, Small Canvases	Three 30x30cm square canvases in a vertical line.	Adds interest without overwhelming the narrow space.
Staircase	Eclectic Gallery Wall	A mix of small and medium sizes following the line of the stairs.	Tells a chronological story of the family’s journey.
Bedroom	Panoramic Canvas	100x75cm panoramic landscape or a soft-focus portrait.	Creates a calming, personal retreat and a “window” to a favourite memory.
Kitchen/Dining	Single Canvas, Collage Canvas	60x40cm with a fun, candid shot.

How do I choose the right size for my wall space?

Follow these three simple steps, and you’ll choose your canvas size with total confidence. No more guessing!

Step 1: Measure Your Space (The Rule of Two-Thirds)

This is the golden rule of interior design, and it works perfectly for canvas prints. Your canvas (or your entire gallery wall arrangement) should take up roughly two-thirds of the available wall space above the piece of furniture it’s hanging over, like your sofa or headboard.

• Let’s try an example: Your sofa is 210cm wide.
• Here’s the simple calculation: 210cm x 0.66 = 138cm.
• And the result: You should look for a single canvas or a gallery wall arrangement that is around 138cm wide in total. A stunning 100x75cm landscape canvas would look beautifully balanced, leaving just the right amount of breathing room on either side so it looks intentional and professionally styled.

Step 2: The Magic Tape Trick (Our Favourite Tip!)

Before you order, mock up the size on your wall.

• Grab some painter’s tape (or any low-tack tape that won’t damage your paint).
• Measure out the dimensions of the canvas you’re considering. For example, for a 75x50cm canvas, use your tape measure to create a rectangle of that exact size.
• Stick the tape outline onto your wall in the exact spot you plan to hang it.

This simple, five-minute task completely removes the guesswork. You’ll know instantly and instinctively if the size feels right for the space.

Or try GoQuick, our new AI feature that could turn your photos into personalised gifts in just 10 seconds! No mess of measuring tapes and endless design themes to choose from. Just upload your photo and your canvas is ready in a jiffy. Visualise how your canvas or metal print fits your space in our blog.

Step 3: Check Your Photo’s Quality

For a beautiful, crisp canvas print that does your memory justice, your photo needs to have a high enough resolution.

• The Simple Check: When you upload your photo to the Printerpix website, our system will automatically analyse your image and tell you if the quality is good enough for the size you’ve selected.
• A General Rule of Thumb: Photos taken on our smartphones are usually perfect for small and medium-sized canvases. For those large, statement prints, a photo from a DSLR camera or a professional photographer is often best. The most important tip is to use the original file from your camera or phone, not a version you’ve saved from social media or WhatsApp, which is often compressed and made smaller, losing quality. Refer to our image resolution guide to know more.

How can I create a stunning family gallery wall?

A gallery wall is more than just a collection of pictures; it’s a living, breathing mosaic of your family’s journey. It can feel a bit daunting to start, but with a simple plan, it’s easy to create something truly special and unique to you.

Template 1: The Classic Grid

• The Look: Symmetrical, clean, and beautifully modern. It brings a sense of calm and order to a collection of photos.
• How to do it: Choose four, six, or nine canvases of the exact same size and shape (e.g., four 40x30cm canvases or six 30x30cm square canvases) and hang them in a perfect grid.
• Best for: A series of photos with a similar look and feel, like professional school portraits over the years, or a collection of black and white shots from a single family photoshoot.
• Pro Tip: Use a spirit level and keep the spacing between each canvas consistent (around 5-7cm is ideal). The painter’s tape trick is your best friend here for getting the layout just right!

Template 2: The Stairway Ascent

• The Look: Organic, dynamic, and full of narrative. It feels like you’re walking through your family’s timeline.
• How to do it: Use a mix of small and medium-sized canvases, in both portrait and landscape orientations. Start with your central, largest piece (perhaps a 60x40cm family portrait) in the middle, and build outwards and upwards, following the angle of the stairs.
• Best for: Showcasing your family’s growth and history over time. Mix in wedding photos, baby pictures, school snaps, and recent holiday shots for a rich, layered story.
• Pro Tip: Lay all your canvases out on the floor first to arrange them before you put any nails in the wall! This lets you play with the composition until it feels just right.

