What to Do If Your Canvas Arrives Damaged

⏱ 4 min read

In the rare event your canvas arrives damaged, the important thing to know is that it's fixable and you're covered. Every PrintMyPixels order is backed by a 30-day guarantee, so a canvas that arrives damaged in transit can be put right. Here's exactly what to do, step by step, to get a flawless replacement.

What should you do first if your canvas arrives damaged?

Act while everything is fresh and still in front of you - the first few minutes make the whole process easier. Resist the urge to unwrap in a hurry, bin the box, and deal with it later; a few deliberate minutes now save time if you do need a replacement.

Document the damage

Before anything else, photograph the canvas clearly: the damaged area up close, and the whole piece for context. Good photos are the single most useful thing for sorting out a replacement quickly, because they show exactly what happened with no back-and-forth. Take them in decent light so the issue is obvious, and include one shot that captures the damage against the whole piece for scale.

Note exactly what's wrong

Alongside the photos, jot down a quick description - a dented corner, a scuff across the face, a crease in the canvas. A one-line note plus clear images tells support everything they need at a glance, which is what turns a claim into a same-conversation fix rather than a drawn-out exchange.

Keep the packaging

Hold on to the box and any protective packaging, and photograph that too especially if it's crushed or punctured. Damage to the outer packaging helps confirm the harm happened in transit, and keeping it saves time if anything needs to be looked at more closely. It's a small thing that occasionally makes the difference between a fast resolution and a slow one.

How does the replacement process work?

Once you've documented it, contact our support team with your order number and the photos. Because every order is covered by a 30-day guarantee, a canvas that arrives damaged is eligible to be put right - typically with a replacement of the same piece. Because your order and its specifications are already on file, a replacement is made to match the original exactly the same photo, at the same size and finish. The flow is short:

1. Photograph the damage and the packaging.
2. Contact support with your order number and the images.
3. Confirm the details of your original order.
4. Your replacement is arranged under the guarantee.

Reaching out promptly, within the guarantee window, keeps everything simple, the sooner it's reported, the sooner it's resolved. You generally don't need to send anything back before the conversation starts; the photos do the initial work, so keep the canvas and its packaging safe and follow whatever support advises from there.

What damage is covered by the guarantee?

The guarantee is there for problems that aren't your doing - damage in transit and manufacturing faults. It helps to know the difference:

If you're unsure which side your situation falls on, ask it's always better to report it and let support advise than to assume you're not covered.

The principle behind the table is simple: if the canvas left the studio with a problem, or picked one up on the way to you, that's ours to put right. Wear you cause over years of enjoying it on the wall is a different thing, and normal for any print.

How to keep it quick and painless

A little care on arrival heads off most problems:

• Inspect your canvas as soon as it arrives, while the packaging is still intact.
• Report any damage promptly, within the 30-day window.
• Keep the photos and packaging until everything is resolved.
• Have your order number ready to speed things along.

None of it takes long, and doing it in order turns a frustrating moment into a quick fix. Think of it as a two-minute insurance habit: a glance and, if needed, a couple of photos the day it arrives is all it takes to be fully covered.

Peace of mind, built in

A canvas arriving damaged is uncommon - every piece is hand-inspected before it leaves our USA studio but if it does happen, the 30-day guarantee means it's a quick fix rather than a lost order. Document it, get in touch, and you'll be put right. The whole point of the guarantee is that a rare mishap in transit never has to mean a ruined gift or a wasted order.

If the canvas was a gift, that matters even more - a quick report means the recipient still gets a flawless piece, just a little later than planned. Either way, you're never left with a damaged canvas and no way to put it right.

If canvas is new to you, our guide to what a custom canvas print is explains how each one is made and checked.

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