Canvas Wrap (not really bleed)

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Steven Hook
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When you order a canvas print, your photo is printed on canvas and then stretched and stapled around a wooden frame. This means the edges of your image wrap around the sides of the frame - and understanding how that works will help you get a great result.

What is canvas wrap?

A canvas frame has depth - either 2cm or 4.5cm - which is how far the canvas face sits out from the wall. Because the canvas wraps around that frame, a portion of your image covers the sides rather than the front face.

Our default setting is Gallery Wrap, which means your image continues around the sides of the frame all the way to the back. This gives a clean, professional look with no solid-colour borders - but it does mean that the edges of your image will not be fully visible on the front face of the canvas.

Important: keep faces and key details away from the edges

This is the most common issue with canvas orders. If your photo has important content near the edges - a face, a head, text, or a key part of the composition - these may wrap around the side of the frame and not be visible when the canvas is hung on the wall.

Before placing your order, check that everything important in your image is well within the centre of the frame, away from the edges. The online editor shows a guide line to indicate the wrap area - keep key content inside this line.

Edge options - choose what works for your image

In the online editor, click Options to choose how the edges of your canvas are handled. The options are:

Gallery Wrap (default)
Your image is stretched and wrapped around the sides of the frame. Works best when the edges of your photo have sky, background, or other non-critical content.

Mirror Wrap
The edges of the image are mirrored outward around the sides. Works well for symmetrical images or photos where the edge content flows naturally when reflected.

White, Black, or Grey border
A solid colour is used for the edges. Your full image appears on the front face of the canvas with no content lost to the wrap. Choose this if your image has important detail right to the edges, or if you prefer a clean bordered look.

This video demonstrates how to change the canvas wrap options at 1minute and 26 seconds:

Which option should I choose?

  • If your photo has clear backgrounds or sky at the edges → Gallery Wrap works well
  • If your subject fills the frame edge to edge → White, Black, or Grey border is safer
  • If you're unsure → Mirror or a solid border is the safest choice

Frame thickness

You can choose between a 2cm and a 4.5cm frame. A thicker frame gives the canvas a more dramatic, premium look when hung on the wall but uses more of the image for the wrap around the sides.

Multiple photos on one canvas

You can add multiple photos to a canvas using the online editor to create a collage or split-panel design. If you would like us to design a collage for you, additional costs apply - please request a quote before checking out.

Need help?

If you're not sure which edge option is right for your image, get in touch and we'll advise:

Have more questions? Submit a request

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