Turn your photos into wall art – The ultimate guide to Canvas art

If you're like me, you probably love displaying your most cherished photo memories and family pictures from your phone or camera as printed copies. Wonderful memories can disappear all too quickly into the virtual void in digital media. I'm sure you know this from your own experience.

Fortunately, my partner is always very keen to have the best photos printed directly onto canvas, acrylic, wood, or other materials. She's developed a real knack for not only printing the photos on the perfect medium, but also in the ideal size for each wall.

Furthermore, she has developed a keen sense of how the colors in the photos match the interior design and also how several photos can be composed to create a gallery wall.

In this way, favorite photos become veritable wall art , giving the home (and now also my office :-)) a personal touch.

Our experience in this field has led us to write guide top tips from photographers, interior designers, and decorators that we have incorporated.

Discover in this article the key steps to transforming your memories into unique works of art for your walls. From selecting meaningful photos and editing them to ordering prints, hanging them, and creating the overall composition for your home – here you'll find everything you need to bring your own vision to life.

Whether you're a professional photographer looking for professional gallery quality or a hobby photographer wanting stunning decoration – we want to inspire you with our tips to create wall art

Wall art – Wall decor – What's behind these trendy terms?

Let me briefly introduce Wall Art Decoration Canvas art made from photographs. Yes, but forget everything you thought you knew about printed pictures on the wall.

This modern form of creative design goes far beyond simply printing photos. It's about transforming your personal memories and snapshots into unique Canvas art that will not only decorate your own home but also amaze visitors.

In our ultimate guide from photography to wall decoration, both professionals and beginners will find valuable tips and inspiration for transforming their photographs into masterful wall art or even entire gallery walls. With the right preparation, techniques, and materials such as canvas, metal , acrylic, or foam boards, there are virtually no limits to creative possibilities.

Getting in the mood: 5 tips for perfect wall decoration

To get in the mood for the topic, watch the following video from designchickee to learn more about setting up the perfect wall decoration.

Experienced interior designer Olga Gomes is the creative force behind the renowned interior design firm OG Design Studio , which specializes in residential and commercial spaces. From planning house layouts to designing furniture and interior decorations, she creates unique spaces. All completed projects can be viewed on her website.

Unfortunately, the video is only available in English. However, you can translate it into German using a translation service. If that seems too complicated, don't worry: we'll discuss the key points in detail below anyway.

Let's get started 🙂

Step 1: Take great shots and select suitable photos

The first logical step to transforming your photos into impressive works of art for your wall is to take high-quality pictures.

Without top-quality recordings, all further steps are largely meaningless. Invest in professional equipment and learn how to use it correctly.

Many affordable cameras and smartphones are available that allow you to create outstanding images. Learn the basic principles of photography, such as composition, exposure, and the exposure triangle. Regular practice will help you further develop your skills.

The more time you spend with your camera, the faster you will progress.

Valuable tips and tricks for taking great photos can be found in our article “ Mastering Photography: 27 Essential Professional Tips for Aspiring Photographers” .

Tip 1: Choose pictures that match the overall aesthetic of your living spaces

When choosing photos for a print, you probably want to make sure it's not just something you like. You should also ensure the print suits the mood and aesthetic of the room where it will hang.

For example, you wouldn't place a beach photo in a room that consists mainly of green and brown tones. In that room, you would rather hang a picture of a forest, as it would fit in better.

It is crucial to carefully select the right pictures for a room. Wall art will appeal to you and your guests much more if it harmonizes with the room's atmosphere and aesthetics.

Tip 2: Which colors suit your home?

Of course, you can simply hang your favorite pictures on the wall without considering color and effect! However, if you find the selection difficult, or if you want to choose pictures that harmonize with the atmosphere of your rooms and also create a positive color effect, then these tips are for you!

Colors have a powerful effect on our emotions, and color psychology plays a crucial role in interior design, especially in relation to wall art. Our perception is significantly influenced by colors; they can alter our feelings and evoke certain emotions, even if we are not always aware of it.

