In this blog post you will know how to print printable wall art, what is the correct size to print, what paper to print digital art on and some tips about how to print digital art at home.
Which is the correct size to print
In general, a printable wall art or digital art print comes in various aspect ratios or different sizes that correspond to different ratios. To know more about it you may read the article “What is Printable Wall Art”.
Consequently, it is necessary to use a specific ratio image file to rescale the digital artwork you get to the desired size to print and frame. The aspect ratios are not interchangeable. If you try to print a file in a determined aspect ratio to a size with a different aspect ratio, your beautiful art print will be cropped or distorted. So, please, respect the aspect ratio to get beautiful wall art.
In addition, it would be better if the printable wall art’s file size you want to rescale is bigger or the same size you want to print. Por el contrario, if you use a file with the correct ratio but smaller size, your print would be blurred or pixelated.
Tip: use the same ratio and bigger or equal size file for your desired size to print.
In the following table you will see the equivalent ratio for different sizes.
Printable Wall Art Sizes Table
| 2:3 Ratio | 3:4 Ratio | 4:5 Ratio | 5:7 Ratio (International A Paper Size) | 11″ x 14“ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4” x 6” / 10 x 15 cm | 3” x 4” / 7.6 x 10 cm | 4” x 5” / 10 x 12.7 cm | 5” x 7” | 11” x 14” / 27.9 x 35.6 cm |
| 6” x 9” / 15.2 x 22.9 cm | 6″ x 8″ / 15.2 x 20 cm | 8” x 10” / 20 x 25.4 cm | A6: 4.1” x 5.8” / 10.5 x 14.8cm | 22 x 28 cm |
| 8 ”x 12” / 20 x 30 cm | 9” x 12” / 22.9 x 30 cm | 12” x 15” / 30 x 38 cm | A5: 5.8” x 8.3” / 14.8 x 21.0 cm | |
| 10” x 15” / 25.4 x 38 cm | 12” x 16” / 30 x 40.6 cm | 16” x 20” / 40.6 x 50.8 cm | A4: 8.3” x 11.7” / 21.0 x 29.7 cm | |
| 12” x 18” / 30 x 45 cm | 15” x 20” / 38 x 50.8 cm | 20” x 25” / 50.8 x 63.5 cm | A3: 11.7” x 16.5” / 29.7 x 42 cm | |
| 16” x 24” / 40 x 60 cm | 18” x 24” / 45 x 60 cm | 24” x 30” / 60 x 76 cm | A2: 16.5” x 23.4” / 42.0 x 59.4 cm | |
| 20” x 30” / 50.8 x 76 cm | 24” x 32” / 60 x 81.3 cm | A1: 23.4” x 33.1” / 59.4 x 84.1 cm | ||
| 24” x 36” / 60 x 90 cm | 30” x 40” / 76 x 101.6 cm |
What paper to print digital art on
For a temporary or relaxing purpose you can use your regular paper for printing. But, for a really gorgeous and durable art print you could use thick paper or cardstock. Additionally, for optimal results and compatibility with your printer, you should use the same photo paper brand as your printer. Also, paper for your type of printer: inkjet, laser, offset, etc. Depending on the finish you want, matte or glossy, as well your printer brand, you could use the following options:
White Cardstock paper, 8.5×11: matte finish, acid free for long duration and can be used with inkjet, laser, copier and offset printers.
Matte:
- Canon Matte Photo Paper for InkJet Printers, Letter (8.5×11) size
- Epson Matte Presentation Paper for InkJet Printers, Letter size
- HP Enhanced Paper for InkJet Printers, Letter size
Glossy:
- Epson Value Photo Paper Glossy for InkJet Printers, Letter
- Canon Photo Paper Glossy for InkJet Printers, Letter size
- HP Everyday Photo Paper for InkJet Printers, Letter size
How to print printable wall art at home
Since the majority of digital art prints are in JPEG image format, you can print them like any other picture. Especially if you want to print sizes like 8.5 x 11 in and smaller. In the first place, this will depend on the larger sheet size your printer can use. The most common is 8.5 x 11 inches and below. This is the most affordable and fastest option to get your printable wall art instantly.
For printing your digital art print, consider these print settings:
- Remember to use the correct ratio file for your print.
- Choose the right size paper for your desired art print size. As well, choose the corresponding paper size on your print options.
- Print with high quality for better results.
- Select the correct type of paper: glossy photo paper,
- For a JPEG file bigger than the objective, in your printer options look for a similar option like ‘shrink to fit’ or ‘shrink oversized pages’. For a JPEG file smaller than the desired art print size (not recommended), use the option ‘Fit’. This will make the art print ‘expand’ to refill the page.
- Finally, print and frame your wall art.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to print yourself the wall art you could do it at your local print shop or in an online printing service.
We hope this post about how to print printable wall art could be useful for you. If you have any doubt about it, you may leave a comment.