Canvas vs. Framed Print vs. Poster: Which Is Right for Your Dog Portrait?

You've found the portrait. It looks exactly like your dog. Now comes the question that stalls more decisions than you'd think: canvas, framed or print? Each one changes how the art looks and where it works best. Here's how to choose, without the upselling.

• –Choose a gallery canvas if you want a painting-like, frameless look for a living room or a big wall.
• –Choose a framed print if it's a gift, if you want it ready to hang the moment it arrives, or if your home leans classic or tailored.
• –Choose a fine art print if you already have a frame you love, want to use your own framer, or are building a gallery wall on a budget.
• –Choose the digital file if you want to print it yourself, use it on cards or make it your lock screen. It's also included with every physical piece.

Our canvas is poly-cotton, hand-stretched over a solid wood stretcher bar, with the image wrapping around the edges for a finished gallery look. There's no glazing, so there's no glare, and the woven texture gives the art a painted feel up close. That makes canvas a natural partner for the painterly styles, like Oil.

Canvas shines in living rooms, above a sofa or bed, and in the larger sizes. Because there's no frame, it reads as contemporary even when the art is classical. It's also light for its size, which makes hanging a big piece easier.

The trade-offs: canvas has no protective glazing, so keep it out of steamy bathrooms and strong direct sun. And its texture softens the very finest lines a little, so ultra-delicate styles like Line Drawing often look crisper on paper.

A framed print is the most finished option: archival matte paper and fade-resistant pigment inks, in a solid wood frame in black, white or natural oak, behind shatter-resistant acrylic. It arrives ready to hang, which is exactly why it makes such a good gift. Nobody has to make a trip to the frame shop.

Framed prints suit crisp, detailed styles beautifully, like Line Drawing and Watercolor, and they look at home in both classic and modern rooms. They're also lovely in smaller sizes, on desks, shelves and gallery walls.

Which frame color?

• –Black sharpens everything. Great with graphic styles like Line Drawing and Charcoal, and with high-contrast dogs.
• –White feels light and airy. Perfect for watercolor and for bright, modern rooms.
• –Natural oak is warm and relaxed. It loves the warm tones of the oil styles and Modern Sage.

The main trade-off is price: framing adds to the cost of the same size print. You're paying for the frame, the glazing and the convenience of hanging it the day it arrives.

Our fine art print is archival, acid-free enhanced matte paper (189gsm) with fade-resistant pigment inks. It ships flat or rolled in a protective tube, ready for your own frame.

It's the right choice if you already have a frame, want a custom framer to add a wide mat, or are matching an existing gallery wall. It's also the most affordable physical piece, starting at $35. Our print sizes (8×10", 12×16", 18×24" and 24×36") are common frame sizes, so ready-made frames are easy to find.

Every print, framed print and canvas comes with the high-resolution digital file at no extra cost, so you don't have to choose. If you only want the file, the digital portrait is $29 and arrives by email right after checkout: no watermark, yours to print, share and post.

• –Above a sofa or bed: a large canvas or framed piece, or a pair. Our size guide has the numbers.
• –Home office: a framed Charcoal in natural oak.
• –Nursery or kids' room: a framed Pastel or Watercolor in white.
• –Gallery wall: framed prints in mixed sizes, all in one frame color.
• –A gift: framed, almost always. It's ready to hang and feels complete when it's unwrapped.

If your piece arrives and it isn't right, see our returns policy: we'll remake it or refund you. When it's time to put it up, here's how to hang a canvas or framed print.