Should You Add Borders to Your Art Prints?

If you’re an artist or photographer looking to order prints of your work, you’ll likely encounter the option to add a border to your prints. The border is the solid-colored space around the perimeter of your print. But should you add borders to your art prints? The answer is a bit more complex than a yes or no. Keep reading to learn the benefits of borders and why you may want to add them to your work.

Our Borders and When To Use Them

We offer several different options for adding borders to loose fine art, loose photo, and loose canvas prints. Depending on what you do with your prints might determine how much of a border you should get when you order.

Here are the three options that we can trim your prints to, as well as some standard use cases for each option. In all of these options, the printed image stays the same size. It is the border that changes.

Borderless (default): We trim your print to size, with the image going all the way to the edge. This option is perfect for when you need your prints a specific size, such as mounting, packaging for retail, or framing.

Quarter-Inch Extra Border: Your image is printed to size, with an extra quarter-inch border added to the outside of the image. This option is perfect for when you need your prints to have extra space around the edge for aesthetic or finishing purposes such as matting.

One-Inch Extra Border (Pro): Common for limited editions, your image is printed to size, with an extra One-inch border added to the outside of the image. This option is perfect for when you need your prints to have extra space around the edge for aesthetic or finishing purposes, such as matting or signing.

Borders Help Protect Your Prints

Giclee prints are very high-quality, but you should still treat them with care to avoid tearing or denting them. Adding a small border around your art prints can also help protect them. For example, if you accidentally drop a print on its side, the impact would damage the side or dent the corner. With a border, accidents like these won’t harm the image itself, only the border. You’ll also be able to hold the print along the border, which prevents getting fingerprints on the image.

Borders Preserve Your Full Prints

Another reason many artists and photographers print their work with borders is that these edges help ensure none of the images are cut off. For instance, when wrapping a canvas print, you’ll need to elongate the image or mirror it around the border to avoid folding back details along the edges of the piece. The same thing applies when framing fine art prints and photographs. Not every print will fit a pre-made mount or frame your customers find at the craft store. To avoid cutting off parts of the image behind a mat, leave a small amount of white space around the border for mounting and framing purposes.

When Not To Add a Border

There are a few instances where artists may choose not to add borders to their art prints. If you prefer a frameless hanging style, you may not need a border on an art print. Some print styles are more likely to include a border than others, and customers may also just prefer the borderless look. However, it’s usually best to offer prints that include borders and let the customer trim down the print if necessary.

When it comes to deciding whether you should add borders to your art prints, your choice ultimately depends on personal preference. Here at The Stackhouse, we offer a variety of print types and border options. For example, if you want unstretched canvas printing, you can select from several different lengths or opt for no border at all. Browse our printing services to see our variety of other print options as well.