The short answer on unframed prints

Yes. Unframed prints are one of the most common ways to buy reproduction work, and Aalto is no exception. A print sold without a frame arrives as flat paper, usually with a small white border for handling. You pay less because framing materials and assembly are removed from the price, and the saving is typically 30 to 50 percent against an equivalent framed edition. The trade is practical rather than aesthetic. You take on the framing yourself, or you leave the print bare.

One caution specific to Aalto. He was an architect and designer first, and his two dimensional output consists largely of drawings, sketches and exhibition panels rather than paintings. That means the source material for a print varies in quality. Some sketches translate well at poster scale. Others were never intended to be enlarged and will show it. Check the reproduction's stated source before buying, and read how the work compares to his recognizable subjects before committing the subjects Aalto is known for.

Canvas-only options and when they work

Canvas-only is the second frameless route. The image is printed on canvas and stretched around a wooden bar, so the piece arrives ready to hang with no frame at all. This suits Aalto's clean lines well, because a frame adds a boundary his design language never needed. A canvas-only edition also sits closer to the wall, which matters in a room where the furniture, often his own, is meant to lead Auvrique canvas editions.

The drawback is weight and depth. A stretched canvas projects 2 to 4 centimetres from the wall and costs more than a flat print, even unframed. If you plan to frame later, buy paper instead, since a stretched canvas cannot be framed conventionally. For a direct comparison of the two formats, it helps to see how the tradeoffs are usually weighed choosing between canvas and framed poster.

Framing it yourself without regret

If you order unframed, the frame becomes your decision rather than the seller's. Measure the paper size exactly, since standard frame sizes run in centimetres and a 50 by 70 centimetre print will not sit cleanly in an inch-based frame. A thin black or natural wood mouldering suits Aalto's mid-century restraint better than anything ornate. Keep the mat wide and plain.

There is also the option of skipping glass. A print hung bare behind nothing is common in Scandinavian interiors and removes glare entirely, though it leaves the paper exposed to light and dust. For a sketch reproduction in a low traffic room this is a reasonable risk. For anything you expect to keep for decades, glazing is the safer call. If delivery timing matters to your project, check how custom print lead times usually run custom print delivery times.