Canvas Print Sizes: How to Choose the Right Size for Your Wall

The right canvas print size depends on the wall: above a sofa or a bed, choose a canvas about two thirds of the furniture width, which usually means 20×30 inches or a split set; for a bedroom or a hallway, 12×16 to 16×24 works; for a desk or a shelf, 8×12 or 12×12. Our canvas photo prints start at $65 for 8×12 inches.

Choosing a size online is harder than it looks. A number like 16×20 means little until you hold a tape measure against the wall, and most people end up ordering a canvas that is smaller than the space needs. This guide turns canvas sizes into real places in a home: which size works above a sofa, above a bed, in a hallway, on a desk or as a gift when you do not know the room.

The sizes and prices below are the ones we print at Austin Canvas Prints in our own workshop in Austin. Every canvas is stretched by hand on 0.75 inch stretcher bars and comes with a hanging kit.

What canvas print sizes are available?

We print ten standard canvas sizes, from 8×12 inches to 20×30 inches. The first number is the short side, the second is the long side, and you can hang any rectangular canvas vertically or horizontally. Prices for a canvas photo print are in the table, together with a short note on where each size works best.

Notice the price steps. From 16×20 to 18×24 the price grows by $14, while the canvas gets about a third bigger, so if the wall has room, a bigger canvas gives you more canvas for each dollar than a medium one. The biggest jump is at 20×30, our largest single canvas.

How do you choose a canvas size for the wall above a sofa?

Above a sofa, choose a canvas or a set that covers about two thirds of the sofa width. For a typical sofa that is 80 to 100 inches wide, this means artwork about 55 to 65 inches wide in total. One 20×30 canvas hung horizontally is 30 inches wide, so on a long sofa it works best as part of a pair or as a split set.

This two thirds rule is a common interior design guideline, and it explains why a single small canvas above a big sofa looks lost. Here is how it works with our sizes:

• Small sofa or loveseat, 60 to 70 inches. One 20×30 canvas hung horizontally, or two 16×20 canvases side by side.
• Standard sofa, 80 to 90 inches. A 3 piece split set, or two 20×30 canvases with a gap of about 3 inches.
• Long sofa or sectional, 100 inches and more. A 4 or 5 piece split set, which spreads one image across the wall.

Split sets are the answer for wide walls because our largest single canvas is 20×30 inches. A split canvas wall art set divides one photo into 2, 3, 4 or 5 panels, so the total width can go far beyond one canvas. Sets start at $107 for 2 pieces and $167 for 3 pieces.

Which size works above a bed?

Above a bed, the same two thirds rule applies to the width of the headboard. A queen bed is about 60 inches wide, so artwork of about 40 inches total works well: one 20×30 canvas hung horizontally, or two 16×20 canvases. Above a king bed, about 76 inches wide, a 3 piece split set or two 20×30 canvases look balanced.

Leave 8 to 10 inches between the top of the headboard and the bottom of the canvas, so the canvas does not touch the headboard and is safe when someone sits up in bed. For a bedroom, many people choose a calm photo: a landscape from a trip, a wedding portrait, or a black and white family picture.

What size fits a hallway, a staircase or a small wall?

A hallway or a narrow wall usually needs a vertical canvas between 12×16 and 16×24 inches. In a hallway people walk past the canvas at close range, so a very large canvas can feel heavy, while a vertical medium size fits the proportions of a narrow wall.

• Narrow wall next to a door or a window: 8×12 or 12×18 hung vertically.
• Hallway wall: 16×24 hung vertically, or three 12×16 canvases in a row at the same height.
• Staircase: several medium canvases, for example 12×16 and 16×20, following the line of the stairs.
• Above a dresser or a console table: a canvas about two thirds of the furniture width, often 16×24 or 18×24.

Which size is best for a desk, a shelf or a gift?

For a desk or a shelf, the small sizes 8×12 and 12×12 work best: they can stand on their own and do not need a wall. For a gift when you do not know the room, a medium size such as 12×16 or 16×20 is the safe choice, because it fits almost any wall in any home.

16×20 is a popular gift size for good reason. It is big enough to be the main piece on a bedroom or office wall, small enough for an apartment, and costs $85 as a canvas photo print. If the gift is for someone with a large living room, 18×24 costs $14 more and looks noticeably bigger.

Does the shape of your photo matter?

Yes, the shape of the photo decides which sizes print without cropping. A photo from a camera has a 2:3 shape and fits 8×12, 12×18, 16×24 and 20×30 exactly. A photo from a smartphone usually has a 3:4 shape and fits 12×16 and 18×24. Square photos fit 12×12, 16×16 and 20×20.

