CUSTOM IMAGES / DIGITAL ART / CANVAS PRINTING
Print your own artwork on canvas.
An abstract you designed. An illustration made for your home. A custom image you want to live with. Give your finished artwork a place on the wall, printed and finished in West Yorkshire.
Print your artworkStart with your finished image, choose the size and finish, then review the crop. For an unusual file or a detail that matters, speak to the workshop before ordering.
YOUR IMAGE. YOUR OWN POINT OF VIEW.
Your image can be more than a photograph.
A canvas print can begin with digital painting, illustration, a graphic composition, a scanned drawing or a custom image you have created with AI. What matters is the finished artwork and how it will look at the size you choose.
Our image-to-canvas process starts with that finished file. You choose the picture, proportions and finish; we print it on canvas and prepare the physical piece. A design with generous shapes and confident colour can have real presence on the wall, while delicate work deserves a closer look at detail and surface.
You can use the same print builder that handles photos to canvas. This guide focuses on the different decisions that artwork brings: lettering, drawn lines, designed margins, transparent backgrounds and colours you have chosen deliberately.
START WITH WHAT MATTERS
Choose the kind of artwork you want to print.
Start with the design you want to see every day, then consider which parts must remain intact. A loose abstract and a carefully lettered name print may need very different crops, even at the same physical size.
If you are still making the image, our artwork ideas and editable prompts can help you explore a direction. When the design is finished, save the actual artwork file and return here to plan its print. You can also upload artwork made in your own drawing or design software.
| Your artwork | What to check |
|---|---|
| Digital painting or abstract art | Paint effects, tonal transitions and which marks should stay on the front. |
| Illustration or a custom drawing | Fine outlines, pale areas, the intended background and original proportions. |
| Lettering, names or graphic designs | Exact wording, font appearance, safe margins and even designed borders. |
| AI-created artwork | The actual download, native pixels, text accuracy and unwanted generated details. |
| A scan or photograph of physical art | A clean, square digital capture, with glare and unwanted surroundings removed. |
THE IMAGE / THE MATERIAL
A painted look, printed onto canvas.
Digital artwork can describe brushstrokes, pencil, gouache or thick layers of paint. Printing those marks onto canvas can give the image a satisfying material setting. The visible paint effect belongs to the image; a canvas print does not reproduce raised impasto as three-dimensional paint.
This distinction is useful when choosing your artwork. Broad painted areas, confident brush shapes and visible colour variation can read well across a room. Very fine pencil work or tiny texture marks may need a smaller print, a closer viewing position or a smooth paper surface.
Look at the whole composition first, then inspect the details you would miss if they became softer. You do not have to make every image brighter or sharper. The aim is to retain the character of the artwork while preparing a file that suits its physical presentation.
01 / PREPARE YOUR FILE
Keep your editable master. Export a finished print image.
Your working document may contain layers, live text, effects and linked images. Keep that version so you can make changes later. Export a separate finished image at the dimensions you intend, with all the elements visible and the background chosen deliberately.
A high-quality JPG or PNG is a practical image export to prepare. The uploader shows its current accepted formats. If your only file is a PDF, SVG, PSD or another design document, export a suitable finished image or ask us about the file before ordering; do not assume every design format uploads directly.
Vector shapes and live type can be resized within their design application, but a JPG or PNG export has a fixed pixel grid. Any photographs or bitmap textures placed inside a vector design still have their own limits. Check the export itself rather than assuming the working-document format makes every element scalable. 1
Download the artwork rather than taking a screenshot of the design editor or a room mock-up. A mock-up may include a frame, perspective, wall colour or shadow that should not appear in the printed artwork. Send the flat image you want on the canvas.
| File or document | Practical preparation |
|---|---|
| JPG / JPEG image | Use a high-quality export and inspect detail around outlines and lettering. |
| PNG image | Useful for graphic artwork; inspect the chosen background and any transparency. |
| Layered, vector or page document | Keep the master. Export an appropriate image or discuss the file with the workshop. |
| Screenshot or room mock-up | Return to the finished artwork download; use a mock-up only as an additional reference. |
02 / RESPECT THE COMPOSITION
Match the print proportions before approving the crop.
