Gallery Wrap Canvas Template — File Size & Mirror Edges, FreeNew
A gallery wrap canvas file is the front size plus the wrap margin on every side. For a 16×20 in canvas on 1.5 in bars, WHCC asks for 2 in per side, so the file is 20×24 in: 6000 × 7200 px at 300 DPI (3000 × 3600 px at 150 DPI). Drop your artwork, pick the size, the bar depth (0.75, 1.25, 1.5 or 2.5 in) and the margin, and download the finished file with mirrored, stretched, solid-colour or image-wrap edges.
Free, no sign-up, no watermark. Runs in your browser — your artwork is never uploaded.
Updated October 2026 · Wrap margins checked October 2026 with WHCC and Bay Photo
3D preview. Drag to turn the canvas and check how the sides and corners look. The corners are folded like a gift box, so the corner squares of the file end up on the back.
How big should a gallery wrap canvas file be?
Short answer: the front size plus the wrap margin on every side — the bar depth and a little extra to staple on the back. For a 16×20 in canvas on 1.5 in bars, WHCC asks for 2 in per side, so the file is 20×24 in = 6000 × 7200 px at 300 DPI (3000 × 3600 px at 150 DPI). On 0.75 in bars, Bay Photo wraps 1.375 in per side. Check your printer’s number and pick it in the tool.
A gallery wrap canvas is printed larger than the front and pulled around the wooden stretcher bars, so the sides show artwork and nothing needs a frame. The extra you add is called the wrap margin (some printers say bleed): the part that covers the side of the bar, plus a strip that folds onto the back where it is stapled. If you send a file cut exactly to the front size, the printer either stretches your artwork to fill the sides or cuts into it — and the edges of the picture disappear around the corner.
This tool builds the full file for you. It keeps your artwork on the front exactly at the size you ordered and fills the margin with the edge style you choose. The numbers below come from the printers’ own file guides, checked on 7 October 2026.
| Printer | Bar depths | Extra per side | Example file |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHCC | 1.5 in, 2.5 in | 2 in (1.5 in bars), 3 in (2.5 in bars) | 30×40×1.5 in → 34×44 in |
| Bay Photo | 0.75, 1.5, 2.5 in | 1.375, 2.125 and 3.125 in | File is 2.75, 4.25 or 6.25 in larger than the front |
| Nations Photo Lab | 0.75 in, 1.5 in | Image wraps all four sides | 8×10 up to 24×36 in; 300 DPI recommended |
In the tool, “Depth + 1/2 in” matches WHCC and “Depth + 5/8 in” matches Bay Photo. If your printer gives a different number, choose Custom and type it in.
Pixel sizes for common canvases (1.5 in bars, 2 in per side)
| Front | Full file | 300 DPI | 150 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8×10 in | 12×14 in | 3600 × 4200 px | 1800 × 2100 px |
| 11×14 in | 15×18 in | 4500 × 5400 px | 2250 × 2700 px |
| 16×20 in | 20×24 in | 6000 × 7200 px | 3000 × 3600 px |
| 18×24 in | 22×28 in | 6600 × 8400 px | 3300 × 4200 px |
| 24×36 in | 28×40 in | 8400 × 12000 px | 4200 × 6000 px |
On slim 0.75 in bars with 1/2 in of staple room (1.25 in per side), a 16×20 file is 18.5×22.5 in, or 5550 × 6750 px at 300 DPI.
The four edge styles
- Mirror — the strip next to each edge is flipped outwards onto the sides. The whole artwork stays on the front and the sides look like a continuation. The safest choice for portraits, text and anything close to the edge.
- Stretch — the outermost row of pixels is extended across the sides (printers also call it “digitally stretched”). It gives calm, streaky sides that pick up the edge colours. Busy edges turn into lines, so it suits simple backgrounds best.
- Solid colour — black, white or any colour on the sides (sometimes called a museum wrap). Clean and modern; use Pick from artwork to match a colour in the picture.
- Image wrap — the artwork itself continues around the sides (gallery wrap or natural wrap). It looks the most natural, but the outer band of your picture — the bar depth on every side — moves onto the sides. Use it only when nothing important is near the edges.