Therefore, it is important to acquire basic knowledge about colors in order to choose the right wall design for your home.

Warm colors like orange, red, and yellow can evoke intense emotions such as love, anger, and happiness, while cooler colors like green, blue, and purple are often associated with calm and melancholy. The effects of color even extend to influencing our perception of temperature, making us feel warm or cold.

Our emotions have a direct impact on our decision-making, and colors play a crucial role in this. For example, shades of blue and green can have a calming effect and help us make wise decisions.

Furthermore, colors can influence our performance by either activating our survival instinct or having a calming effect. On a physiological level, warm hues like red and orange can increase our alertness, while cooler colors like green and blue have a relaxing effect and bring about positive physiological changes.

In the following video, an interior designer from D.Signers how to choose a harmonious color palette for your home. You'll get some ideas on how to use suitable colors and how to combine them.

Step 2a: Find out how to edit your images

Photo editing software has improved dramatically in recent years, and if you don't edit your photos these days, you're skipping an important part of the photography process.

A few basic (and simple) image edits can help transform an impressive photo into a masterpiece in seconds. So you don't need to be an expert to benefit from post-production.

At least you should be somewhat familiar with the following points when adjusting your images:

• exposure
• contrast
• Highlights and shadows
• White balance
• Colors
• Clarity, resolution and sharpness
• Liveliness / Composition
• saturation

Our recommended post-production software is Adobe Lightroom (easier to use than Photoshop). It's easy to use (thanks to the drag-and-drop sliders for all the settings mentioned above), precise, and the preferred program for both beginners and professional photographers.

In the following video, professional landscape and architectural photographer Maik Lipp look over his shoulder and shows his personal approach with Adobe Lightroom:

In addition, it functions as a photo catalog where you can organize your photos by keywords, star ratings, colors, and more.

Alternatively, there are now numerous smartphone apps and online tools that can achieve similar results. A quick search in the app store will lead you to what you're looking for.

An overview of Lightroom alternatives can also be found in the video tour by festival photographer Milou PD :

Step 2b: Calibrate your monitor before editing your images

This step goes hand in hand with the previous one. If you want to edit your images at home, it is essential to properly calibrate your computer screen to ensure that your wall art looks exactly as you envisioned after editing.

For this purpose, high-quality tools such as the Datacolor Spyder 3 Pro and the X-Rite i1Display Pro recommended, which help you to standardize colors and contrasts and optimally prepare for later printing.

In addition to these measures for professional color management , you should set the brightness of your monitor between 90 and 120 cd/m², calibrate the color temperature to 5,000 Kelvin (D50) and adjust the gamma value to 2.2.

In addition, you can ICC profiles specifically tailored to your printer and the paper you are using. These profiles can be imported into programs like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to get an accurate preview of your photos before printing.

These steps ensure that your monitor is correctly calibrated and optimally prepared for the printing process.

Need help with monitor calibration? Experts from fotoMAGAZIN and professional photographer Andreas Abb are here to help:

If you are unsure about your color correction skills, we recommend leaving the task to the experts. Perhaps you lack precise knowledge of the editing process, or you don't have enough time to optimize each image individually?

Don't worry! Fortunately, many photo service providers and online printers offer automatic image enhancement in their online shops, mobile apps, and website software if you haven't edited your images beforehand.

The staff at such printing companies specialize in printing wall decoration photos and possess extensive knowledge of the necessary equipment and materials. This ensures that your printed works will always be of the highest quality.

Step 3: Choose how you want to display your wall art

The photos are in the bag, edited, and selected? Wonderful! Now we can move on to decorating the wall with your pictures.

people hear the term “wall art” (in English: wall art, wall decor )

Two particularly trendy ways to artistically present photos (and my personal favorites) are metal prints and acrylic prints.

Metal prints / Alu-Dibond / aluminum plate

Metal prints , or prints on high-quality aluminum composite panels (Dibond), are characterized by their impressive contrast and are extremely durable. Thanks to their weather-resistant properties, they are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use and effortlessly withstand water, humidity, dust, and other environmental influences.