A-series canvas sizes and common artwork ratios are different shapes. A portrait 2:3 image is narrower than an A-series rectangle. Filling an A3 front face can therefore crop the top and bottom; keeping the full image can leave side borders.
Here is an exact front-face example. A 2:3 image fitted to a height of 42 cm is 28 cm wide. Inside an A3 face measuring 29.7 × 42 cm, that leaves 1.7 cm across the width, or an 8.5 mm border on each side when centred.
To fill that A3 face instead, the same artwork would scale to 29.7 × 44.55 cm before cropping. Removing 1.275 cm from the top and bottom leaves the 42 cm height, taking away about 5.72% of the scaled image’s height. Whether that is acceptable depends on what sits near those edges.
A supported custom size can follow the original proportions instead. In this example, 28 × 42 cm keeps the 2:3 shape. Compare an approved crop, an intentional border and an appropriate custom size; choose the version that respects the design. Canvas-side allowances come after this front-face decision. See the canvas and poster size guide for physical measurements.
03 / PLAN THE PRINT SIZE
Judge the pixels at the size you want to print.
The pixel dimensions of your finished, cropped file matter more than its size in megabytes. JPEG compression, layers and image complexity can all affect file size without giving a reliable answer about print detail. A very large file can still contain blurred or enlarged artwork.
For a simple calculation, divide the pixels along an edge by that edge’s printed length in inches. A separate hypothetical 4000 × 6000-pixel artwork printed at 40 × 60 cm provides 254 pixels per inch. At 60 × 90 cm it provides about 169 ppi. Both examples preserve 2:3 proportions and exclude material for the sides. 2
The table gives planning dimensions for common A-series fronts. Its 200 and 300 ppi columns are comparison points, not automatic approval thresholds. Fine lettering, a soft painted image and a piece viewed from across a room can make different demands. The source artwork used in the diagrams is 1024 × 1536 pixels, not the hypothetical 4000 × 6000 master.
Changing a resolution label to “300 dpi” does not create new original detail. Resampling can increase the pixel count, but the new values are estimated. Check any enlarged version beside the source, especially around lettering, small symbols and repeated decorative marks. 3
| Front size | At 200 ppi | At 300 ppi |
|---|---|---|
| A4 — 21 × 29.7 cm | 1654 × 2339 px | 2480 × 3508 px |
| A3 — 29.7 × 42 cm | 2339 × 3307 px | 3508 × 4961 px |
| A2 — 42 × 59.4 cm | 3307 × 4677 px | 4961 × 7016 px |
| A1 — 59.4 × 84.1 cm | 4677 × 6622 px | 7016 × 9933 px |
04 / LOOK CLOSER
Check words, drawn lines and deliberate margins.
Artwork often contains details a photograph does not: a particular letter shape, a thin outline, a border that must stay even or a name that has to read exactly. Open the exported file and check those details, then look at the proposed print crop.
Read names, dates, punctuation and spacing. Check that the intended font has survived export and that no word has moved onto a new line. A raster export fixes the appearance of the text in the image, so an error inside it will become part of the print.
Inspect pale strokes on light backgrounds, fine black outlines and tiny supporting text. There is no single safe font size for every canvas design: the typeface, contrast, line weight, output size and viewing conditions all matter. If a design depends on very small lettering or precise technical lines, discuss it with us and consider a smooth poster print as another presentation.
Keep names, signatures and important motifs comfortably within the approved front composition. A digitally drawn border needs particular care: a small crop or wrap change can make its apparent width uneven. Decide whether the border is part of the artwork before choosing how the canvas edges will be prepared.
COLOUR IS PART OF YOUR DESIGN
Keep your colour choices clear in the exported file.
Retain the colour information supplied with the artwork. If a designer has prepared a managed file for you, keep that version and ask before converting it. A screenshot or an unexplained colour-space change can add another variable to the job.
For a fresh general-purpose image export, RGB with an embedded sRGB profile is a practical option to discuss with the workshop. Export controls can change dimensions, compression and colour space, so check the settings together. Do not switch to a generic CMYK preset simply because the image is going to print; use the requirements agreed for the actual workflow. 4
A colour-managed workflow helps translate image colours into print, but the printable range and the way you view the result still matter. Neon-like colour, very deep shadows and pale neutrals deserve attention. A glowing display is not a physical colour proof. For colour-critical artwork, tell us what needs to be preserved before placing the order. 5
White areas and transparent areas are also different. Choose the intended background and inspect it in the finished export, rather than relying on an editor’s checkerboard or dark workspace. If you want a clean white background, make that explicit; leave no accidental grey halo around cut-out lettering or an illustration.
