Materials and the sequence of the job sit together on this page.
What is an engineer print? Learn more about making large black and white prints for pennies and 22 options to use these affordable posters to make large Handmade wall decor.
For more large wall decor options, look at 60 Affordable Handmade Wall Decor options for Large Walls, How to Decorate Tall Walls, and 30 options for Functional Wall Decor Shelves and More.
Engineer prints are the next big thing around the DIYing world (ha, see what I did there? At under $10 for a huuuge print, they’re a modest-cost-friendly way to have large Handmade wall art in classic black and white prints and photos in your home — and they come in color too! (See those at the bottom of the post.)
Handmade Engineer Prints for Large Wall Decor
What are engineer prints?
Engineer prints are large, low quality black and white posters that are usually used to print blueprints and other designs. Some thrifty DIYers have discovered that office stores like Staples and Office Max are a great place to print these for large wall decor options, too! (Be sure to check with your local store, as some stores may not offer these prints or may not allow photos to be printed on the large format printer.)
What size are engineer prints?
Sizes may vary by store, but standard engineer print sizes are 18×24, 24×36, and 36×48. They can be trimmed as needed to make whatever size large wall art you need!
What can I print as an engineer print?
If you’re wondering what to print, we have lots of options here, for printables and for vintage images, plus more options below. Use Brynne’s instructions to prep an image for large-scale printing, and then use one of these options below for hanging and displaying your new poster!
See 50 more large wall decor options hereHow to Use Inexpensive Engineer Prints for Large Wall Decor
Keep it direct: hang your large wall print with clips on the wall. (via DesignSponge)
Mount a print photo on foam insulation board (Trendy Thrifting)
Or on inexpensive hardboard (Joy’s Hope)
Print and frame your go-to quote for straightforward personalized large wall art (Classic Play)
Make a dramatic Handmade wall decor display by splitting the print photo between two canvases (House By Hoff)
Follow these tips from Chris Loves Julia for making prints look their best.
Frame your prints in direct wood frames (Five Marigolds)
Print your own large wall art set and frame it (The Creative Mom).
straightforward large wall decor! Make your own large monogram to print (Chris Loves Julia).
A nature image a la Ansel Adams looks lovely as a large wall art print, especially when printed hung from a direct wood piece! (Lay Baby Lay)
Isn’t this framed map lovely? (Life Made Lovely) Find the well fitted large wall art print in our collection of printable maps or blueprints, and follow this walkthrough for creating a rustic frame like this one.
A direct chalkboard style large wall art print (like this non-seasonal one) looks lovely hung with a dowel and some ribbon over the mantel! (Evolution of Style)
Wrap an engineer print around a canvas frame for straightforward large wall decor — and I Should Be Mopping The Floor added spray glitter, too, for a special holiday art glimmer!
Mount a large poster print on wood for a direct but rustic look, and straightforward to change if you just use tacks/nails! (Because I Like To Decorate)
This aged book page print wasn’t actually an engineer print, but I would guess you can get the same yellowed paper look by using a cheaper engineering poster and some tea to dye the paper. (Delightfully Noted)
Feeling ambitious? Wallpaper with engineer prints! (via Apartment Therapy)
Mount the engineer print on fabric like burlap for a fun textured Handmade wall decor look. (My Sister’s Suitcase)
Color Engineer Prints for Inexpensive Large Handmade Wall Decor
Remember how I mentioned about being able to print colored engineer prints? They aren’t quite as inexpensive as the black and white ones, but they’re still a pretty low-cost investment for large wall decor you can make yourself and customize!
See how Upcycled Treasures created her own watercolor from a photo and then printed and framed it, here on Bekob.
This printable from Lemon Thistle (here on Bekob) would make a great candidate for a colored engineer print!
Monochrome color engineer prints of classic story book pages look great as playroom Handmade wall decor at Blesser House‘s house.
Young House Love used discarded retail display art, but this could be a fun option for a colored engineer print wall art installation, too!
And when you want to frame an engineer print, Hi Sugarplum has the details for hacking an IKEA Ribba frame to look great and fit the mat.
This Handmade wall decor set of large botanical prints is a strong option for a large wall art option! (Blesser House)
How to Add Color to An Engineer Print
For a vintage look, you can also add color to your black and white oversized engineer print — try these 3 options from Parabo Press (yes, those are real flowers!):
Add some color for a large wall art installment, using this embroidered engineer print walkthrough (Brit + Co)
Paint the edges of the engineer print mounting board or foam core for a pop of colorful Handmade wall decor (Bower Power).
Use a large colored frame for your engineer print photo (Sugar Bee Crafts).
Or print a large coloring page as a tablecloth, photo backdrop, or wall decor for a party! Just add a banner, streamers, or balloons for color. These are from Caravan Shoppe and I imagine you could get creative with other coloring pages online and Brynne’s instructions linked above.
More large Handmade wall decor options:
- 50 Affordable Handmade Wall Decor options for Large Walls
- How to Decorate Large Walls
- 25 Handmade Kids Wall Art Tutorials
- Functional Handmade Wall Decor Shelves and Organizers
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First published 02 July 2015 // Updated 20 March 2020
