What is canvas?
What is watercolor paper?
Should I print on canvas or watercolor paper?
Why are acid-free media and matting important?
What does Ready to Frame mean?
What is stretched canvas?
What is a mat?
Can I print in black and white or sepia?
What size will my print be?
What size will my ready to frame print be?
What size will my framed print be?

What is canvas?
Canvas is a media traditionally used by painters for creating works of art, and more recently used for creating reproductions of paintings and prints of original fine art photographs. Art Moments can print your digital photo on 100% cotton, acid-free canvas for an artistic look and feel. Each canvas print is hand-coated with a semi-gloss acrylic varnish to protect it, and to allow you to decorate it with oil or acrylic based paints and inks.

What is watercolor paper?
Watercolor paper refers to the class of papers traditionally used by professional artists for watercolor paintings, charcoal, pastel, pen, and ink drawings. Art Moments uses a 100% cotton, acid-free, thick textured watercolor paper for producing beautiful photographic prints with a rich artistic look and feel.

Should I print on canvas or fine art paper?
Both can be used to produce amazing artistic prints. The choice comes down to the look and feel you want. Our watercolor paper has a matte finish with no gloss or shine. Our canvas is coated with a semi-gloss varnish, giving it a degree of reflective shine.

The texture of our watercolor paper is less regular than our canvas.

Both media provide you with the ability to hand embellish your prints and incorporate them into any art project or gift idea.

Why are acid-free media and matting important?
Acid-free media and mats guarantee that prints will stand up to the test of time without fading or yellowing. Acid-free media is also important when creating archival art projects such as scrapbooks and albums.

What does Ready to Frame mean?
Choose this option for prints that you want to frame yourself. Watercolor Paper prints will be delivered with a beveled, acid-free white mat and backing board one size larger than the print (e.g. 8x10 paper prints come with an 11x14 mat, 11x14 paper prints come with a 16x20 mat, etc). Canvas prints will be stretched on standard wooden stretcher bars and come with hanging wire. Stretcher bars are the same dimensions as the image, so once stretched, Canvas prints have no white border.

What is stretched canvas?
Traditionally, canvas is stretched over a wooden frame to allow an artist to paint on its surface. Art Moments canvas prints can be ordered stretched (i.e. ready to frame) to achieve the same traditional feel.

What is a mat?
A mat is the thick paper frame placed over paper artwork to provide an attractive and protective border for framing. Art Moments Watercolor Paper prints come with a beveled, acid-free white mat and backing board when ordered with the ready to frame option or when ordered with a frame (8x10 paper prints come with an 11x14 mat, 11x14 paper prints come with a 16x20 mat, etc).

Can I print in black and white or sepia?
Yes. Art Moments offers you unique creative options like black & white or color tinting for your pictures. Simply click on any photo in your gallery, and you'll be presented with Print Options, including creative effects.

What size will my print be?
When you order a print, you choose an Image Size on the Order-Print Options page. This determines the size of the actual printed image (in inches). All images are printed with an extra white border to allow for professional matting, stretching, or framing, so your final print (including the border) will be larger than the image size you choose.

What size will my ready to frame print be?
Watercolor Paper prints
Ready to frame watercolor paper prints include a mat and backing board. The image will be the size you choose, and the mat will provide a border around your print (8x10 paper prints come with an 11x14 mat, 11x14 paper prints come with a 16x20 mat, etc).

Canvas prints
Ready to frame canvas prints are stretched on wooden stretcher bars. The image and stretcher bars will be the size you choose, producing a final print with no border.

What size will my framed print be?
Watercolor Paper prints
Framed watercolor paper prints are matted first and then framed. 8x10 paper prints come with an 11x14 mat and frame, 11x14 paper prints come with a 16x20 mat and frame, etc.

Canvas prints
Framed canvas prints are stretched first and then framed at their exact size, with no border. 8x10 canvas prints come with an 8x10 frame, 11x14 canvas prints come with an 11x14 frame, etc.