FRONT FACE / CANVAS SIDES
Plan canvas sides around the design.
Gallery wrap continues image detail around the canvas sides. That can suit an abstract whose marks flow beyond the front, but it can also move parts of a name, signature or drawn border out of the main view if the layout has not allowed for it.
Mirror sides or plain sides can be useful for artwork with a finished front composition. Mirroring extends edge detail; white, black or a chosen colour can give the design a quieter boundary. Approve the front crop first: changing the side treatment does not recover detail already cropped away to fit a different shape.
The extra material required depends on the actual depth and production layout. Do not add an arbitrary universal bleed, crop marks or a frame outline to your artwork file. If you are preparing production artwork yourself, ask for the requirements for the selected construction. Our canvas-edges guide explains the general choices.
FROM AN IDEA TO A FINISHED IMAGE
Printing AI artwork: inspect the finished image closely.
An AI-created image can be the starting point for a custom canvas just as a digital painting can. Download the finished file at its available native size, keep the version you approved and inspect it before choosing a large print.
Look for accidental lettering, extra objects, broken outlines, repeated pattern errors and details that change when enlarged. Read every word in a personalised design. If an image was made from a person or pet reference, compare the likeness with the source as well as admiring the style.
A prompt asking for “print ready”, “300 dpi” or a particular file size does not by itself verify the downloaded pixels or correct a spelling error. Check the actual file. If you create an enlarged version, keep both and compare the result rather than treating a higher pixel count as proof of greater accuracy.
Our abstract art guide and AI artwork collection help with creating ideas. This page is the next step: choosing a physical size and finish for the completed image.
THE FINISHING TOUCH
Choose a finish that belongs with the artwork.
A stretched canvas gives the image a woven surface and a physical presence on the wall. A floating box frame adds a defined outer edge and a narrow shadow line around the canvas. It can make a custom illustration feel settled beside the furniture and colours already in a room.
The botanical example uses a white frame to keep the boundary light while the red flowers and blue foliage carry the colour. The abstract in the hero uses warm brown wood for a stronger outline. These are two styling directions; you can choose a finish that suits your own artwork and the options offered for its size.
Explore our floating frame canvas prints for the current finishes. Use the complete framed dimensions when measuring the wall. For very small text or an illustration where a smooth surface is the priority, compare a matte poster in a separate frame.
READY WHEN YOU ARE
From finished image to a clear print order.
Upload the artwork through Canvas Creator, select a supported size and finish. Position the image yourself or choose “Let our studio decide”, then review the front crop, sides and order details before adding the print to the basket.
For artwork with fixed wording or a carefully designed border, use “Add a comment for us” to explain which parts must stay complete. If the file needs discussion, use the workshop contact page first. Choose “Email” in the creator to send the image separately after checkout; include the order number when sending it so the artwork can be matched to the correct job.
Send the flat artwork file and clear instructions. A room mock-up can be an additional reference for the finish you have in mind, but identify the actual image to print. For a set, name the files clearly and state which size and finish belongs to each.
Check the current prices for your selected print and extras. The existing 3-for-2 offer applies to qualifying canvas and poster base prints, with the cheapest qualifying base print free. Optional frames, hanging kits and applicable supplements remain separate. Agree any additional artwork work with the team rather than assuming it is included.
MADE PROPERLY. IN YORKSHIRE.
Custom artwork, printed in West Yorkshire.
We print artwork through the same workshop process as our other canvas prints: Epson SC-P20000 printing on 230gsm poly-cotton canvas, stretched over solid pine and finished by hand. Our canvas-printing guide explains the equipment and colour workflow in more detail.
If you are planning a print for a home in Pontefract, a Yorkshire studio or a room further afield, start with the image and the space it needs to fill. You can send your questions digitally to our West Yorkshire team at sales@yourimage2canvas.co.uk.
