Wrapped edge prints
A wrapped edge takes the print round the side of its support, so you see no raw board or bare frame from an angle. It is a small detail that needs planning from the very start of the artwork.
Three things can happen at the edge.
Stand side-on to a canvas or panel, and you see its edge before you see its picture. There are broadly three ways to treat it, and the right one depends on your image.
| Treatment | What you see on the side | Works well for | Be careful with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image wrap | The picture simply continues round | Landscapes, textures, abstracts | Faces and text near the edge |
| Mirrored edge | A reflection of the outer strip of the image | Images you cannot afford to crop | Strong lines, which form a visible fold |
| Plain colour | One solid colour, often black or white | Reproductions and gallery work | Colours that clash with the picture |
Ask us which treatment suits your image; the first is the simplest, and the others need preparing in the file.
The sum you need to do.
Wrapping uses up picture. For a canvas on our 36mm bars, the image needs to run 36mm further on all four sides than the visible front, plus a little more to fold round the back and be fixed.
Take an A1 canvas. The front is 594 x 841mm. Adding 36mm to each side gives 594 + 72 = 666mm, and 841 + 72 = 913mm. Your artwork must therefore be at least 666 x 913mm before we allow for turning the material over. Ask us for that final allowance before you export.
If you supply a file at exactly 594 x 841mm and ask for an image wrap, the outer 36mm is lost to the sides, and what you thought was the front is now a tighter crop. That is why signatures, dates and logos in corners often vanish.
On board and fabric.
Canvas is the usual case, but the idea applies elsewhere. A print can be turned over the edge of a panel, so that the raw core stays out of sight, and fabric can be pulled round a frame. Suitability depends on the material and how thick it is, so tell us what you have in mind. If you only want to know how a plain board edge looks, read board edges and how they look.
A pre-flight list.
- Decide the edge treatment before cropping the image.
- Keep anything important well inside the front face.
- Check the corners, since material folds there.
- Send the full image, not one already trimmed to the front.
- Tell us the depth of frame if it is not our standard 36mm.
Wrapped edges are available on request, so mention them when you ask for a price.
Canvas, front and surface.
Your questions.
Is a wrapped edge necessary if the canvas goes in a frame?
Usually not, as the frame hides the sides. Tell us about the frame before you order, so the image is positioned correctly.
Can I wrap an image that has been cropped very tightly?
If there is nothing left to spare, a plain coloured edge may be a better idea, so that the front stays as you want it.
Do wrapped edges wear?
Corners and edges take the knocks when a piece is moved. Carry it by the frame and wrap it in clean material for transport.