Framed Kanō Motonobu Prints Without Glass Cover

Whether a framed print can ship without a glass or acrylic cover, why most framers resist the idea, and which format gets closest to the look you want.

Auvrique Editorial · Fine Art Editions

The short answer

Usually no. Framed poster editions are sold with a protective acrylic or glass cover as standard, and it is rarely optional. If you want a Kanō Motonobu print with no glazing at all, the practical route is a canvas edition, which needs no cover and no frame.

Why Framed Prints Ship With Glazing

The short answer is that a framed print without glass is not a standard option. Framed poster editions are built with a clear acrylic or glass cover fitted at the factory, and the cover is part of the construction, not an accessory you can tick off. It protects the paper surface from dust, moisture and handling, and it keeps the print flat against the mount over years. Removing it is not something the buyer can request at checkout.

This is worth conceding plainly. If the look you want is bare paper in a frame, edge to edge, no reflective layer, a standard framed edition will not give it to you. Some local framers will mount a print without glazing if you buy the sheet separately, but that is a custom job with its own cost and its own risks, covered further below.

The Canvas Alternative to Glazing

The closest match to a glass free framed print is a canvas edition. Canvas is printed on woven material, stretched over a frame and sealed in the printing itself, so there is nothing to cover and nothing to scratch. A work like Rock Cliffs by the Sea in Britain, though not by Motonobu, shows how the format reads on a wall, and you can buy the canvas edition to see the construction for yourself.

Canvas also sidesteps the reflection problem entirely. Glass and acrylic both catch lamplight and window glare, which matters in a room with strong daylight. If your interest in dropping the glass is partly about reflections rather than the bare paper look, canvas solves that at the source. Compare it with a framed poster edition and the difference in surface is obvious within a minute of hanging both.

Glass free options ranked

Canvas editions need no cover at all and arrive ready to hang.
A local framer can mount a loose print without glazing on request.
Framed poster editions always include acrylic or glass as standard.
Leaving any paper print unglazed exposes it to dust and fading.

What Unglazed Framing Actually Risks

Honesty requires the other side. Paper prints left uncovered collect dust in the rebate of the frame, and dust is hard to remove without removing the print. Fingertips, cleaning sprays and kitchen grease all mark bare paper permanently. A reproduction is cheap enough to replace, which softens the risk, but the frame will still need opening and the print reseating.

If you go the custom framing route for Kanō Motonobu art, ask a framer to mount the print on board rather than leaving it loose. A mounted sheet behaves more like canvas, stays flat, and tolerates the absence of glass far better. Expect the total cost to exceed a standard framed edition by a clear margin, often two or three times, because you are paying for labour rather than volume production.

The glass is not there to sell you anything. It is the only thing standing between the paper and your duster.

Format	Cover included	Notes
Framed poster	Yes, acrylic or glass	Not removable at purchase
Canvas edition	None needed	Sealed surface, ready to hang
Custom framing	Optional	Higher cost, print supplied separately

Format comparison for a glass free finish

Key takeaways

Framed poster editions include a protective cover as standard and it cannot be removed at checkout.
Canvas is the only format that delivers a cover free finish without custom work.
A local framer can mount a loose print without glazing, usually at two to three times the cost of a standard edition.
Unglazed paper prints are exposed to dust, fingerprints and fading, so mounting on board is strongly advised.

Related questions

Can I order a framed print and remove the acrylic myself?

Physically yes, though it voids the construction. The cover holds the print against the mount, so removing it can let the sheet bow or slip inside the frame. If a bare surface matters to you, canvas is the cleaner solution and costs roughly the same for comparable sizes.

Is acrylic or glass used in framed poster editions?

Most production framers use acrylic rather than glass because it is lighter, does not shatter in transit and ships safely over distance. It behaves optically like glass at normal viewing distance, though it can carry a slight static charge that attracts dust on the outer face.

Does canvas look different from a framed print on the wall?

Yes. Canvas has a visible weave and a matte surface, while a glazed print sits behind a reflective plane with a defined frame edge. Neither is better. Canvas suits larger works and textured subjects, framed prints suit graphic compositions and tighter walls.

From the Auvrique collection

Made to order · Every size