How a John Duguid Print Arrives Ready to Hang

Ready to hang is a claim about hardware, packaging and what happens at your door. Here is what that means in practice, and what to check before the box is opened.

Auvrique Editorial · Fine Art Editions

The short answer

A framed poster arrives with hanging hardware fitted and strung, so it goes on the wall within minutes of unboxing. A canvas edition arrives stretched on a frame with a hanging bracket already attached; no framing or assembly is needed. Both leave the workshop in protective corner guards and a fitted outer box.

What ready to hang actually means

The phrase covers two different formats, and the difference matters. A framed print arrives glazed, mounted and fitted with a hanging wire or D-rings, so the only task left is choosing a wall and driving a hook. A canvas edition arrives stretched over a wooden frame with the bracket fixed to the back stretcher bar. Neither format requires a trip to a framer.

The honest caveat is weight and size. A large canvas on stretcher bars can weigh several kilograms, and a framed poster behind glass weighs more again. Ready to hang means the print itself needs no work. It does not mean the wall fixing is trivial. A plasterboard wall needs an anchor rated for the load, and that is the one part of the job the box cannot do for you.

The packaging and assembly process for prints

Prints travel flat or rolled depending on format, and each stage of the shipping and assembly process for prints is designed around one risk, which is impact at the corners. Framed pieces get foam corner guards, a protective wrap and a rigid outer box with internal bracing. Canvas editions ship in a box sized close to the frame, so the piece cannot shift in transit.

Unboxing takes a few minutes. Cut the tape, lift the print out by its frame rather than its surface, and remove the corner guards last. The hanging hardware is already in place, so there is nothing to assemble. If a canvas edition is on your list, you can compare the canvas edition format against a framed piece such as this framed poster format to see which suits the wall you have in mind.

What arrives in the box

The print, either framed behind glazing or stretched on a wooden frame
Hanging hardware already fitted to the frame or stretcher bars
Foam corner guards and protective wrap, removed after lifting the piece out
A rigid outer box sized to prevent movement during transit

What to check on arrival day

Inspect the outer box before signing anything. Crushed corners or a punctured side are the visible signs of the damage you are worried about, and noting them at the door makes any claim straightforward. Open the box within a day or two rather than leaving it stored, because transit damage found early is simple to resolve and damage found months later is not.

Once out, check three things. The corners of the frame or stretcher bars should be square and unmarked. The glazing on a framed piece should be intact with no hairline cracks. The hanging hardware should be firm, not loose in its fitting. If anything fails that check, photograph it before removing the rest of the packaging. A framed poster chosen from the range, for instance a framed poster edition, follows the same inspection routine. For timing expectations before the box arrives, how long shipping takes covers the delivery window in detail, and choosing canvas or framed poster explains why the two formats hang differently.

Ready to hang describes the print, not the wall. The anchor is still your job.

Format	Arrives as	Work left to do
Framed poster	Glazed, mounted, hardware fitted	Drive one hook, hang
Canvas edition	Stretched, bracket attached	Fix anchor, hang
Either format	Corner guarded, boxed	Inspect within a day

Arrival condition by format

Key takeaways

Framed prints arrive with wire or D-rings fitted and need only a wall hook.
Canvas editions arrive stretched with the hanging bracket already attached.
Inspect the outer box at the door and open it within a day or two.
Ready to hang covers the print, not the wall anchor your wall type may need.

Related questions

Do I need any tools to hang the print once it arrives?

A hammer or drill and a suitable wall fixing are all that is required. The print itself arrives fully assembled, with hardware fitted, so there is nothing to build. The only variable is your wall. Plasterboard needs an anchor rated for the weight, while masonry needs a plug and screw.

What happens if the print arrives damaged?

Photograph the outer box and the damage before removing the packaging, then contact support with the images. Damage reported promptly with photographic evidence is straightforward to resolve under the refund policy. This is why the box should be opened within a day or two of delivery rather than left stored.

Is a canvas print as ready to hang as a framed one?

Yes. A canvas arrives stretched over a wooden frame with a bracket fixed to the back, so it hangs directly on a screw or hook. The difference is weight distribution and the wall fixing, not assembly. Neither format requires framing, mounting or any work on the print itself.

Does the print need to rest before hanging?

No rest period is needed. A framed or stretched print can go on the wall the day it arrives. The only reason to wait is inspection, which is worth doing before the packaging is discarded. Extreme cold in transit can make some materials briefly brittle, so unbox at room temperature.

From the Auvrique collection

Made to order · Every size