When to Use Mirror Borders on Your Canvas Prints

Canvas print mirror borders, also called mirrored edges, wrap the parts of the image closest to the edge over the sides of the canvas in a mirror image. This is a bit different from an image wrap, which simply continues the image over the side; a mirror border literally mirrors what is on the front edge. Mirror borders are a great solution to images that might not work as well with an image wrap, and allow you to capture a gallery-ready, artistic look for your canvas.

What Works Best with Mirror Borders?

One word that’s commonly used to describe mirror borders is "flow," because the image appears continuous while repeating the edge elements. Because of this, mirror borders work especially well for subjects like landscapes. Still life photography is another great candidate for mirror borders. Other times when mirror borders might be the perfect fit:

• Smaller images when there is not enough subject in the photo to do justice to an image wrap for a perfectly continuous edge.
• If an image has been previously cropped to a specific dimension but you still want a gallery wrapped look to extend over the canvas edge. This is a great way to "save" a vacation or other memorable photo for larger size prints if it was cropped too tightly and the original image is no longer available.
• Images where there are important elements of the photo too close to the edge of the canvas. If you want to keep the entire image on the front of the canvas, but still achieve a gallery wrap look then the mirror border option is a great answer.

Tips for Using Mirror Borders on Your Images

Mirror borders work well with many different types of images and all sizes of canvas prints. However, it helps to be aware of when a little extra thought about using a mirror border is warranted. In the following situations, you may want to try to replicate the mirror border in Photoshop or contact Canvas Press for a free image consultation before ordering:

• Watch out for people with extremities close to the edge because they will get mirrored and it can look "funny" when the eye tries to follow a duplicated extremity.
• Be careful with mirror borders on images that have words or letters very close to the canvas edge. The duplicated letters can sometimes become harder to read, especially when the canvas is viewed from its side.
• Similarly, pay extra attention when geometric shapes will be mirrored or when new geometric shapes may be created by the mirror juxtaposition. Occasionally, these elements can become distracting if not intentional.

You can see in the shaded gray area represents the sides of the canvas that her arms got mirrored.

Mirror wraps are an artistic way to add visual interest to your canvas prints and can work with a wide variety of subjects. With Canvas Press creating your mirror wrap you can achieve the perfect canvas prints to compliment your vision. If you have questions about our mirror wrap canvas prints or other products, give us a call and talk to one of our friendly experts at 888.784.5553.

This article is written for Canvas Press. To find out more about Canvas Press’products visit www.canvaspress.com.