Tell us the intended size, whether wording or borders must remain complete, and the finish you are considering. That gives us something concrete to discuss before the artwork becomes a physical print.
YOUR LAST LOOK
Before you print your custom image.
- Keep the editable master and save a separate finished artwork file.
- Use the flat image to print, rather than a screenshot or room mock-up.
- Confirm the actual exported pixel dimensions after the final crop.
- Choose matching proportions, deliberate borders or an approved crop.
- Read every word and inspect fine lines, signatures and margins.
- Check the intended background and retained colour information.
- Approve the front composition and canvas-side treatment together.
- Review the selected size, frame, total price and file-to-order match.
A FEW USEFUL ANSWERS
ARTWORK TO CANVAS / THE USEFUL ANSWERS
Your custom canvas questions, answered.
Can you print artwork as well as photographs on canvas?
Yes. A suitable finished image can contain digital painting, illustration, graphic design, a scan or AI-created artwork. Choose the physical size and finish around the file, proportions and details you want to preserve.
Can I upload an image I made myself?
Yes. Save a finished image from your design software and check it before uploading. Keep the editable master separately so you can correct wording, dimensions or layout if needed.
Can I print my AI images on canvas?
Yes, when the finished image suits the chosen print. Download the actual file, inspect text and generated details, and check its native pixel dimensions. A high-resolution instruction in a prompt is not verification of the downloaded result.
Will it look like a real painting?
The print can show painted marks and texture depicted in your image, together with the physical weave of the canvas. It does not recreate raised brushstrokes or layers of paint as a hand-painted original.
Which file should I send?
Prepare a finished high-quality JPG or PNG and check the current uploader’s accepted formats. If your source is a PDF, SVG, PSD or another design document, export a suitable image or ask the workshop about it first.
Do I have to convert everything to CMYK?
Use the export requirements agreed for the actual print workflow. Keep an artist-prepared file and its colour information. For a new general-purpose image, RGB with embedded sRGB is a practical option to discuss; avoid an unexplained generic conversion.
Is a 300 dpi label enough?
No. The actual pixel dimensions, original detail, crop and physical print size matter. Changing a label does not create detail, and an enlarged file still needs inspection.
Can a 2:3 artwork fit an A3 canvas?
It can be cropped to fill, placed with deliberate borders or printed at a supported custom size that follows its proportions. At 42 cm high, a full 2:3 image is 28 cm wide, leaving 8.5 mm each side within a 29.7 cm-wide A3 face.
Can I keep every part of the image?
Choose proportions that follow the artwork or agree an intentional fit with borders. Review the complete front image and side preparation; an image-preserving side option does not undo an earlier crop.
Can I print names, lettering or my own design?
Yes, with a suitable finished file. Read every word, check the intended font appearance and keep key details inside the approved front composition. Very fine text or technical lines may suit a smooth poster surface better.
What happens to a transparent background?
Choose and check the intended background before printing. A transparent digital area is not the same as an instruction for a specific printed colour. If you want white behind the design, make that clear in the file and instructions.
Can you add a floating box frame?
A floating frame is an optional canvas finish where offered for your selected size. It adds an outer wood edge and a shadow gap around the canvas. Measure the complete framed dimensions, and check the current finish and price in the builder.
How much extra image should I add for the sides?
The requirement depends on the selected depth and production layout. Agree the front composition and side treatment first. If preparing production artwork yourself, ask for the actual requirements rather than adding a universal bleed.
Can I send the artwork after ordering?
The creator’s “Email” option lets you send the image after checkout. Follow the current instructions and include the order number when sending the correct file. If its layout or format needs discussion, contact the workshop before ordering.
Can I order three matching artwork prints?
Yes. Prepare each finished image, keep the colour treatment and intended size/finish clear, and identify the files in your instructions. The current 3-for-2 offer applies to qualifying base prints; frames and other extras remain chargeable.
Can your Yorkshire workshop help check my custom image?
Send the file or a clear description, proposed size and the detail that matters to you. Our West Yorkshire team can discuss the image and print choices. Do not assume a file review includes a full design, recreation or colour-proofing service.
File and print principles.
The artwork and room scenes illustrate design and presentation possibilities. The diagrams use defined artwork and layout; they are not customer installations, manufactured frame samples, colour proofs or measured print-quality results.