The picture's settled; this is everything after it. How big the thing on the wall ends up, what a frame adds to that, and which surface suits an image that's mostly dark. The two decisions people get wrong most often are buying one size down from the one that would have worked, and choosing a frame before measuring the wall. Both are cheaper to fix here than after it arrives.
Sizes and finishes, at a glance
| Finish | Sizes | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Poster | A4, A3, A2, 50 x 70 cm, 70 x 100 cm | 250 gsm archival paper, for your own frame |
| Framed poster | A3, A2 | Black or natural wood, plexiglass front |
| Canvas | 30 x 40 cm to 60 x 80 cm | No glass, so no glare |
| Metal | 30 x 40 cm to 50 x 70 cm | Copes with a garage |
| Wood | 30 x 40 cm, 40 x 50 cm | Warm, rustic finish |
A quick sizing rule: measure the wall space and pick a print about two-thirds of that width. Over a sofa or a bed, leave 15 to 25 cm between the furniture and the bottom edge. Hang the centre at about eye level, 145 to 155 cm from the floor, when nothing sits below it.
Dark pictures, such as Deco Metropolis or Rear-Engine Study, look best on canvas or behind a frame in a room without a bright window opposite. Light pictures such as 1930: The Roadster are happy anywhere.
Choosing a frame
Framed posters come in black or natural wood. Black suits dark pictures and modern rooms, and it makes the colours look stronger. Natural wood suits cream backgrounds and warm rooms, such as 1930: The Roadster or Deco Riviera in a study. The sheet runs edge to edge with no mount, under a plexiglass front that is lighter than glass and will not shatter.
Canvas is wrapped round a wooden frame, so it needs no frame of its own. Metal and wood prints hang straight from the wall too. Any poster size can go in a frame you buy locally, which is the cheaper route for the large 70 x 100 cm size.
Hanging more than one
Two or three prints read as a set when they share something: the same frame colour, the same size, or the same style. Keep the gaps equal, about 5 to 8 cm, and line up either the tops or the centres. Lay them out on the floor first, or tape paper cut-outs to the wall, before you drill. A pair of A3 framed prints stacked one above the other fits a narrow wall beside a door.
The reading, in order
If it is not for you
Everything above assumes the wall is yours. The gift takes the harder version, where you are buying for somebody whose interest you do not share.
Written by Craig Fearn, Petrol & Ink. Last updated .