Buyer Guide · Buying Guides
A Buyer's Guide to William Morris Posters
Before you order, check the format, what it physically includes, and how sizes are shown in your region. Printed colors match the screen closely but not exactly, and simple care keeps paper and canvas looking right.
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Before buying a Morris poster, the key checks are the format (unframed poster, poster with wooden hangers, framed poster or canvas), what each format physically includes, and how sizes appear where you live, because the store shows inches to shoppers in the US and Canada and centimeters everywhere else.
It also helps to expect a small gap between what you see on screen and what arrives on paper or canvas, and to plan for basic care from day one: no direct sunlight, no damp walls, and no water on the surface.
Who a Morris Poster Suits
This guide is for people comparing formats and sizes for pattern art on a wall. If you already know which design you want and are deciding how it should arrive, the four options below cover the practical differences.
The full range sits in the William Morris Posters collection, where each design is offered in the same formats described here. If you are shopping for someone else and a poster is only one possibility, the guide to Morris gifts in detail covers a wider set of ideas by budget.
What to Check Before You Order
Three checks settle most purchase decisions before you reach the checkout. Work through them in order and the format choice usually makes itself.
The checks that matter most:
- What the format includes. Only the framed poster comes with a frame. The poster with hangers comes with its two wooden hangers, and the canvas arrives on its own wooden frame. The unframed poster is paper only, ready for you to frame or pin.
- How sizes are shown. Customers in the US and Canada see sizes in inches, while everyone else sees them in centimeters. Check the unit before you compare numbers, because a figure in centimeters is smaller than the same figure in inches.
- Color expectations. Printed colors match the screen very closely but not exactly. Screens show color differently from one another, and matte paper and canvas reflect light more softly than a backlit screen, so expect a slightly calmer result on the wall.
Once those three are clear, the remaining choice is between the four formats in the poster collection, each of which is described in detail below.
The Four Formats Compared
Every design in the poster collection is available in the same four physical formats. They differ in what arrives at your door and in how the print is displayed, not in the artwork itself.
| Format | What it includes | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Unframed poster | Printed on thick matte paper with a soft off-white tone, ready for a frame, a clip, or a pin board | You want to choose your own frame or display it informally |
| Poster with wooden hangers | The print plus two wooden bars with magnets inside, holding it at the top and bottom with no pins or holes in the paper, and the print can be swapped | You like a simple hanging look and may change prints later |
| Framed poster | A solid wood frame that is 20 mm deep and wide, ready to hang on arrival | You want it on the wall the day it arrives |
| Canvas | Printed on canvas and stretched over a wooden frame, with no glass and no mount | You prefer a frameless look without glass in front of the image |
The hanger format deserves a closer word. Because the magnetic bars grip the paper without pins or holes, the print stays undamaged and can be swapped for another at any time. That makes it a practical choice if you like to rotate what is on the wall.
If you are weighing a framed poster against other framed options, the guide to choosing a framed Morris print in detail covers frame, size and mount decisions at greater length.
Sizes and Placement
Sizes display differently depending on where you order. Customers in the US and Canada see sizes in inches, while everyone else sees them in centimeters, so the same product page shows different units in different regions.
Measure the wall before you choose. Note the width of the space, the height available above furniture, and how far the eye will be from the print. The guide to measuring for a print walks through that process step by step, and it applies to any format in the poster collection.
A framed poster adds the frame's own depth and width to the paper size, so the total footprint on the wall is slightly larger than the listed print size. The canvas, stretched over its wooden frame, similarly occupies its full stretched dimensions without needing extra clearance.
Care and Longevity
Care for paper and canvas prints is simple, but the details matter, so we keep the full instructions in one place. Our dedicated guide, How to Care for Art Prints, Posters and Canvas, covers cleaning, sunlight and humidity in detail.
A Note on the Name: Which William Morris?
One point of confusion is worth clearing up before you buy. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds several 1930s posters credited to a donor named William Morris: two tourist posters advertising Cuzco, Peru by Mario Agostinelli, dated ca. 1936-40, both offset lithographs, and a 1937 lithograph exhibition poster for Hiroshigue prints at the Palace of Fine Arts, Mexico City, by an Anonymous Mexican Artist.
The Met's records carry the credit line Gift of William Morris, 1945 on all three items. The museum's excerpts do not state whether this William Morris is the designer William Morris or another person, so buyers should not assume a connection between these posters and the Victorian designer.
If you want the background on the designer himself, the main Morris guide covers his life, timeline and famous designs, which is the surer ground for understanding what a Morris poster depicts.
Common Questions
These are the questions that come up most often before an order is placed.
Frequent questions
What is included with each poster format?
Only the framed poster includes a frame, in solid wood 20 mm deep and wide, ready to hang on arrival. The poster with hangers includes its two wooden hangers, and the canvas comes on its own wooden frame with no glass and no mount. The unframed poster is thick matte paper with a soft off-white tone, ready for a frame, a clip, or a pin board.
How do the wooden hangers work, and can I swap the print?
Two wooden bars with magnets inside hold the print at the top and bottom, with no pins or holes in the paper. Because the bars grip rather than pierce, the print can be swapped for another whenever you like.
Will the printed colors match what I see on screen?
Printed colors match the screen very closely but not exactly. Screens show color differently, and matte paper and canvas reflect light more softly than a backlit screen, so expect the print to look slightly gentler than the image on your display.
How do I clean and care for a paper poster or canvas print?
Hang the print out of direct sunlight and away from damp walls, dust it with a soft dry cloth, and never use water or cleaning spray on the paper or canvas.
Are sizes shown in inches or centimeters?
Customers in the US and Canada see sizes in inches, while everyone else sees them in centimeters. Check the unit shown on your product page before comparing sizes.
If a framed option is where you have landed, the guide to choosing a framed Morris print in detail takes the next decision, covering frame, size and mount one step at a time.
Sources & further reading
- William Morris Art PrintsHow We Print | William Morris Art PrintsAmerican ExpressApple PayGoogle PayMaestroMastercardShop PayUnion PayVisaRead source
- Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe Met 45.175.129: Tourist poster advertising Cuzco, PeruMuseum collection databaseRead source
- Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe Met 45.175.128: Tourist poster advertising Cuzco, PeruMuseum collection databaseRead source
- Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe Met 45.175.64: Exhibition poster for Hiroshigue prints, at the Palace of Fine Arts, Mexico City, 1937Museum collection databaseRead source
