Painting vs Print: What’s the Difference?
5 September 2025·4 min read
“Painting” and “print” get used interchangeably, but they’re very different things — and the difference decides the price, the look and how you care for it.
An original painting
Hand-made and one-of-a-kind, with real brush texture you can see and feel. It’s the most expensive option and the least reproducible — you’re buying the artist’s hours, not just the image.
A print
A high-quality reproduction of an image, produced consistently and affordably. Prints come on several materials, each with its own feel:
- Paper prints — classic, light, best framed under glass.
- Canvas prints — textured, frameless, a soft “gallery” look.
- Crystal Board — a rigid, glass-clear panel: vivid, durable and wipe-clean (our favourite — here’s why).
Tip: Want the hand-made look for less? A canvas print keeps some texture; Crystal Board trades texture for punchy colour and durability.