Framed vs Unframed Art Prints: Which to Choose?

Unframed is cheaper, so the real question is whether framing earns the difference. It usually does, for two reasons: a framed print arrives ready to hang, and the glazing protects the paper. Unframed makes sense when you want a custom frame, a lower price, or the lightest possible thing on the wall.

This guide covers what you get each way, when to choose which, how to pick a frame colour, and how size changes the decision.

Table of Contents

• What You Get With Each
• When to Choose Framed
• When to Choose Unframed
• Choosing a Frame Colour
• Size and the Decision
• How Birch & Banksia Frames Are Made
• Frequently Asked Questions

What You Get With Each

Framed, the print arrives mounted, glazed, and ready to hang. Unframed, you receive the print on its own, to frame yourself or to hang as it is.

The price gap is consistent across all three sizes. The 30x40 is $139.95 framed and $54.95 unframed. The 50x70 is $239.95 framed and $79.95 unframed. The 70x100 is $369.95 framed and $109.95 unframed. The difference is the frame, the glazing, and the work of assembling both.

When to Choose Framed

Choose framed when you want it on the wall the day it arrives. There is nothing to measure, order, or assemble. It comes glazed with shatterproof plexiglass, which protects the paper from dust and knocks and is lighter and safer than glass.

Framed also suits a set. If you are hanging several prints and want them to match, ordering them framed in one finish is the simplest way to keep the whole wall consistent.

When to Choose Unframed

Choose unframed when you have a framer you trust, or you want a custom mat, a specific moulding, or a size of frame we do not make. Unframed gives you full control over the finish.

It is also the lighter and cheaper option. An unframed print costs less, weighs almost nothing, and posts flat, which makes it the easy pick for a rental or a first print. You can hang it with clips or a simple rail and frame it later.

Choosing a Frame Colour

We offer four frame finishes: natural timber, white, dark wood, and black. Each does something different on the wall.

Natural timber warms a print and ties it to the woods already in a room. White recedes and lets the paper carry the wall. Black sharpens and defines, and suits a graphic look. Dark wood sits between timber and black, warm but grounded. Match the frame to the room rather than to one colour in the print. The colour guide covers how to make that call.

Size and the Decision

Size can settle the question for you. At the 70x100 statement size, a frame gives the print the weight the wall is asking for, and the plexiglass keeps a large sheet flat and protected. Framed is often worth it here.

At the 30x40, unframed prints suit a cluster or a shelf, where the lightness is part of the look. Whichever way you go, size the print to the wall first. The sizing guide covers that.

How Birch & Banksia Frames Are Made

Every Birch & Banksia print is on 250gsm FSC-certified matte uncoated natural white archival paper, 0.29mm thick. Framed prints use a durable pine frame, 20 to 25mm thick, glazed with shatterproof plexiglass rather than glass.

The images are historic botanical plates, digitally restored from public-domain archives. Nothing is invented, and nothing is taken from a living artist. Framed or unframed, the paper and the restoration are the same.

One percent of every sale, not one percent of profit, goes to native Australian reforestation. Compare both options across the range at birchandbanksia.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it worth buying art framed or unframed? Framed is worth it when you want the print ready to hang and protected under glazing, which suits most buyers and larger sizes. Unframed is worth it when you want a custom frame, a lower price, or a lighter print.

How much more does a framed print cost? The frame adds a set amount at each size. A 30x40 is $139.95 framed against $54.95 unframed, a 50x70 is $239.95 against $79.95, and a 70x100 is $369.95 against $109.95. The difference covers the frame, the plexiglass, and assembly.

What glazing do the frames use? Shatterproof plexiglass rather than glass. It protects the paper from dust and knocks, and it is lighter and safer than glass, which also makes framed prints easier to hang on removable fixings.

What frame colours are available? Four: natural timber, white, dark wood, and black. Natural timber warms, white recedes, black sharpens, and dark wood grounds. Match the finish to the room rather than to a single colour in the print.