Want To Make Your Photos Into Giant Wall Art? How To Maximize Quality & Cost Savings

Printing and hanging photos in your home once you've got the motivation to do so is pretty easy — right? Well, there's a little more to it than heading to your local drugstore armed with an SD card and a dream, especially if you're looking to make a statement with your framed photos. Making the memories you've captured into a striking piece of giant art for your wall can be tricky and costly. And be prepared: You'll need to choose an online company to print your extra-large photo as well as find a retailer that sells extra large frames. You may even have to resize and crop the photo yourself. But with a combination of simple photo editing tricks, thrifty online frame retailers, and a little DIY power, you can add personality to your home with family photos and make an XL statement. 

You can get prints up to 24 by 36 inches at Walgreens or CVS, but if you're looking to go even larger, there are many online printing companies that offer super-sized printing options, whether that be on canvas, vinyl, or regular paper. These retailers often sell custom frames to fit your printed piece, but there are other, more budget-friendly options that you can consider when it comes to outfitting your photos with the perfect frame. Read on for more on how to create the perfect piece of gigantic art to complement your interior styling.

The most important aspect of getting a high-quality print is making sure that, no matter which printing service you choose, the photo that you upload to the company's site is high quality. Once you've got the perfect image, the next step is to ensure that you have the correct ratio of dots per inch, or DPI. Around 300dpi is a good goal. Want to go to even greater lengths to ensure a high-quality print? Install a quality-enhancing Photoshop plugin to guarantee crisp, clear results. Other best practices include maintaining the photo's original aspect ratio and tastefully cropping the image to transform the photo into a true work of art. 

Whitewall offers a variety of high-quality photo printing options that go up to a maximum of 95 inches by 45 inches. If you're looking for a truly gigantic print, Artmill offers custom sizing up to 5 feet by 10 feet. For those who want to avoid DIYing as much as possible, Whitewall does offer resizing and cropping services for photos that come straight from your phone — although you'll pay extra for that.  

Maybe you're planning for your giant photo to stand alone — or maybe it will be the centerpiece of the perfect gallery wall. Either way, once you've got an idea of which photo you want and how big you'd like it to be, it's time to start shopping for frames. Many of the online retailers that offer extra-large photo prints also offer framing services, but if you're looking to DIY your art, there are several sellers that offer extra large picture frames for a relatively low cost. 

FrameUSA offers standard size framing up to 27 by 41 inches as well as a custom size option to go as big as you need to, with larger sizes starting at around $80. Swedish home retailer IKEA is also a good bet for large, inexpensive frames — the brand's 27 ½ by 37 ¼ inch RÖDALM frame is a cool $34.99 and comes in multiple finishes. If you're looking for an even more budget-friendly option, check out your local Goodwill or thrift store. Secondhand stores are often filled with large pieces of art with cool frames — just remove the original art and replace it with your own. Try thrifting the frame first and then print your photo to the correct size. Once you've got your print and your frame, you're good to go; it's time to get to hanging! Just don't fall victim to the common framing mistake that's making your space feel chaotic.