When you create a print product, one of the most common questions is: "What size should my artwork file be?" Traditional printing asks you to add extra dimensions for bleed and borders. Printumo works differently.
Upload your artwork at the product dimensions and Printumo builds the canvas edges for you. Two things are worth knowing before you start. On canvas, the centimetre size we show is rounded, so the inch size is the one to design to. And the Stretched wrap style takes the edges out of your own image, so the outer part of your design moves off the front face. The sections below explain both.
Product dimensions vs. file dimensions
The product dimension (for example 30×30 cm) is the size of the visible front face of your finished print. It is what you see when you look at your canvas or poster straight on.
For your artwork file:
Upload your file at the product dimensions (a 30×30 cm product needs a 30×30 cm file)
On canvas, work from the inch size, not the centimetres (the next section explains why)
Use 150 DPI for canvas prints (not 300 DPI)
Use 300 DPI for poster prints
You do not need to do the maths yourself. When you upload a file, Printumo checks the resolution and tells you straight away if it is too low.
On canvas, the inch size is the exact one
Every canvas we sell is made to an inch size. The centimetre figure shown beside it is converted from those inches and then rounded to the nearest 5 cm, so the sizes stay easy to read. That makes the centimetre figure a label rather than a measurement. The inch figure is the exact one.
The canvas listed as 80 x 45 cm is 32 x 18″, so it measures 81.3 x 45.7 cm
The canvas listed as 120 x 70 cm is 48 x 27″, so it measures 121.9 x 68.6 cm
The canvas listed as 165 x 90 cm is 64 x 36″, so it measures 162.6 x 91.4 cm
The rounding treats each side on its own, so it can round one side up and the other down. When that happens, the centimetre label describes a slightly different shape from the canvas. All three canvases above are exactly the same shape, 16:9, even though only the first centimetre label reads that way.
So build your artwork to the inch size. Multiply the inches by 150 to get the pixels you need: a 64 x 36″ canvas wants a file of 9600 x 5400 px. If you design to the rounded centimetre figure instead, your file ends up a slightly different shape from the canvas, and Printumo centres it and trims the edges to fit.
Paper prints work the other way round. Their sizes are metric to begin with, so a 30 x 40 cm paper print really is 30 x 40 cm.
How canvas wrapping works
A canvas print is stretched over a wooden frame, so it has sides as well as a front. About 4 cm of material folds around the frame on every edge, and at some production facilities it is closer to 6 cm.
What appears on those sides depends on the wrap style you choose. This is also what decides whether your whole design stays on the front:
Mirrored and Solid color create the sides for you. Your design is printed at the product dimensions and nothing leaves the front face.
Stretched uses your own image for the sides. Printumo enlarges your artwork so its outer band folds around the frame, which means that band is no longer visible from the front.
Canvas wrap options
You choose the wrap style when you create the product.
Mirrored edges (most popular)
The outer strip of your image is reflected onto the sides
Creates a seamless, continuous look
Nothing is cropped from the front face
Best for most artwork
Stretched edges
Your image is enlarged so its outer band folds around the sides
The design runs round the edge in one piece, with nothing duplicated
Part of your design leaves the front face on every side
Not suitable for artwork with text, faces or a border near the edge
Solid color edges
The sides are filled with a flat colour you choose
The front face shows your exact image
Clean, gallery-style appearance
Ideal for artwork with important content near the edges
How much does Stretched take? The frame swallows roughly the same few centimetres whatever size the canvas is, so on a small canvas it takes a much larger share of your design. On a 30×30 cm canvas it is about 10% off each side. On a 100×100 cm canvas it is about 4%. On the smallest canvases it can reach 15%.
If your design has words, faces or a border anywhere near the edge, choose Mirrored or Solid color. Both keep your artwork complete on the front.
Do I need to add bleed?
Short answer: no.
Traditional printing asks for bleed (extra image beyond the final dimensions) because the paper is cut after printing and the cut needs a margin for error. You may be used to adding 2 mm to 3 mm on all sides.
With Printumo:
Canvas prints: nothing is cut, the canvas is stretched over a frame
Poster prints: printed to exact dimensions without cutting
The canvas edges are built digitally from the wrap style you selected
So there is no bleed to add, and uploading a file larger than the product dimensions will not improve quality. It is simply resized to fit.
If you have chosen Stretched, what your file needs is not bleed but empty space. Leave a clear margin inside your design, because the outer part of it will end up on the sides of the frame.
Will my artwork be upscaled?
Your artwork will not be upscaled if:
Your file dimensions match or exceed the product dimensions (a 30×30 cm file for a 30×30 cm product)
Your file meets the minimum DPI requirements (150 DPI for canvas, 300 DPI for posters)
Your artwork will be resized if:
Your file is larger than needed, so it is scaled down (no quality loss)
Your file is smaller than needed, so it is scaled up (possible quality loss)
Printumo tells you immediately after upload if your file resolution is too low, so you always know before you go any further.
Common mistakes to avoid
Designing a canvas file to the rounded centimetre size
Mistake: building your artwork to the centimetre figure on a canvas, for example 90 x 165 cm.
Why it is wrong: that figure is rounded. The canvas is 36 x 64″, which is 91.4 x 162.6 cm, a slightly different shape. Printumo centres your file in the real shape and trims the edges that do not fit.
Correct approach: build the file to the inch size, or to its exact conversion. On the canvas above that is 9600 x 5400 px at 150 DPI.
Choosing Stretched for a design with content near the edge
Mistake: picking Stretched for artwork whose words, faces or border sit close to the edge.
Why it is wrong: Stretched folds the outer part of your design around the frame, so those elements are cut off or disappear from the front.
Correct approach: choose Mirrored or Solid color, which keep your whole design on the front. If you want the Stretched look, redesign with a generous empty margin first.
Using the wrong DPI
Mistake: using 72 DPI (web resolution) or an unnecessarily high DPI such as 600.
Why it is wrong: 72 DPI looks blurry when printed. 600 DPI creates huge files with no visible benefit.
Correct approach: use 150 DPI for canvas and 300 DPI for posters.
Adding manual bleed
Mistake: extending your image by 2 mm to 3 mm on all sides, the way traditional printing requires.
Why it is wrong: Printumo does not cut your print, so there is nothing for bleed to protect against.
Correct approach: upload your image at the exact product dimensions and choose a wrap style.