Pictorem Photo Canvas Print Review

Editor’s Key Takeaways: Exploring Pictorem: A Deep Dive into Canvas Printing

pictorem photo

Pictorem, a Quebec-based wall art manufacturer, is popular for its on-demand print service. Founded in 2014, the company began by investing in a few Giclee printers. While initially focused on canvas prints, they have expanded into mediums such as acrylic, metal, and wood. Their popularity has grown significantly over the years, establishing them as an artist-friendly platform.

  • About Pictorem: The company offers free delivery throughout North America with shipment facilities in Montreal and New York. Pictorem has been in business for just a few years, during which time it has printed over 57,000 individual canvases and wall art pieces. As of February 2019, Pictorem services clients in 94 different countries.
  • Professional Endorsements: Pictorem offers Pro and Artist accounts for customers intending to order frequently. There’s also an artist portal that allows photographers to sell their art online, with Pictorem not collecting any fees or commissions from these sales.
  • Customer Transparency: Pictorem provides detailed information about the materials and processes that go into their products, ensuring transparency with their customers.
Canvas Print by Pictorem
PhotoWorkout Mascot PhotoWorkout’s Rating: 4.5/5
Canvas Print

Pictorem offer a range of printing services, including a standard canvas printing option. Canvases can be personalized and finished to suit your preferences.

Starting at $40 | incl. free shipping
Pros
  • High-quality image reproduction with sharp detail and vibrant colors.
  • Offers free delivery throughout North America.
  • Transparent about materials and processes with informative customer support.
Cons
  • Higher prices compared to competitors.
  • Long shipping times and occasional issues with print durability.

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Introduction

Ready for another in-depth look into canvases?

Today, we’ll be digging into Pictorem, a Quebec-based wall art manufacturer.

pictorem.com Review
In this post, we reveal what we liked and didn’t like about our Pictorem canvas print test order.

About Pictorem

Started in 2014 with the investment of a few Giclee printers, the company has since evolved into an on-demand print service. For the most part, the site sticks to printing canvas, but as they’ve grown, they’ve also delved into mediums like acrylic, metal, and wood.

Though they’ve been in business for just a few years, their popularity has risen as an artist-friendly platform, causing the printers to constantly think bigger.

While the site may have a hold with customers, how does it compare to the dozens of other canvas providers out there?

We ordered a Pictorem canvas of our own to find out. Here are the highs and lows we found while checking out this rising force in the print world.

What we loved:

Pictorem goes out of its way to let their collaborators know the details happening behind the scene.

  • Free delivery throughout North America. With shipment facilities in Montreal and New York, Pictorem doesn’t charge a dime to deliver anywhere in North America. Delivery prices vary for clients abroad, unfortunately.
  • Serving a large scope. Over their five years of operation, Pictorem has printed over 57,000 individual canvases and wall art pieces. As of February 2019, the printers serve clients in 94 different countries.
  • Professional endorsements. Pictorem offers a Pro account and Artist account for customers that intend to order through the site on a consistent basis. There’s even an artist portal that allows photographers to sell their art online. Best of all, Pictorem does not collect any fees or commissions from sales made through the Portal.
  • Customer transparency. Pictorem goes out of its way to let their collaborators know the details happening behind the scene. Finding out the materials and processes that go into a Pictorem canvas is simple as can be. Included on the website are videos detailing every step of the process, client testimonials, and an in-depth history of the company’s development.

What could improve:

The 16×24 piece that I ordered cost me around $65.

  • Prices on the high side. While Pictorem’s prices aren’t exorbitant, they do run high compared to some of their competitors. The 16×24 piece that I ordered cost me around $65. A canvas of equal size from competitor CanvasDiscount, on the other hand, was about half the price.
  • Pay for quality.  Unfortunately, getting the best product possible comes at a price. Pictorem charges quite a bit for protective coverings and varnishes, which from my experiences, is a much have.
  • Clunky editing wizard. The Pictorem website as a whole is completely workable. However, it took me quite a while to perfect my canvas. The editing wizard as a whole was slow and cumbersome, and adjustments after upload aren’t the easiest to implement. Even small changes like adjusting the style of wrap causees the site to reload.