A photo can still go on a size with a different shape, it just gets trimmed a little on two sides. That is fine for most landscapes, but on a group photo the person standing at the edge can lose an arm. If something important is close to the edge of your photo, write it in the order notes and we will keep it in the picture. We check every photo before printing and enhance it if needed.

How do you combine several canvases on one wall?

Several canvases on one wall look best when they share one size or one shape, and when the gaps between them are equal, usually 2 to 3 inches. A group of canvases is a good alternative to a split set when you want different photos instead of one image cut into panels.

Here are a few combinations that work with our sizes and are easy to hang:

A few simple rules keep a group of canvases calm instead of busy:

• Use the same size for every canvas in a row or a grid. Mixed sizes are harder to line up and need careful planning.
• Choose photos with a similar mood or color: all black and white, all from one trip, or all of one family.
• Keep the gaps equal. Even half an inch of difference is visible from the sofa.
• Treat the whole group as one piece when you apply the two thirds rule to the furniture below it.

How far away will people look at the canvas?

The distance from which people see a canvas also helps to pick its size. A canvas that people look at from across a living room, 10 feet away or more, needs to be large, otherwise the details disappear. A canvas next to a desk or in a narrow hallway is seen from 3 to 4 feet, so a small or medium size is enough and a very large one can feel too close.

• Viewed from 3 to 5 feet (desk, hallway, bathroom): 8×12, 12×12, 12×16.
• Viewed from 5 to 8 feet (bedroom, office, dining room): 16×20, 16×24, 18×24.
• Viewed from 8 feet and more (living room, open space): 20×30 or a split set.

This also affects the choice of photo. A group photo with many small faces needs a bigger canvas to be readable from a distance, while a close portrait of one person or a pet looks good even at 12×16.

How do you test a size before you order?

The easiest way to test a canvas size is to tape a paper outline of it to the wall. Cut a sheet of wrapping paper or tape several sheets of printer paper together to the exact size, for example 16 by 20 inches, and leave it on the wall for a day. You will see whether it looks right from the sofa, from the door and from across the room.

1. Measure the width of the furniture under the wall: the sofa, the bed or the dresser.
2. Multiply it by two thirds. This is the total width of art that will look balanced.
3. Pick a single canvas or a set that comes close to that width.
4. Make a paper outline in that size and tape it where the canvas will hang.
5. Check it in daylight and in the evening, then order the size that looked right.

With painter’s tape, you can also mark a split set on the wall: tape out each panel with a 2 to 3 inch gap between them. When you are happy with the outline, you already know where to put the nails.

What if your size is not in the list?

If you need a size that is not in our list, for example 14×14 inches, we can print it as long as it is not larger than 20×30 inches. Our printer is 24 inches wide, so 20×30 is the largest single canvas we make. Email us at support@austincanvasprints.com before ordering and we will confirm the size and the price.

For anything wider, such as a panorama or a long wall, a split set is the right format. It is also easier to hang and to move than one huge canvas. For any size, delivery in Austin and 83 nearby ZIP codes is free and arrives the next day for orders placed by 3 PM. If you are buying a canvas as a Christmas gift, our Christmas order deadlines show the last days to order.

Ready to pick a size? Each of our popular sizes has its own page with examples: 16×20 canvas prints, 16×24 canvas prints and 20×30 canvas prints, or see all sizes on the canvas photo prints page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most popular canvas print size?

Medium sizes such as 16×20 and 18×24 inches are the most versatile: they fit a bedroom, an office or a living room wall. A 16×20 canvas photo print costs $85 and an 18×24 costs $99 at Austin Canvas Prints.

How big is a 16×24 canvas?

A 16×24 canvas is 16 inches on the short side and 24 inches on the long side, about 41 by 61 centimeters. It has the same 2:3 shape as a camera photo, so a camera picture fits it without cropping. It works well above a dresser or a small sofa.

What size canvas should go above a couch?

Choose artwork about two thirds of the couch width. For an 84 inch couch that is about 56 inches in total, which means a 3 piece split set or two 20×30 canvases. One 20×30 canvas fits a small sofa or a loveseat.

What is the largest canvas you print?

Our largest single canvas is 20×30 inches, because our printer is 24 inches wide. For a wider image, we print a split set of 2 to 5 panels that hang side by side.

Can I order a custom canvas size?

Yes, sizes that are not in our list, for example 14×14, are possible up to 20×30 inches. Email us before ordering and we will confirm the size and the price.