It's the first question most people run into once they've actually picked the art: framed poster, or canvas? The two look different in a photo but feel genuinely different on a wall, and the right choice usually comes down to the room, the wall, and how formal you want the piece to feel.
Framed posters: crisp, gallery-like, a little more formal
A framed poster sits behind glass or plexiglass, with a slim frame holding a flat, matte print. The glass gives colour real depth and a slightly reflective, gallery-like finish, and the frame reads as considered and finished, the kind of thing that looks intentional the moment it's hung. Framed posters suit rooms that already lean a little formal: a living room, a home office, an entryway, anywhere you want art that reads as curated rather than casual.
Canvas: soft, textured, more relaxed
A canvas print has no glass and, often, no visible frame at all. Ink sits directly on woven canvas stretched over a wood frame, which gives it a matte, textured finish with none of the reflection you get behind glass. That texture makes canvas feel warmer and more relaxed, better suited to a bedroom, a reading nook, or anywhere you want the art to feel like part of the room rather than a statement piece on top of it.
Practical differences worth knowing
Framed posters need clean glass and are slightly better protected from dust and fading thanks to the plexiglass layer. Canvas has no glare at all, which matters in a bright room or a spot that catches direct light, but it's a touch more exposed to dust over time. Neither needs special care beyond an occasional gentle dusting.
A simple way to decide
If the wall is in a formal or high-traffic room, or the piece has fine detail worth protecting, lean framed poster. If the wall is somewhere you want warmth and softness, a bedroom, a cozy corner, lean canvas. Either way, both formats hold up beautifully as a single statement piece or as part of a larger gallery wall.
Browse our full range of framed posters and canvases to find the format that fits your space.