A print is one of those gifts that can be as simple or as considered as you want it to be. The same piece can be offered in different ways — and each one says something slightly different.
Choosing a print for someone else starts with where it will live. Think about their space before their taste — a bold piece works differently in a quiet bedroom than in a living room. If you’re unsure, a smaller format is easier to place than a large one, and simpler images tend to travel better than complex ones. The print doesn’t need to be your favourite. It just needs to feel like them.
The print on its own. Rolled in a tube, cleanly packaged, ready to be discovered. It’s the most straightforward option. There’s nothing wrong with it. The person receiving it gets to choose how and where it goes. Some people prefer that freedom.
The print with a frame. A step further. You’ve thought not just about the image but about how it will live on a wall. A thin black or natural wood frame works with almost anything — when in doubt, keep it simple. If you know the person’s interior well, you can be more specific. The print arrives ready to hang, which removes a step that many people never get around to.
The print with a mat. Often overlooked, but worth considering. A white or off-white mat between the print and the frame elevates the whole thing instantly. It creates breathing room around the image and gives it a gallery quality the frame alone doesn’t always achieve. If you’re framing the print as a gift, adding a mat is the detail that makes it feel finished.
The print already framed. The most complete version of the gift. It requires knowing the person’s taste well enough to commit to a frame choice — but when it lands right, it’s the kind of thing that goes straight onto the wall without a second thought.
However you choose to offer it, a print is a considered gift. It takes up space in someone’s home and stays there. That’s worth considering.
— Studio Ninette, designed in Belgium.