Types Of Custom Prints For Home Decor

Your home is a representation of you and your personal style. It’s where you start and end each day with your loved ones. Personalized art transforms your space from “just a house” to a home. With custom photo prints, you’ll build a home that feels uniquely yours where you can showcase your favorite memories.

With a variety of custom prints to choose from, pick the styles that help bring your story to life. Even if you have little to no experience decorating, personalized art with photos look both professional and natural. We’ll share techniques of how to hang them in your home, so you end up with stunning wall art. These personalized prints tell your story and remind you of your happiest times.

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Types of Custom Prints

Custom prints range from canvas and glass to posters and desktop plaques. There are a variety of custom prints to match your unique style—from rustic to modern to classic. You can enlarge panoramic prints of landscapes or design a photo gallery of family portraits.

Framed and collage photo prints on fireplace mantle

Choosing photos for your prints is usually easier than you think. Opt for photos that carry special meaning, such as family moments, favorite places, and important milestones. Try to find photos that include colors that complement your room’s scheme, or vibrant colors to add character to your space. From picture frames collages to canvas wall art, we have you covered. Browse the different types of prints below to decide which ones are right for your home.

Art Prints

Art prints are great for anywhere in your home—like your wall, shelf, mantle or desk. Create your own elegant home decor out of your favorite images with framed art prints. Professional art print templates can help you craft something that’s beautiful and unique.

Blue and gold modern art print on white table

From framed prints to collages, designs include artistic flair, wording, monograms, and more. Consider the style and theme of the room when choosing your final design. You can even upload your own design and choose a matte or pearlescent finish.

Canvas Prints

Turn a family portrait or vacation snapshot into beautiful home decor. With custom canvas prints, your image will be inked onto canvas and stretched. Whether you decide to have your canvas framed or keep it unframed, Shutterfly can be the best place to buy picture frames for your canvas prints. You can include borders, your family name, a collage of photos or keep it simple.

Six baby animal canvas prints in nursery

Large canvas custom prints are especially stunning in a living room or bedroom, where they showcase favorite memories, people and places. Canvas photo prints come in a variety of custom sizes, such as 12×36 canvas prints.

Metal Prints

Your favorite photos become high-definition home decor with sleek metal prints. Metal prints use a frameless, modern design. Custom metal prints are durable, scratch-resistant and waterproof, so you can hang them anywhere without worrying that it’ll be damaged.

Photo art of two grooms and home decor

Because the photos are infused onto an aluminum sheet, they look more vibrant and professional. Consider designs like a monogram gallery or a three-piece spread.

Acrylic Prints

Channel your inner artist by designing a modern acrylic print for your home. By printing your photo on premium-polished acrylic, you’ll have stunning high-definition wall art that’ll last for years.

Print of a mom and her baby with natural decor

Acrylic prints are more formal and elegant than a typical print. Select a template for your design to make your artwork fun and easy.

Glass Prints

Showcase your favorite photo on a beautiful, modern glass print. You can display your design and precious memories on a shelf, desk, or mantel.

Glass print of yellow autumn leaf

Templates range from collages to single photos with a border and wording. The elegance of a glass print helps your photos remain timeless.

Desktop Plaques

Decorate your desks and shelves with desktop plaques of your favorite snapshots of family and friends. With a large selection of templates, designs, and shapes, it’s easy to match your personality and style.

Desktop plaque of dog and modern desk decor

A desktop plaque can be a great reminder of a family vacation, baby announcement, or other special milestones. It also makes for colorful desk decor paired with a mini desk calendar to brighten up your workday.

Custom Posters

Add style and personality to your room with a custom poster. Opt for photos that are bright and colorful for a playful design, or choose a black and white style for a more classic feel. The high-quality printing and matte finish give the photos a crisp look.

Collage travel poster with potted plants

A wide range of themes and designs make it easy to bring your photos to life, whether it’s a collage or landscape view. Custom posters come in handy when standard photo print sizes aren’t exactly what you’re looking for.

How To Hang Your Prints

Making the most of your custom prints involves knowing how and where to hang them in your home. Follow these steps to create a beautiful display of personalized art for both you and your guests to admire.

