Taking a fantastic photograph is one thing, but bringing it to life is a whole different ball game altogether. With professional canvas printing, you’re now able to add a whole new dimension to your picture with ease. Keep these five top tips in mind when creating your canvas if you want to ensure that the end result comes out as brilliantly as the photo itself.

Never compromise the quality We’ll start with the simplest tip of all – if you want your canvas print to look as good as it possibly can, you need to ensure that the photograph you are using is of a high enough quality to be transferred onto the material. With a high resolution photo, you’re half way there already, but images which look fine on your smartphone or camera / SLR screen can appear blurred when viewed on a computer. Choose the sharpest photos with the highest resolutions and the deepest colours and you’ll be left with a canvas print you’ll be proud to hang on your wall.

Try and envision it on the wall Our next tip is a slightly more abstract concept, but one that will leave you with a canvas print which will look great when you hang it up. If you know where the print is going to hang, you’ll be immediately able to address one of the main problems with poorly planned prints. Will that photo clash with the wall, or will the colour of the wall complement your masterpiece?

Another thing to consider here is where you want to place the canvas on the wall. Wrapped canvas prints have enough depth to make them really stand out and as a result can look astounding when positioned as the centrepiece of a wall display. If done correctly, it’s bound to stand out from other framed pictures or artwork.

Size matters There are a number of different canvas sizes which you can have your photographs printed onto. The size of the canvas you want will probably depend on two things – the size of the wall and the resolution of the photo. If you blow up a photo too much without a high enough resolution, you may be left with a blurry canvas. The other issue is the size of the wall – if your canvas print is too large for the wall it may look odd. On the other hand, smaller images can be nicely split into two or three separate canvasses to form a classy diptych or triptych, giving your work another dimension entirely.

The finish The finish on your canvas print is of the utmost importance. If you want the best results from your canvas print you need to ensure that the printing company uses a high quality satin varnish to treat the finished product. Don’t be afraid to ask the company which varnish they use – if they provide a good quality finish it’ll be a point of pride. Parrot Print, for example, use an award winning satin varnish which is certified and accredited by the Fine Art Guild.