Mounting Alu-Dibond pictures on the wall is extremely easy, even with larger formats.

In principle, most suppliers offer two options: matte or glossy . I personally prefer the matte version. Ultimately, though, it's simply a matter of taste.

Acrylic glass

Acrylic prints, on the other hand, impress with their bold, vibrant colors and unparalleled depth of field . This makes them perfect eye-catchers in modernly designed living spaces. A successful combination of landscape images on metal and portraits on acrylic lends a unique touch to any modern room.

These two material options are particularly well-suited to minimalist, Scandinavian chic, and industrial interior design styles, fitting in an almost symbiotic way.

Acrylic prints are a contemporary form of interior design that perfectly complements modern design styles. Thanks to their durability, acrylic prints are suitable for both indoor and outdoor decoration. Whether you choose a single photo or a collage, the design can be easily customized by changing background colors, fonts, and layouts to your liking.

Incidentally, to achieve the best results for your photo print, choosing a reliable photo service and photo printing provider is also of great importance; MEINFOTO.de is one of the best providers to Canvas art on your wall in the highest possible quality.

Should you need advice and inspiration for choosing the right wall art to suit your individual interior design style, we recommend our article “ What kind of art suits different interior designs?”

canvas

Canvas prints are another popular way to display your photos in a stylish and modern way. Available with metal or wooden frames for hanging or standing, they add a special touch to your images. Opt for gallery-wrapped canvas prints to showcase your photos to their best advantage and create an impressive presentation.

With various sizes and layouts, canvas prints just as flexible as conventional photo prints and are perfect for single or multiple photos.

Photo in frame

Framed photo prints remain very popular in interior design. A wide selection of layouts and frames is available – whether you want to frame a single photo or a photo collage.

Framed photos are available in various deluxe mat options and picture frame colors such as black, brown, metallic, rustic grey and white.

A photograph framed with a passe-partout looks particularly sophisticated, elegant, and professional. The passe-partout not only serves as a protective frame but also highlights the photograph and gives it added depth. It's a popular way to present photos stylishly and enhance their impact.

Art print on Hahnemühle paper

Hahnemühle papers are among the top products in the field of art printing and come from a world-renowned manufacturer of art printing papers and canvases. For 500 years, they have stood for the highest standards in artists' materials, which companies must guarantee through a strict certification process.

The most common papers include Hahnemühle Fine Art Baryta, Photo Rag, Bamboo Natural Line, Hemp Natural Line, and Museum Etching. Each of these papers is distinguished by unique properties that are particularly well-suited to certain types or styles of photography.

Photographs on these papers will transform your wall into a true, museum-quality work of art.

Glass

Give your photos an extraordinary shine by having them printed on glass. High-quality glass prints are perfect for decoratively enhancing tables, shelves, sideboards, and even walls, adding a touch of glamour to your interior design.

For best results, place glass prints near a window or other natural light source to allow the light to shine through your photos.

Foam boards

Printing photos on foam boards is another great option for those who appreciate modern design in their living and working spaces. These versatile boards are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

Thanks to an innovative UV direct printing process, the product is not only extremely lightweight but also features durable and water-resistant colors. This makes images on foam boards ideal for damp rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens.

When printing, make sure that your supplier uses only environmentally friendly UV inks without volatile organic compounds.

Canvas collage

Are you unsure which photos to print? In that case, simply opt for printing collages to create a professional and artistic poster from a diverse photo collection.

There are various layouts to choose from for photo collage posters, including symmetrical collages and shapes like hearts. For a creative and contemporary look, design your DIY poster with modern, clean lines.

Many print providers already supply extensive layout collections and pre-made templates as standard.

Tip 1: Choose a medium that showcases your photos

As you can see, there are different types, materials, and media for wall decoration with photographs. Among the most popular media are canvas, metal, brushed metal, acrylic, and foam boards.

Choosing the right medium that harmonizes with the look of your photos is crucial for making your images stand out.