How to make a gallery wrap canvas file
Drop your artwork
PNG or JPG. Drag the preview to choose the crop when the proportions differ from the canvas.
Pick the size, bar depth and wrap margin
Use the size you will order and the extra per side your printer asks for, then choose mirror, stretch, solid colour or image wrap for the edges.
Download the print file
A 150 or 300 DPI JPG or PNG, clean or with fold lines. Turn the 3D corner preview to check the sides first.
Common mistakes
- Text or faces near the edge with image wrap. They end up on the side. Keep them at least the bar depth plus 1/2 in away from the edge, or use mirror wrap.
- A file cut to the front size. There is nothing left to wrap, so the printer stretches or crops your picture.
- The wrong depth. A 1.5 in file on 0.75 in bars puts extra artwork on the back; a 0.75 in file on 1.5 in bars runs out before the back.
- Too few pixels. A 24×36 canvas on 1.5 in bars needs 8400 × 12000 px at 300 DPI. At least 150 DPI is fine on canvas; below that, run the artwork through the AI Image Upscaler first.
- Fold lines left in the file. Most labs print exactly what you send. Keep “Clean print file” on for orders.
FAQ
How much extra do I add for a gallery wrap canvas?
The bar depth plus room to staple on the back, on every side. WHCC asks for 2 in per side on a 1.5 in wrap (4 in on the width and the height) and 3 in on a 2.5 in wrap. Bay Photo uses 1.375 in per side on 0.75 in bars, 2.125 in on 1.5 in bars and 3.125 in on 2.5 in bars. Always use your printer’s number.
What is a mirrored edge on a canvas?
The strip of artwork next to each edge is flipped outwards onto the sides, so the sides look like a continuation of the picture while the whole artwork stays on the front. It is the safest choice when faces or text sit close to the edge.
Mirror wrap or image wrap — which is better?
Image wrap (also called gallery or natural wrap) looks the most natural on landscapes and abstract art, but the outer band of the picture, the bar depth on every side, moves onto the sides and is no longer visible from the front. Mirror wrap keeps the whole composition on the front. Use image wrap only when nothing important sits near the edges.
What DPI do I need for a canvas print?
300 DPI at the full file size, wrap included, is ideal. Canvas texture hides detail, so 150 DPI still prints well on large canvases seen from a distance; Nations Photo Lab notes that images below 150 DPI may look soft. A 16×20 in canvas on 1.5 in bars with 2 in per side needs 6000 × 7200 px at 300 DPI or 3000 × 3600 px at 150 DPI.
What are the common gallery wrap depths?
0.75 in (slim) and 1.5 in (the standard gallery depth) are the most common; Bay Photo and Nations Photo Lab offer both, and Bay Photo and WHCC also make 2.5 in wraps. Some printers use 1.25 in bars. Measure the side of the canvas or check the product page.
Should I put fold lines on the file I send to the printer?
Usually not. Most labs want a clean file and place it by size. Fold lines and corner marks are useful to check your layout, for printing and stretching the canvas yourself, or when your printer asks for them. This tool makes a clean file by default.
Is my artwork uploaded?
No. The file is made in your browser with the Canvas API. Nothing is sent to a server, and there is no sign-up or watermark.
Sources
All checked on 7 October 2026. Printers change their specs; when yours gives a number, it wins.
- WHCC Help, Gallery Wrap Guidelines — add 2 in per side for 1.5 in wraps and 3 in per side for 2.5 in wraps (30×40×1.5 in → 34×44 in file).
- Bay Photo Lab, Canvas Gallery Wraps — 3/4, 1½ and 2½ in depths; 1.375, 2.125 and 3.125 in of image wrapped per side; natural, solid colour, mirrored and digitally stretched wraps.
- Nations Photo Lab, Canvas Gallery Wraps — 0.75 and 1.5 in depths, 8×10 to 24×36 in, 300 DPI recommended and below 150 DPI may look soft.
More for wall art sellers: the wall art size pack for digital downloads and the DPI calculator.