Template 3: The Eclectic Mix

• The Look: Playful, personal, and bursting with character. This style is all about reflecting your unique family personality.
• How to do it: This is where you can break the rules! Mix different sizes and shapes of our hand-stretched canvas prints. For a truly contemporary feel, why not incorporate different style? Opt our sleek mosaic panel display of canvas prints, with their stunningly rich appeal, or a contemporary Metal Print on lightweight aluminium. The key to making it look cohesive is to have one unifying element, like a consistent colour palette in all the photos, or making them all black and white.
• Best for: Creative families who want to create a wall that is 100% them.

What are the different types of canvas prints available?

Printerpix offers a range of canvas products to suit every need, from single photos to massive collages.

Canvas Type	Description	Key Feature	Available Sizes (cm)	Frame Finish Options
Canvas Prints	The classic, single-photo canvas print. Hand-stretched over a pine frame.	Best-selling, versatile for any photo.	Wide range, including: 20×20, 40×30, 60×40, 100×75.	Edge Options: Stretched, White, Black. Floating Frame Options: Black Matte, White, Walnut Flair.
Photo Collage Canvas	Combine multiple photos (up to 50) into one canvas.	Creates a “wow-worthy” piece from many memories.	Wide range, including: 30×25, 40×30, 50×40 (Popular), 76×50.	Edge Options: Stretched, White, Black. Floating Frame Options: Black Matte, White, Walnut Flair.
Framed Canvas	A classic canvas print with a high-quality exterior floating frame added.	Designed to match any interior design style.	Same as Canvas Prints (size is for the canvas itself).	Floating Frame Options: Black Matte, White, Walnut Flair, Espresso, Oakwood.
Mosaic Canvas Panels	A multi-panel display that splits one photo or one story across 3 or 4 separate canvases.	Beautifully arranges up to 9 photos in a set.	Not explicitly listed as single sizes, but sold as sets (e.g., 3-panel, 4-panel, 9-panel).	Edge Options: Stretched, White, Black.

Frequently Asked Questions (Your Canvas Queries, Answered!)

1. What size canvas is best for a gift?

A versatile size that doesn’t demand a huge amount of wall space is best. A 30x25cm or 40x30cm canvas is perfect for a desk, mantelpiece, or bookshelf. For a more impactful gift, our popular 50x40cm collage canvas featuring a special shared memory is a thoughtful and impressive present.

2. What resolution do I need for a large canvas print?

You really don’t need to get bogged down in technical numbers like DPI (dots per inch). As we mentioned, our website makes it easy by giving you that simple quality score when you upload. As a guide, for a large 100x75cm print, an image from a 10-megapixel camera or higher is ideal. The most important thing, always, is to use the original, full-size image file from your camera or phone.

3. Should I use cm or inches? My tape measure has both!

In the UK, most of us find it easier to work in centimetres (cm) for home measurements, which is why we prioritise it on our site. However, all our product pages show both cm and inches, so you can use whichever you feel most comfortable with. For a quick mental picture, remember that an A4 piece of paper is about 30x21cm, and an A3 piece is about 42x30cm. This can really help you visualise the smaller canvas sizes in your mind.

4. How do I hang my Printerpix canvas?

It’s simple! Printerpix canvases come with an easel stand for support (differs on selected size) and ready to hang with a sawtooth hanger already attached to the sturdy, 3.8cm deep solid wooden frame. All you need is a nail or a picture hook.

Your Walls Are Waiting for Your Stories

Choosing the right size canvas is the final, exciting step in transforming a fleeting digital moment into a permanent, cherished piece of your home’s heart. So, stop letting those precious photos gather digital dust. Pick a favourite, measure your space, maybe even try the magic tape trick. Get ready to fall in love with your memories all over again as they come to life on your walls.