A paint by numbers kit is printed on one of three surfaces: a rolled canvas, a stretched canvas on wooden bars, or a canvas board (canvas glued to stiff card or MDF). The surface changes how the paint goes on, how the finished piece hangs and what the kit costs. Here is how they compare, and why our kits use rolled canvas with an optional frame.
Want to paint this yourself?
Turn one of your own photos into a numbered canvas (from $19.95). We trace it, mix the paints to match, and ship the kit with brushes.
Or pick a ready-made design
- Perpetual Look Painting by Numbers Premium Kit (from $19.95)
- Bold and Free Painting by Numbers Premium Kit (from $19.95)
The three surfaces at a glance
| Rolled canvas | Stretched canvas | Canvas board | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texture | Real woven canvas | Real woven canvas | Canvas weave, but flatter and firmer |
| Painting feel | Flat on a table, tape the corners | Taut, gives a little under the brush | Rigid, no give at all |
| Sizes | Small to very large | Small to very large | Mostly small, since large boards warp |
| Hanging | Needs mounting or a frame | Hangs as is | Needs a picture frame, or a stand |
| Shipping and storage | Compact, stores in a drawer | Bulky box | Flat, but corners dent in transit |
Rolled canvas
A sheet of printed canvas, shipped rolled or folded flat. It is the format most adult kits use because it scales to big sizes without getting heavy or expensive to ship. You paint it flat on a table. If it arrives curled, leave it under a few books overnight, or tape the corners down while you work.
The trade-off comes at the end: a rolled canvas needs something behind it before it goes on the wall. You can stretch it over wooden bars, glue it onto a board, or put it in a frame with a backing.
Stretched canvas
The same canvas, already pulled tight over a wooden frame. It looks like a gallery painting the moment you finish, with nothing left to assemble. The catch is cost and bulk: the box is bigger, and the canvas can sag slightly if you lean on it while painting small areas. Put a book under the centre if it bounces.
Canvas board
Canvas board, also sold as a canvas panel, is a thin layer of primed canvas glued to stiff cardboard or MDF. It is common in kids' kits and small craft sets because it is cheap and can't flex. The paint sits on a harder surface, so fine lines are easy, but the finished piece looks more like a craft project than a canvas painting, and it needs a picture frame to hang properly. Large cardboard-backed panels also tend to bow in a humid room.
Which one to choose
- You want wall art you would actually hang in the living room: canvas, rolled or stretched. The weave catches the light the way a real painting does.
- You are buying for a young child, or want something small for a desk: canvas board is fine, and the rigid surface forgives a heavy hand.
- You want a large size, or you are buying several kits: rolled canvas. It stays affordable to ship at 16 x 20 in and above.
- You want zero finishing work: stretched canvas, or a rolled canvas with a frame kit.
What our kits use
Every ArtistryByNumbers kit is printed on canvas and ships rolled and unframed, in sizes from 12 x 12 in up to 20 x 26 in, plus a 23.5 x 23.5 in square. If you want it ready to hang, pick the DIY Frame Kit option on the product page: wooden bars you assemble around the finished painting. We don't sell canvas boards.
Already finished a rolled canvas and want the board look? Brush a thin coat of acrylic medium or PVA glue onto a canvas panel of the same size, lay the painting on top, smooth it from the centre out, and leave it under weight overnight. Our guide to rolled versus stretched canvas covers the framing side in more detail.
Browse the canvas kits. Free shipping to the US, Canada, the UK, the EU, Australia and New Zealand, with no minimum order. Buy two kits and the third is free, applied automatically at checkout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is paint by numbers better on canvas or on board?
For a piece you want to hang, canvas. It has real texture, scales to large sizes and looks like a painting once framed. Canvas board is cheaper and rigid, which suits small kids' kits, but it looks flatter and needs a picture frame.
What is a canvas board?
A canvas board, or canvas panel, is primed canvas glued onto stiff cardboard or MDF. It has a canvas surface but no stretcher bars, so it stays flat and can't flex while you paint.
Can I mount a finished paint by numbers canvas on a board?
Yes. Coat a canvas panel or MDF sheet of the same size with acrylic medium or PVA glue, lay the dry painting on top, smooth out any air from the centre outward and leave it flat under weight overnight. Then frame it like a print.
Do your kits come on canvas or board?
Canvas. Every kit ships as a rolled, unframed canvas with numbered acrylic paints and brushes. You can add a DIY frame kit, wooden bars you assemble yourself, when you choose the options.