My Order

I was really optimistic about receiving my Pictorem piece after doing a little bit of research on their products and procedures. A smaller company with a commitment to customers, they’re the underdog that you want to root for.

So, I scanned in a photograph of my childhood dog, submitted it through the Pictorem portal, and waited patiently for my brand new canvas to arrive.

Long Shipping Times

Unfortunately, it took about two and a half weeks for my order to actually arrive. I feel that I can’t complain too much since Pictorem covered the shipping price for me. However, considering that it only takes about five hours to drive from Montreal to my home in the greater Boston area, the wait felt a little ridiculous. Before receiving a notification that the FedEx shipment was on its way, I was actually concerned that it had gotten lost in their system.

Print Quality

I didn’t order any frills for my canvas, and I have to say that if I were to order again I’d at the very least include a protective varnish. I was disappointed to see that there were some scratches on my piece when my package arrived.

The surface felt almost chalky, and I found that the pigment of the print came off quite easily. Considering that the site endorses that its ink is designed to resist fading, I was a little taken aback.

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Furthermore, the wrap job was haphazard at best. Frankly, I’m skeptical whether it will stand the test of time. While the canvas was certainly attached, it was much looser than I’m accustomed to and wasn’t particularly neatly done. Again, the site endorsed that each piece was handcrafted, so I was a little disappointed by the sloppiness.

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Towards the top edge of the canvas, I found several scratches on the surface of my Pictorem Canvas
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Pictorem did go through the trouble of attaching a hanging wire on the back of my canvas. However, the canvas itself wasn’t firmly attached to the frame.

Image Quality

There were, however, some signs of careful consideration. The image quality was excellent, and the colors were very accurate to the original photograph. Pictorem also included a wire backing to make hanging easier. They even went above and beyond by including a level and additional wall hanging materials at no additional cost.

Related Post: Canvas Discount Review

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Detail of my Pictorem canvas reveals that the detail of my image is actually quite good.

Our Take:

There’s room for Pictorem to improve. However, I’ll give the company the benefit of the doubt and attribute some of the flaws that I ran into growing pains. Mistakes are bound to happen with just a few years experience under their belts and limited automation involved.

Despite the bad experience that I ran into, I do feel that Pictorem is worth watching and considering in the future. When push comes to shove, the colors in my image were rich and the detail was tack sharp.

However, those weren’t the aspects that stuck with me most. Pictorem’s strength is its commitment and consideration to customers – a quality much harder to find than a decent printer. So long as they keep those values close to heart, I feel that they can work toward being one of the top on-demand canvas producers.

About the Author
meghan boilard author

Meghan is an artist and writer based out of Boston, MA. With an interest in everything from instant film to experimental videography, her work has been featured internationally in a variety of photographic exhibitions and publications. You can connect with Meghan on Instagram.

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4 thoughts on “Pictorem Photo Canvas Print Review”

  1. Stefano Senise Fineartist

    A really good site to give visibility to our works … not without some flaws but overall a great site for all the artists who want to sell their works online … suitable for both photographers and painters.

  2. Have ordered metal prints for a couple of years and have tried a few other labs that did decent jobs. But I’ve been researching others for a change. The ranking I’ve read about Pictorem is spot-on as is said. I feel like I’ve come home to the care and quality I’ve always sought.

  3. They are an excellent knowledgeable and communicative company. They listened to my needs and I am in awe with the results.

  4. I have been using Pictorem now for about a year and I have to say their canvas wraps & HD Metal prints are of the highest quality and am very satisfied with them.
    I am a professional landscape photographer and have tried other companies for several years, but have to say I have had the best luck with Pictorem.
    Their customer service is excellent and especially an individual named “John”. He has helped me with my questions and orders and is first rate!
    They have me as a solid customer going forward.