Acrylic Prints - Weighing up Your Options
Printing your photographs on acrylic is a bit more expensive, and they will weigh a little bit more than a canvas or photographic print, your wallet may become a tad lighter too!
But it’s certainly worth the extra outlay. The colours really pop and you have a sharp and vibrant piece of wall art that can be an eye catching centrepiece to any room.
Also known as Plexiglas or Perspex, the way acrylic prints are made is the key to their great image quality, it’s also why they are slightly heavier than other print mediums.
So how heavy are acrylic prints? Not to be confused with glass prints as these terms are often intertwined, acrylic prints are substantially lighter than glass prints and slightly heavier than other prints. A really large acrylic print may weigh up to 3 kg, most standard sizes will weigh around 1/2 kg to 2 kg.
Glass prints are heavier, but more durable and less prone to scratching. But it’s not a very common print method and doesn’t achieve the same vibrancy as acrylic printing.
The surface of an acrylic print is softer and prone to scratching, but in saying that, most quality printers apply a scratch resistant coating. But they do last a long time, some even say they’re good for up to 50 years.
The method, details and advantages of printing on acrylic can cover an entire article. But maybe you already know all this and that is why you’re excited about getting your image printed onto acrylic.
There’s two processes that are used in creating an acrylic print.
1. Face mounted is where the image is printed on a high gloss or metallic paper then sandwiched between the acrylic front and a sheet of aluminium or PVC for rigidity. This method gives the greatest vibrancy and pop along with a bit of extra weight.
2. The second method is direct printing, and as the name suggests, the image is printed directly onto the acrylic sheet - less weight, but the quality isn't as stunning.
Whether you choose direct print or face mount printing, they both require a backing sheet to keep them rigid. Sometimes this backing sheet is aluminium, sometimes a type of plastic. Depending on which one is used will affect the weight of the finished print.
Does Acrylic Weigh More Than Other Types of Prints?
Short answer .. yes! Out of the more common print options, acrylic is the heaviest.
A photographic or art print will be the lightest.
Then a framed or mounted print will be the next in weight. Although I can imagine a really large art piece being heavy due to the size and composition of the frame, but not due to the print itself.
Canvas prints are extremely lightweight, even if they’re a gallery wrap as the wood used to create the frame is always a light wood. Of course a canvas print can have a floater frame which will weigh more than the print, but overall it won’t need special hanging requirements.
Metal prints take third position, but even then they’re not that heavy. You can read an article I wrote about the weight of metal prints if you need more information.
The heavyweight champion is ( play Rocky soundtrack now ) glass prints. Although they’re not as heavy as you’d think. That’s another article!
Some Weighty Information
We’ve covered a fair bit of ground as to the weight of acrylic prints and we can safely say that even though they’re the heaviest of the print mediums ( excluding glass ) they are as easy and simple to hang as any other print.
Considering the superior image quality, longevity and overall wow factor, they are worth the investment.
But if you’re still hankering for specifics, I’ve created the chart below with popular print sizes in relation to the weight of the average sheet of acrylic being 6 mm. That weight is 1.19 grams per cubic centimetre.
Now remember that if you’re going for the better quality and most common option of a face mounted print, you will have to factor in the aluminium backing sheet. That information can be found in the article I mentioned earlier on the weight of metal prints.
Weight chart of acrylic sheets per print size
inches centimetres weight
standard
10 x 8 25 x 20 0.37 kg
11 x 14 28 x 35 0.72 kg
16 x 20 40 x 50 1.5 kg
20 x 24 50 x 60 2.24 kg
12 x 26 30 x 66 1.46 kg
Square
10 x 10 25 x 25 0.47 kg
12 x 12 30 x 30 0.67 kg
16 x 16 40 x 40 1.19 kg
20 x 20 50 x 50 1.87 kg
30 x 30 76 x 76 4.2 kg
standard large
10 x 13 25 x 33 0.6 kg
11 x 14 28 x 35 0.72 kg
16 x 20 40 x 50 1.5 kg
18 x 24 45 x 60 2.0 kg
20 x 24 50 x 60 2.24 kg
20 x 30 50 x 76 2.8 kg
panoramic ( the most common ratios for panoramic prints are 2:1 and 3:1 )
2:1
8 x 16 20 x 40 0.6 kg
10 x 20 25 x 50 0.3 kg
12 x 24 30 x 60 1.35 kg
16 x 32 40 x 80 2.4 kg
3:1
8 x 24 20 x 60 0.89 kg
10 x 30 25 x 75 1.4 kg
12 x 36 30 x 90 2.0 kg
16 x 48 40 x 120 3.6 kg
Weight of Acrylic Prints for Hanging
Even though acrylic prints are heavier, they are still relatively easy to hang & mount on your wall.
There's also various mounting options. Some are more practical depending on the overall size & weight of the print. A large framed print for example may need something more sturdy than a single hook or screw into the wall.
Others can be more aesthetically pleasing & you may simply like the look.
Standoff Bolts - because they are visible they are more commonly used for signs rather than prints. As the name implies, they make the print "stand off " from the wall. They’re made up of a barrel, cap and a wall screw. The "through-grip" style requires holes drilled in the acrylic, the "edge-grip" does not as it attaches to the sides of the print. But the "through-grip" method won’t add weight to your print as they’re not actually attached to it, they’re attached to the wall and the print slides through.
Cleat - Obviously it makes no difference to the weight of your print as to what material you use for the wall bracket. But the material you use for the sub-frame on the back of your print will determine how much extra weight will be added. Aluminium would be the lighter choice over wood.
Wire Hanger - again it will depend on the material used for the sub-frame as to the weight added. Same process as the cleat system, just means you can have a hook or two instead of a bracket on the wall. Some galleries prefer this method as it tilts the print slightly forward. Personally I think it looks smarter and slicker sitting flush to the wall.
Hooks - there is the option of having an aluminium bracket that can then allow you to simply hang the print on hooks without the need for wire or a heavier sub-frame. Depending on the size of your print, you can either have the bracket running full width, or smaller and lighter acrylic prints have a mounting box in the centre. This still allows the print to sit off the wall.
Conclusion
I’m guessing you found this article not just because you were curious to the weight of acrylic prints, but how it will affect the hanging and mounting of them or any other issues.
But as we’ve discovered, the weight of an acrylic print is negligible and they are as versatile as any other print, but for that bit of extra cost you get an amazing piece of wall art.
Depending on the photograph, as certain images are better suited to acrylic printing than others, the colours will be stunning. It will look super sharp and with the face mount prints they almost look 3D - they have an amazing depth to them.
Have you bought an acrylic print or had one of your images printed on acrylic? Please share your experience in the comments, love to see them.
You may want to read:
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