Ordering a Ghikas Print as a Gift Without Wrapping

A short guide to ordering a print for someone else, what gift wrapping actually costs, and why skipping it may be the better call for a framed or canvas edition.

Auvrique Editorial · Fine Art Editions

The short answer

Yes, you can order a print as a gift without gift wrapping. Most print sellers, including Auvrique, ship editions in plain protective packaging rather than decorative wrap, so no wrapping fee applies. Note that Auvrique does not currently offer editions by Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas, so his work would need to be sourced elsewhere.

What happens if you skip wrapping

The short answer is yes. A print can be ordered as a gift without any wrapping, and in most cases that is the default. Prints travel in plain protective packaging, a rigid tube for canvas and a flat reinforced sleeve for framed pieces. There is no decorative layer to remove and no wrapping fee to decline.

This matters more than it sounds. Gift wrap on a framed print adds cost and very little value, because the recipient sees cardboard either way. The practical alternative is a handwritten note at delivery or a printed card enclosed in the order. If you are deciding how to order a print for someone else, the honest answer is that the packaging is functional, not festive, and paying extra to change that rarely improves the moment.

How to order a print for someone else

The mechanics are simple. Enter the recipient's address as the shipping address and your own as the billing address. Most sellers make no distinction between a gift order and a normal one, so no special flag is needed. Check that any invoice or packing slip goes to you rather than inside the box, since a price on the slip spoils the surprise.

Timing is the part people get wrong. Custom prints are produced after the order is placed, then framed if needed, then shipped. Allow one to two weeks minimum before the date you need it, and more for framed editions. If the recipient lives abroad, add customs delays to that estimate. A print that arrives late is worse than one that arrives unwrapped, so order early and treat the date as fixed. For a sense of what the work itself offers, the artist's typical subjects are covered elsewhere on this page set.

One caveat worth stating plainly. Auvrique does not currently carry editions of Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas's work, so this specific artist cannot be ordered here. The general process above still applies to any seller you do use, and the gift print ordering options described here are standard across the category. If you want a comparable coastal or landscape canvas instead, there are alternatives in the catalogue.

For a landscape gift, something like the Cliffs at Cape Frehel canvas edition ships rolled and ready to stretch, which suits a recipient who likes choosing their own frame. A framed piece such as the Weyerberg framed poster arrives ready to hang, which suits someone who will not want to arrange framing later. The choice is about the recipient's patience, not the artwork.

Before you place the order

Use the recipient's address for shipping and yours for billing.
Confirm the packing slip omits prices or is sent to you.
Allow one to two weeks for production before your gifting date.
Skip paid gift wrap and enclose a card or note instead.

When wrapping is worth paying for

There are cases where wrap earns its fee. A small unframed print can be wrapped meaningfully, because it is light and flat and the wrap is the whole presentation. A large canvas cannot be wrapped well by anyone, and a seller who charges for the attempt is charging for a disappointment.

The better move for framed and canvas gifts is to control the reveal yourself. Have the order delivered to you, inspect it, and hand it over in person. This costs nothing, avoids transit damage reaching the recipient, and lets you present the piece properly. If a direct delivery is unavoidable, a plain outer box is standard and perfectly acceptable. Most recipients care about the print inside, not the paper outside, and the money saved on wrap buys nothing lost.

Nobody remembers the wrapping paper on a framed print. They remember whether it arrived intact and on time.

Option	Typical cost	Best for
No wrap, plain packaging	Free, standard	Framed prints and canvases of any size
Seller gift wrap	Added fee, varies by seller	Small unframed prints only
Deliver to self, hand over	Free	Anyone who can give the gift in person

Gift ordering choices at a glance

Key takeaways

Gift wrapping is optional on print orders and skipping it usually costs nothing.
Plain protective packaging is the default for framed and canvas editions.
Enter the recipient as ship-to and yourself as billing to keep prices off the slip.
Auvrique does not currently offer Ghikas editions, so source his work elsewhere.

Related questions

Can I have a print shipped directly to the gift recipient?

Yes. Enter their address as the shipping address at checkout and your own as billing. Check that the packing slip carries no prices, or have documentation sent to you instead. Direct delivery is the standard option and usually costs the same as shipping to yourself.

Do prints come in gift packaging by default?

No. Prints ship in plain protective packaging, a tube or flat reinforced sleeve, because that is what protects the work in transit. Decorative wrap is an add-on where offered, and it is poorly suited to framed or canvas pieces of any real size.

How early should I order a print as a gift?

Allow one to two weeks at minimum, since custom prints are produced after ordering and framing adds time. Add further margin for international addresses, where customs can hold a parcel for days. Ordering early costs nothing and removes the main risk.

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