Choose High-Traffic Areas

Is your living room or family room the most popular space in the house? Do you spend a lot of time in the kitchen and dining room? Consider putting custom prints in the places you and your guests will enjoy the most.

Aim For Eye-Level

When hanging your prints, ensure that they’re not too high or low on the wall. Consider eye-level height for your art. Adjust as needed based on the height of your walls and furniture. The design should look balanced for the room and not cause anyone to strain to look at the photo.

Fill The Wall Space But Don’t Overwhelm

Provide a rich arrangement of artwork without overdoing it. You could opt for one large format canvas print or a gallery of a few smaller prints. Your eyes should move comfortably from photo to photo.

Woman hanging art print of seahorse on white wall

Create A Gallery Wall

While you can feature a single print on a wall, a series of photos adds depth and dimension to your space. Your gallery wall could include quote art and illustrations, or incorporate square photos of people and places. Both of these designs are stunning ways to include your favorite memories.

Be Level, But Not Always Symmetrical

Always use a level and mark your hanging spot with a pencil before nailing or screwing anything into the wall. While your print should be level, you can create an asymmetrical design, like a family gallery wall that features photos at varying heights. Keep the spacing between your photos even for the most cohesive look.

Don’t Forget Your Bedroom

Even though your guests might not spend much time in your bedroom, it is your personal sanctuary. Feeling joy and peace in your own space is essential, so don’t leave out this all-important room when designing your photo prints.

Make Sure They’re Secure

Whether you choose canvases or custom metal prints, be sure that your artwork is supported. For how to hang metal art, find a stud in the wall and hang your art safely. You can hang canvases, art prints, and wall calendars easily with nails, brackets or adhesive strips.

Popular Designs For Prints

Unsure which images to include in your photo prints? There are several popular designs that you can borrow to create artwork that’s personalized for your home. Select one or more of the ideas below to begin designing the artwork of your dreams.

Small photos of woman and young daughter in decorated home

Family Photos

  • Family portrait: Aim for a natural shot or a collection of photos that represent your family’s personality.
  • Your siblings: Close with your sister or brother? Include them in your wall art.
  • Your parents: Your parents have touched your life in many ways. Make them a part of your home.
  • Wedding photos: Bring the magic of your big day to your home by printing a favorite wedding photo on metal, canvas or glass.
  • Your children: From newborn photos to candids of your little ones playing together make for the sweetest home decor.

Friends

  • Gathering of friends: Have a band of brothers or a crew of ladies who’ve always been by your side? Let them know how much they mean to you.
  • You and your best friend: Bring your BFF to your walls with a special shot of the two of you.

Places You Love

  • Landscape: Is there a National Park or beautiful overlook you visited? Make the landscape come alive as a work of art on your walls.
  • Cityscape: Bring the energy of downtown to your home, whether it’s of NYC or your hometown.
  • Vacation spot: Whether you go to the same cabin every year or enjoy a new theme park every summer, capture these locales.

Favorites

  • Your favorite photo: Have a photo you just adore? Turn it into permanent wall art.
  • Your favorite art piece: A drawing from a friend or a print of a famous painting makes for timeless home decor.
  • A favorite place: Whether it’s a local coffee shop or a beach overseas, invite your happy place to your home.

Miscellaneous

  • Family pet(s): Your dog or cat likely feels like part of the family, so why not include them in your artwork?
  • Mother nature: Rivers, lakes, trees, and animals all make for stunning custom prints.
  • Inspirational quotes or lyrics: Quotes, lyrics, and proverbs make for beautiful, meaningful artwork.
  • An unforgettable experience: Did you meet someone famous, ride a train across the country, or skydive? Turn your memories into a conversation starter.

No matter which photos you print, know that displaying important places and people will bring you joy. Select the highest quality photo you have to ensure your artwork is clear and vivid.

Final Thoughts

Congratulations on designing a home that’s filled with beautiful memories and places. As you hang your artwork, remember that you can always rearrange. You can add more prints, move where your prints are located or slowly build a gallery wall.

Getting started is the most important step. Once you have some photos and custom wall art, you’ll be proud to show them off for years to come.