Portraits look particularly good on canvas, metal is excellent for travel photography , and acrylic is ideal for landscapes or nature pictures. It's also important to consider the room where you plan to place the wall art and choose a medium that best suits the overall atmosphere of the room.

Tip 2: How to choose the right size

Size and dimensions play a crucial role. When adding framed prints or canvas prints to perfectly decorate your room, it is important to carefully select the appropriate size.

Your art shouldn't just hang on the wall, but should harmoniously connect the entire room. A picture that is too small or too large for the wall can give the impression that something is out of place in your home.

Especially with nature photos, you won't enjoy your wall art if it's not the right size.

A good rule of thumb is to use about 60 to 70% of your wall space. Use the proportions of a print hanging above a piece of furniture as a guide and choose a piece that is slightly smaller than the furniture below. For example, a piece intended to hang above a headboard that is 125 cm wide should be approximately 80 to 100 cm wide.

If you don't have specific room dimensions, we recommend choosing the larger format: If you're ordering a print without available room dimensions, opt for the larger size and consider the size limitations of your space. After all, your goal when hanging a piece of art is to beautify and enhance your room – a print that's too small wouldn't achieve that.

Tip 3: Consider the format and aspect ratio

Another essential tip for wall decorations with photos is to always pay attention to the aspect ratio of your pictures.

First, you should decide whether your images should be in portrait, landscape, or square format. Then it's important to crop and zoom your images to match the chosen orientation and desired aspect ratio.

Several printing labs offer different size options for printing your wall decor photographs. Therefore, it is advisable to check whether the images you submit have the same aspect ratio as the labs' printers.

Otherwise, online printers are forced to crop your photos in a way that may not suit your taste.

When choosing the format, it is also crucial to consider the shape of the wall surface. For the vertical space between two windows, it is recommended to place framed pictures in portrait format. This will make the room appear more spacious and open.

For free wall space above your headboard or in the dining room, horizontal or square pictures should be chosen that cover 60 to 75% of the wall surface in order to optimally showcase your artwork.

Step 5: Select the right photo service for printing

It is crucial that you always commission your wall art from a reliable and reputable printing service provider to ensure the quality of the final product and protect your investment.

The market in this sector has developed enormously over the past two decades, and there is a selection of first-class online printing providers offering excellent quality at a reasonable price.

Here are some important features of recommended providers that you should consider when making your selection:

• Diverse selection of high-quality print products
• Outstanding quality (recognizable, for example, by Trusted Shops ratings of over 4.5 on average)
• Expert staff (is there a free telephone consultation, email customer service, etc.)
• Fair prices (use price comparison websites)
• Secure payment providers (PayPal, Klarna, Amazon Pay)
• Online design software with high user-friendliness and intuitive operation
• Convenience and flexibility in delivery
• Popularity on social media (check Instagram, TikTok, etc. for user experiences)
• Commitment to sustainability (e.g. sustainability labels and memberships in initiatives)
• Awards from industry experts (in trade newspapers, professional magazines, etc.)
• Product warranties and return options

Step 5: Skillfully arrange photos on a wall

The pictures on your walls reflect your personality and give your home a personal touch. Empty walls can feel alien and impersonal, like in a hotel . With carefully selected art, photos, and decorations, you create a home that beautifully underscores your uniqueness and personality.

In this section, let's be inspired by some tried-and-tested wall design ideas . These are repeatedly emphasized by interior designers and specialists in the field of interior decoration.

Let's start with a short, informative video from the interior design experts at Ballard Designs as a quick reference or starting point. Afterwards, we'll explore further decorating ideas, tools, and detailed tips to help you create a stylish and inviting atmosphere with your own wall art at home.

Arranging wall art: The basic rules

We know the transformative power of paintings on a wall, which can instantly lend elegance to a room. But the art of wall design requires more than just hanging pictures – it is an art form in itself.

Sensitivity and aesthetic sense are required to create a harmonious composition.”

