Most print-on-demand wall art stores start with posters. Fewer of them add framed posters. That gap is the margin.
The customer who buys an unframed poster still has a task left to do. They need to find a frame, hope it fits, measure their wall, and eventually get around to hanging it. The customer who buys a framed poster is finished the moment the package arrives. Ready to hang. No trip to IKEA, no measuring mistakes, no discovering the “standard size” isn’t actually standard. That completed experience is what they’re paying extra for - and it’s what makes framed posters one of the highest‑leverage products in the POD wall art category.
The Unframed Poster Is Good. The Framed Poster Is Better Business.
It’s worth being very direct about the commercial logic here, because it’s easy to underestimate.
An unframed poster starting from €4.10 gives you healthy margins and broad appeal. A framed poster starting from €13.30 targets a different buyer entirely - someone decorating deliberately, buying a gift that arrives finished, or paying to avoid doing the sourcing themselves.
The perceived value is much higher, so the retail price can be much higher too. Your production cost doesn’t increase nearly as much as the selling price does. That gap is where your extra profit comes from.
In simple terms: you’re not just selling a print anymore - you’re selling a finished piece of decor.
One Design, Multiple Products
Listing the same design across multiple frame styles multiplies your SKUs without multiplying your design work.
The same artwork in:
- Black Frame
- Retro Gold Frame
- Vintage Gold Frame
…becomes three distinct products with three different aesthetics, three different price positions, and three different buyers.
This is how framed posters scale efficiently. Your catalogue grows, your store looks more substantial, and your production workflow stays exactly the same.
Ten Frames: How to Think About the Range
All ten variants share the same size range (15×15 cm to 150×100 cm) and the same starting price of €13.30 excl. VAT. What they diverge on is aesthetic signal - and that signal does most of the work in your listing images.
Think of the range in three tiers.
Tier One: Slim Contemporary (2×2.5 cm profile, wood)
Black, White, Light Wood, Dark Wood, Pure Gold
These frames are minimal and intentionally understated. They don’t compete with the artwork - they support it.
- Black & White - the safest choices and consistently the strongest sellers
- Light & Dark Wood - warmth and natural texture for botanical, nature, and lifestyle niches
- Pure Gold - classic elegance for gifts and refined art prints
If you’re starting out with framed posters, start here. These options work across almost every interior style and customer segment.
Tier Two: Gallery and Retro Profile (3.5×2 cm profile, wood)
Retro Black, Retro White, Retro Gold
The wider moulding changes the presence of the product entirely. These frames read as gallery pieces rather than simple decor.
They create visual weight around the artwork and signal deliberate curation - the difference between something that fills a wall and something that defines it.
Where They Work Best
- Statement pieces
- Photography stores
- Fine art reproductions
- Editorial‑style brands
Retro Gold is especially effective for vintage illustration, botanical art, and art nouveau designs where the warmth of the frame complements the artwork.
Retro Black and White deliver a gallery aesthetic that suits modern photography and minimalist stores.
Tier Three: Ornate and Composite (3.5–5.5 cm profile, composite)
Modern Gold, Vintage Gold, Vintage Silver, Bronze
Composite material allows metallic finishing precision that wood cannot match at this price point. The finish stays consistent across sizes, which matters when customers order large formats.
These frames are designed to be seen.
Most Commanding Options
- Vintage Gold (5.5×2.5 cm) - the most imposing frame in the range, suited to collector‑style prints and portrait photography
- Bronze - warm, antique character for vintage maps and heritage imagery
- Modern Gold & Vintage Silver - metallic presence without heavy ornamentation
This tier is for customers who want the frame to make a statement, not disappear into the background.
Plexiglass: The Detail That Matters Most for Your Business
Traditional framed art uses glass. Glass is optically beautiful and culturally associated with premium framing. It also breaks - frequently, expensively, and at the worst possible moment.
Printseekers uses plexiglass across the entire range.
Why This Matters for Dropshippers
- Optical clarity that looks the same in normal home lighting
- Dramatically higher shatter resistance during shipping
- Fewer refunds, replacements, and damage claims
A broken frame arriving at a customer’s door isn’t just a damaged product. It’s a refund, a replacement shipment, a negative review, and a support conversation you didn’t plan for.
Customers rarely notice they aren’t looking through glass.
You will notice the absence of problems.
Packaging, Sizes, and One Listing Mistake to Avoid
Every framed poster ships in bubble wrap with protective corners inside a rigid cardboard box.
Three layers of protection for the two vulnerable areas: the plexiglass face and the frame edges.
For a category heavily driven by gifting, the unboxing experience is part of what’s being sold. When the packaging feels secure and the product arrives flawless, customers say so in reviews.
Available Sizes
15×15 cm (6×6") to 150×100 cm (60×40")
A Frame Only option - a fully assembled frame with plexiglass and hanger but no print - is also available.
The Listing Error to Avoid
Frame sizes refer to outer dimensions, not the visible print area.
State this clearly in your listings.
The customer who notices before ordering asks a question.
The customer who notices after hanging it asks for a return.
File Preparation: Same as Posters, With One Extra Margin
Framed posters use identical file requirements to unframed posters. The frame is added during production, so nothing changes in your design workflow.
File Requirements
- Format: JPG
- Resolution: 300 DPI
- Colour profile: RGB (sRGB)
- Dimensions: Exact product size at 300 DPI
The One Extra Rule
The frame moulding overlaps slightly with the edge of the print.
Keep text, logos, and key focal elements at least 5 mm from the edges.
This won’t trigger an upload warning - but it will be visible once the print is framed.
Design centrally. Give the frame its margin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need different design files for framed vs unframed posters?
No. The same JPG file works for both. Just keep important elements away from the edges.
Are the frames ready to hang out of the box?
Yes. Every framed poster includes a sawtooth hanger attached to the back.
Can I order frames without a print inside?
Yes. The Frame Only product is available through the ordering system.
What is the maximum framed poster size?
150×100 cm (60×40"). Larger sizes require different structural solutions to maintain stability.
Which frame performs best?
Black Frame, consistently. It works across almost every interior trend and design category.
White Frame is a close second.
For stores with a defined aesthetic, Retro Gold and Vintage Gold can command higher retail prices with less direct competition.
The Frame Closes the Sale the Poster Couldn’t
Every unframed poster you sell is also a customer who still needs to frame it. Some will do it quickly. Many won’t - not soon, not well, sometimes not at all.
That print sits in a tube while your customer thinks about getting around to it.
The framed poster solves that problem instantly. And the premium that convenience commands is where your margin lives.
Printseekers offers a free sample program. Order a framed poster before listing it in your store. See how it ships, how the frame looks in person, how the plexiglass feels compared to glass.
The product does the convincing. You just need to experience it once.
Get Started
Sign up at fulfllment.printseekers.com/signup to connect your store and start fulfilling framed poster orders today.
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