Paper Types & Finishes
The paper decides how the colours sit, how light falls across the surface, and how the piece feels when you lift it out of the tube.
What we print on
Most prints in the shop are made on premium matte art paper, 189 gsm or heavier. The paper for each piece is shown on its own page, when you choose your format.
Here is what premium matte art paper is like in the hand:
- Thick and firm, holds its shape when you lift it
- Soft, lightly textured surface
- No glare, even on a sunny wall or under a lamp
- Ready to frame, with or without glass
The three papers, side by side
Most posters are printed on one of these three. The difference is weight and surface.
Premium Matte, 189 gsm. The one we use, and the thickest of the three. No shine, soft texture, sits flat in a frame.
Classic Matte, 170 gsm. The same no-shine look, but lighter. It bends more easily and feels closer to a magazine page than to art paper.
Classic Semi-Glossy, 170 gsm. Light as well, with a faint sheen. Colours look slightly punchier, but the surface catches light.
What gsm means. Grams per square metre, or how much one sheet weighs. The higher the number, the thicker and stiffer the paper. 189 gsm feels card-like. 170 gsm is noticeably lighter in the hand.
Canvas
Some pieces are also offered on canvas, stretched over a wooden frame. It arrives ready to hang, with no glass and no framing needed. The image wraps around the edges, so a little of the artwork continues onto the sides.
Size
Prints are made to order, and finished sizes can vary by up to about 1 cm. If you are buying a frame separately, measure the frame rather than assuming an exact cut.
Printing a download yourself
Many pieces here are instant downloads, so the paper is your choice. At a print shop, ask for:
- Matte or uncoated, 189 gsm or heavier
- No scaling, no auto-fit, print at 100%
- A colour proof first if you are printing large
At home, use the heaviest matte paper your printer takes, match the paper setting in the print dialog, and choose “high quality” rather than “normal”.
Still not sure?
Tell us which piece you are looking at and where it will hang, and we will tell you honestly which paper we would choose.