We've therefore compiled exclusive insider tips (including some from Salvatori – an award-winning Italian design company) to help you create your very own art arrangement. Whether it's a striking gallery wall or a single artwork, these simple rules will ensure every arrangement is perfect.

A successful art arrangement is characterized by consistency in dimensions, formal coherence, and clear lines.”

Let's take a closer look at these basic principles. First and foremost: always pay attention to the size of the artwork, photos, or framed objects you use (see tips in step 3). Visual treasures should be in proportion to the wall on which they hang: too large and they dominate the room, too small and they get lost in their surroundings.

Here are a few examples of successful wall art arrangements:

Visualization of the space as a whole

When selecting a picture for a particular room, it is crucial to carefully consider the space itself. Visualization plays a central role here. Take time to consider how each artwork would interact with its surroundings. These connections involve more than just proportions .

A careful analysis of the wall should always be conducted in conjunction with a thorough examination of the room. Since walls are not isolated elements, it is essential to always keep the overall picture in mind . How do all the components fit together? How can they coexist harmoniously?

Every painting should reflect or respond to the room in which it is placed as closely as possible. Decorative details such as artwork and paintings are often secondary elements in interior design. Therefore, it is advisable to use this to your advantage and consider the unique character of the room that you have already created through your previous design choices, be it colors, flooring, or furniture.

Remember that inspiration can come from many sources:

• Perhaps a particular shape, curve, line, or frame reminds you of something else?
• Perhaps you'd like to choose something that accentuates the color of the flooring?
• Or a work that is coordinated with the colors of a specific piece of furniture?

All these points of reference can help you make a successful decision and create a harmonious atmosphere in your home.

Altitude plays a role

When hanging artwork, in addition to the room's dimensions and style, choosing the right height for placement

Height is crucial, as paintings can be hung either too low or too high, disrupting the natural flow of the room or even being overlooked.

A rule of thumb is that the center of a painting should be placed at eye level of an average-sized person, about 160 centimeters above the ground.

A helpful strategy is to imagine an invisible line to optimally determine how the paintings should be positioned when people enter the room. However, there are exceptions to this rule. The ideal height of the artworks can vary depending on the room and especially when designing a gallery wall .

Gallery Walls – Important Guidelines

This point is only relevant if you plan to hang more than one picture on a wall. After selecting suitable artwork for your room, the next question is: How can the artwork be arranged effectively?

Simple rules combined with sophisticated geometry be helpful. These interior design rules are also suitable for inexperienced decorators. Whether your plans are simple or complex, and regardless of whether your project is small or large, you will certainly find inspiration. In conclusion, the design rules for hanging paintings can be summarized into four basic methods :

1. Linear
2. Radical
3. Framed
4. Geometric

Linear

A very popular method is to draw a horizontal or vertical line on the wall and arrange the artwork along this line. This technique can enhance the spatial depth, either vertically or horizontally, depending on the orientation.

In particular, it is ideally suited to following the lines of furniture. When paintings are placed above a sofa or other horizontal piece of furniture, they can serve as a visual extension of the color scheme or layout. Imagine how a series of artworks could enhance a modular drawer in a carefully curated linear arrangement.

This not only draws the eye to the wall, but also creates a natural connection to the existing elements in the room: The pictures appear harmoniously integrated.

Radical

Do you prefer a more relaxed atmosphere? The Radical arrangement might be just what you're looking for. First, choose a central artwork to serve as the heart of your composition, from which the other pieces radiate.

Ensure that all artworks in your arrangement are evenly spaced from the center, regardless of their size. This seemingly small detail creates harmony and structure in your design.

The frame method

Are you looking for a style that combines the best of both worlds? The frame arrangement method offers the perfect solution to combine the geometric order of the linear with the creative freedom of the radical.

By skillfully arranging paintings of different shapes and sizes, a harmonious overall effect is created on the wall, for example in the form of a large square.

Let the different canvas sizes and frames work together harmoniously to enrich your rooms with a unique and aesthetic design.

