Choosing between a canvas print and an acrylic print comes down to more than personal preference. While both turn your favorite photos into custom wall art, they create very different finished pieces. Canvas offers a softer, textured finish, while acrylic creates a smooth, glossy presentation with exceptional color and sharp detail.

If you’re deciding which option is right for your home, compare how canvas and acrylic prints differ in appearance, finish, durability, and display style to find the best fit for your space.

Canvas Prints vs. Acrylic Prints at a Glance

Feature	Canvas Prints	Acrylic Prints
Finish	Matte (most) or satin (large sizes)	Glossy, crystal clear
Surface	Textured poly-cotton canvas	Smooth optically clear acrylic
Photo & Display Options	One or multiple photos with customizable layouts, text, and backgrounds	Single photos, photo collages, text, and customizable templates
Color	Soft, artistic	Crisp, vibrant
Display Style	Gallery wrapped or optional frame	Standard acrylic panel or floating frame design
Depth	1.25″-1.5″ gallery wrap	0.22″–0.25″ acrylic panel, depending on style
Construction	Canvas stretched over wood frame	Photo displayed on a clear acrylic panel
Glare	Minimal	More reflective
Available Sizes	8×10–36×36	8×10–24×36

What Are Canvas Prints?

Canvas prints transform your favorite photos into artwork by printing them on premium poly-cotton canvas that’s professionally stretched over a solid wood frame. Unlike a traditional photo print, canvas has a woven texture that subtly softens fine details and gives the finished print a softer appearance.

Shutterfly canvas prints are produced using giclée printing technology for rich, lasting color and are designed to resist scratching, sagging, humidity, and warping. Most sizes feature a matte finish to reduce glare, while larger sizes have a satin finish with a slight sheen.

Gallery-wrapped edges allow the artwork to be displayed without a frame, or you can choose from several frame styles if you prefer a more finished look.

Canvas prints also offer more design flexibility than acrylic prints. You can choose from hundreds of templates, create photo collages, add text, or personalize the layout with one or multiple photos.

What Are Acrylic Prints?

Acrylic photo prints offer a distinctly modern way to display photos. Instead of canvas stretched over a frame, your image is printed directly onto an optically clear acrylic panel, creating sharp detail, rich color, and a smooth, glossy finish.

Shutterfly offers both standard acrylic prints and acrylic prints with a floating frame design. Both feature the same smooth, glossy acrylic surface that preserves sharp detail and rich color, while offering a variety of templates for single photos, photo collages, and personalized designs with custom text.

Acrylic prints with a floating frame design use exposed aluminum bolts to mount the acrylic panel slightly away from the wall, creating added dimension and a distinctive display. Standard acrylic prints offer the same polished acrylic finish in a more traditional presentation.

Canvas vs. Acrylic Prints: Key Differences

Appearance

The biggest difference between canvas and acrylic is how the finished print looks.

Canvas naturally softens an image thanks to its woven texture. Fine details blend together slightly, creating a look that’s closer to canvas artwork than a traditional photo print. The gallery-wrapped edges also give the artwork noticeable depth without requiring a traditional frame.

Acrylic has the opposite effect. Its smooth surface keeps every detail crisp while the glossy finish makes colors appear especially vivid. Combined with the floating mounting hardware, acrylic prints gives the artwork a sleek, contemporary appearance.

Finish and Texture

Canvas Print

Acrylic Print

One of the biggest differences is how each material interacts with light.

Canvas has a matte surface that minimizes reflections. The woven surface is visible when viewed up close, giving the print a textured finish.

Acrylic is completely smooth with a polished finish that catches light and emphasizes color and contrast. Because of its glossy finish, acrylic is more reflective than canvas and may show glare in bright rooms.

Customization and Photo Layouts

One of the biggest differences between canvas and acrylic prints is how the finished product is presented.

Canvas prints offer hundreds of customizable templates with flexible layouts, making them ideal for everything from single-photo artwork to collages, family timelines, travel memories, and designs with names or meaningful text.

Acrylic prints also offer a variety of customizable templates, from single-photo designs to photo collages with names, dates, and custom text. The biggest difference isn’t how you personalize them—it’s the finished product. Every acrylic print features a smooth, glossy acrylic surface and floating frame design that creates a different look than canvas.

Color and Image Detail

Canvas and acrylic emphasize different qualities in a photo.

Canvas gives photos a softer look by subtly reducing the sharpness of fine details. The woven canvas texture remains visible throughout the print, while colors stay rich and vibrant.

Acrylic highlights sharp edges, fine details, and bold color. Scenic photography, architecture, abstract artwork, and images with strong contrast often stand out particularly well because the smooth acrylic preserves sharp detail and vibrant color.

Construction and Durability

Canvas prints are professionally stretched over a solid wood frame and built to resist sagging, humidity, and warping. The durable construction makes them well suited for everyday display throughout the home.

Acrylic photo prints feature a 0.22-inch optically clear acrylic panel with polished edges and UV resistance to help preserve the printed image. Because acrylic is heavier than canvas, especially in larger sizes, careful installation is recommended. To protect the finish, clean only as directed and avoid household cleaners.

Hanging and Display

Canvas prints arrive ready to hang with a sawtooth hanger, making installation quick and straightforward.

Floating acrylic prints mount slightly away from the wall using aluminum bolts, creating a visible gap between the artwork and the surface behind it. The exposed hardware remains visible after installation, and you can choose silver, brass, or black bolts to complement nearby fixtures and décor.

When to Choose Canvas Prints

Choose canvas prints if you want more flexibility in how you display your photos. Canvas supports one or multiple photos, customizable layouts, backgrounds, and text, making it a great choice for photo collages and personalized wall art. The woven texture and matte finish also create a softer look with minimal glare.

When to Choose Acrylic Prints

Choose acrylic photo prints if you prefer a smooth, glossy finish instead of the textured look of canvas. Shutterfly’s floating acrylic prints are designed around a single image, allowing the glossy acrylic surface and floating display to showcase sharp detail and vibrant color without additional design elements.

Canvas or Acrylic: Which Should You Choose?

The best choice depends on both the look you’re after and how you want to display your photos. If you want customizable layouts and multiple-photo designs, canvas offers more flexibility. If you want to showcase a single image with crisp detail and a floating display, acrylic is the better fit.

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