Displate Metal Prints: Art that Sticks

There are plenty of print-on-demand art brands available online, but I will only spend my money on art that I’d want to enjoy for years at a time or hopefully forever. I was aware of Displate’s metal posters via their admittedly impressive advertising campaign long before they reached out and offered to send me a few, and while I was on the fence about applying stickers onto my walls as opposed to hanging traditional wall art, I’m all-in on recommending Displate for anyone looking for fairly priced, ultra-rugged, and visually impressive décor.

If you’re reading this review, chances are good that you’re on the fence about Displate as I was, so let me explain how these metal posters differ from what you may be used to, and how they impressed me.

Displate Metal Posters

$49.00 – $164.00 from Displate

What is a “Displate?”

A Displate is a thin sheet of stainless steel, printed with a design you like, and is easily affixed onto your wall via one or two stickers and magnets. Displate offers a mind-boggling amount of attractive options, including fan-favorite official art stores such as Spy x Family, Planet of the Apes, and classic Activision games, as well as a sizable collection of pieces uploaded from independent artists too.

I took my time hunting for the best designs for my home office out of the thousands of choices. The futuristic Stellaris Box Art, trippy PAC-MAN “Shine On,” and timeless Atari “Yars’ Revenge” Displates won me over in the end.

Displate style

My biggest concerns surrounding Displate as a product were that they’d be cemented to my wall and be a nightmare to remove if I didn’t like them. I also worried that the metal posters weren’t going to be as visually impressive as advertised.

I’m glad to report that it’s the opposite; the included stickers are firmly in place to support its partner magnet and the metal poster itself, they’re absolutely not going to damage the surface of your walls, and the adhesive is easy enough to scrape or peel off if you ever needed to relocate or remove a Displate.

The Displates themselves are perfectly smooth on all sides and feature pixel-perfect printing with bold and vibrant colors, which translate to a uniform museum-grade appearance.

I tested two large Displates and a medium metal poster. If you have the space for an eye-catching centerpiece, I highly recommend going bigger. That’s not disparaging the medium size at all, as my Atari Displate looks just as sharp and vividly colored as their bigger counterparts, but I really like the look of the classic poster-sized large edition. 

I should note that an extra-large Displate is composed of four large metal posters, and while the cross-like seam between them would be a distraction for me, it may fit your aesthetics. I highly recommend buying the matte edition of whatever metal poster you’re considering, because I despise it when a room’s lighting obscures a piece of art’s finer features due to a glossy finish. (Note that all of the Displates featured here have a matte finish.)

Ordering Displates is a snap, shipping is relatively fast considering it was sent from Poland to Florida, and with a 100-day return window, I suggest trying Displate if there’s a piece in their expansive gallery that you’d want on your wall for years at a time.

Functionality

Displates are as functional as they are attractive. Installation is as easy as wiping down your wall to remove any dust, estimating the middle of your Displate, applying the sticker in that spot and pressing it evenly to remove any air pockets, pressing its companion magnet into place for a few seconds. The Displate will literally snap into place when you attach it to the magnet. Each medium Displate includes a single sticker and magnet, while large metal posters feature two a piece to stay secured in place.

Speaking of which, these wide, strong magnets ensure that your Displates aren’t going anywhere. The way the magnets pull on the middle of the metal poster ensures that its edges are perfectly flush with your wall for a consistently sleek and modern look that I really appreciate.

While I’m perfectly happy with enjoying my Displates as permanent fixtures, I can imagine some art collectors buying multiple designs to easily swap them out for seasonal room refreshes or when cool new posters hit the store. Speaking of which, one of the bonuses of displaying metal posters over paper or canvas is that they easily wipe clean with a quick swipe of a soft cloth and are extremely fade-resistant over time. If you are the type who wants to move their favorite Displate to a new location, you can always buy a few new magnets here.

Displate’s packaging is top-notch as well, and it is practically impossible for your art to get damaged during transit, and while I’ll always praise premium parceling that shows a brand cares about their patrons, the metal posters are durable and are all but guaranteed to look as good on day one as they will far into the future.

I was pleasantly surprised at how simple Displates are to install and how the innovatively designed stickers were made to hold a large metal poster firmly in place without damaging the wall underneath. The Displates themselves are gorgeous, with stunning prints featuring the rich color and exact tones of the digital storefront counterparts. There’s so much to see, sp plan on spending an hour or so just browsing to see what jumps out at you.

Displate Metal Posters

$49.00 – $164.00 from Displate

Art collectors will certainly get their money’s worth by grabbing a dazzling Displate that speaks to them, and if nothing else, they’re a top-tier gift for someone you know who likes anime, games, or other art too.