Geometric

The final method involves arranging artworks in specific groups. This technique allows for a mix of different styles to be used, adapting them to the atmosphere of the room. For example, a combination of linear and framed arrangements is ideally suited for decorating the wall of a staircase.

The up and down of the artistic arrangements mirrors the design of the steps and interrupts the line of sight, adding an extra dimension to the room. Once you understand these basic patterns, you can analyze which type of arrangement best suits the different rooms in your home.

Video tutorials for gallery walls

NTS founder Colin Chee shows us how he created his own gallery wall in a few simple steps:

Nick Lewis reveals the do's and don'ts for creating a harmonious gallery wall:

Mistakes can happen anywhere. In Vivien Albrecht a look at five very common mistakes people make when hanging pictures, mistakes that pretty much everyone has made at some point… and some design tips to help you avoid them:

And finally, here are 10 wonderful ideas from Home & Ideas that are especially great for showcasing family photos:

Take into account the specific characteristics of the different living spaces

Finally, let's take a look at the most common rooms in our homes and their specific characteristics with regard to the installation of wall art.

bedroom

Traditionally, the area above the headboard of the bed in the bedroom offers space for pictures and artwork on the wall. This area allows for attractive decoration and is particularly well-suited for large paintings or a gallery of several artworks.

It is advisable to maintain a neutral palette when choosing motifs and colors. While light colors can be refreshing, the color scheme should aim to create a calm atmosphere and promote relaxation, especially when the focus is on restful sleep.

A successful example would be a bedroom decorated with a tasteful arrangement of frames that emphasizes the room's natural architecture. The color palette of the natural stone pictures above the headboard creates a subtle contrast to the neutral tones in the room, thus harmonizing with the existing furnishings.

Living room

The living room serves as the vibrant heart of home life. The arrangement of artwork on the walls is typically less rigid than in other rooms. This creative freedom allows for a relaxed placement of the artwork.

Together with the entrance area, which is often interconnected, the living room serves as a representative showcase for the entire house . As the central living space and heart of the home, it is of particular importance to pay attention to design and decoration .

Artwork and photos in the living room can showcase your personal style to visitors and accentuate empty walls with decorative elements like a cabinet or sofa. Wall art can transform a room into a welcoming space, not only through its subject matter but also through its interaction with the surroundings.

The ideal height of a painting can vary depending on the situation. For example, the height can be reduced to 140 centimeters to fit the back of a sofa and emphasize the natural lines of the room. Everything doesn't necessarily have to be perfectly aligned or arranged to create an effect.

Entrance / Corridors / Hallways

The elegant hallway: Although this architectural area is often viewed merely as a passageway and frequently neglected, it offers rich and diverse design potential as a dynamic space. There's nothing more dreary than a hallway with bare walls, especially when it serves as an important link between rooms like the living room and bedroom.

Integrating a collection of paintings into your hallway can be extremely beneficial and enliven the space. For long and narrow hallways, a simple linear arrangement reminiscent of a modern gallery is the best choice: this arrangement lends the room more depth and dimension.

In hallways with irregular dimensions or an unusual shape, hanging wall art offers even more potential for dramatic compositions.

bathroom

We saved the most exciting part for last: the bathroom – a place of refreshment, relaxation, and personal enjoyment. The fascinating history of bathroom decoration and art is experiencing a creative renaissance through modern trends, allowing this essential sanctuary to shine in new splendor.

As an oasis of peace and beauty, the bathroom should not only be functional but also meet aesthetic standards. Relaxation in an aesthetically pleasing bathroom is not only easier but also significantly more enjoyable.

Today's bathroom designs respond to this desire for beauty and practicality, combining functionality with style. This is evident in the alluring curves of freestanding bathtubs and the clean lines of modern washbasins.

By integrating wall art into the bathroom design, the bathroom becomes a tasteful oasis of well-being where you can create your own little world.

Choosing the right pictures for your bathroom can be a challenge, but as a rule of thumb : smaller paintings and frames look better in smaller bathrooms. Size isn't everything – carefully selected, even small artworks can give a room a unique personality.