Peter Lymburner Robertson was demonstrating a spring-loaded screwdriver when the blade slipped from the screw slot and badly cut his hand. Rather than accept the flaw, he set out to invent a safer, better screw. In 1908, he established his manufacturing business in Milton, Ontario, and by 1909 had patented what would become one of Canada’s most practical and enduring inventions—the Robertson screw.

More than a century later, the square-drive Robertson remains a staple in workshops and job sites across Canada, prized for its simplicity, reliability, and unmistakable design.

The Story Behind Our Robertson Screw Circa 1909 Art Print

This piece continues my admittedly weird fascination with simple functional objects that quietly changed everyday life. The Robertson screw may not seem glamorous, but for anyone who’s ever worked with tools, built something by hand, or appreciated good design, it’s kind of brilliant.

What inspired me here was the idea of treating this humble Canadian invention almost like a historical artifact—pairing it with typography and design cues inspired by the early 1900s while still keeping the overall look clean and modern.

The result is a minimalist industrial-style piece that celebrates ingenuity, craftsmanship, and one of Canada’s most underrated inventions.

Why You’ll Love It

• Celebrates a Canadian Invention: A tribute to the iconic Robertson screw and its Ontario roots.
• Vintage Industrial Style: Rustic textures and period-inspired typography create timeless character.
• Minimalist Modern Design: Clean composition with strong graphic impact.
• Perfect for Makers & Tool Lovers: A subtle nod to craftsmanship, engineering, and practical design.
• Premium Quality: Printed on archival-grade paper for crisp detail, rich tones, and lasting durability.

Where It Belongs

In a workshop, garage, office, studio, or anywhere that appreciates clever design, Canadian innovation, and the beauty of functional objects.

Paper and ink qualities

Our prints feature high resolution, detailed images which we reproduce using high quality, archival UV protected inks and our carefully selected satin photo paper. The inks promise unparalleled colour brilliance. Our paper is durable with a low glare finish that promises the best reproduction performance.

Specifications

Heavy 11 mil base  |  Neutral white  |  Millions of colours   |  Medium water resistance*  |  200 year fade resistance 

* Inks are resistant to clean water spills. Dab spills with a clean, soft, absorbent cloth immediately. Non-clear liquids will immediately and permanently stain the surface.

Actual appearance versus Website appearance

When you view our prints online, they can look different on each computer, tablet or phone you view them from. Technology differences are beyond our control, meaning we cannot absolutely guarantee what you view online and what you receive will appear exactly as you expected. 

Looking for just a frame?

Please note, our frames are custom-designed to complement our art prints and are available only as an add-on with a print purchase.

Framing Made Easy (and affordable).

We hear it all the time... people love to buy art but often decide against it because the cost of framing is an extra expensive. Not at ManMade Art. We founded our store on the principle that high-quality art should be affordable too. Making art accessible to everyone is a core philosophy that we continue to live by and those principles extend to offering you quality framing at a reasonable price. 

ManMade Art's custom-made, gallery-style frames are made in Canada and include materials 100% sourced from Canadian businesses.

Choose from Two Designer Finishes.

We make buying art simple. Some of our prints are uniquely-sized and you may it hard to challenging find a frame that fits. Ordering your items in frames solves that problem AND ensures you unwrap your order ready to hang! Choose from matte black lacquer or laminated driftwood finishes crafted from solid wood material.

Thick Acrylic Glazing.

Each order is framed behind acrylic, also known as 'plexiglass. Using acrylic ensures your order reaches you safely and unbroken. Acrylic has the same, if not higher, optical clarity as glass. And, unlike big-box store frames that typically use paper-thin acrylic, our glazing is 2mm thick—equal to the thickness of standard framing glass or roughly the thickness of two dimes. 

ManMade to Order (and hang).

Every order is installed in its frame with sturdy, rigid framing points and sealed with an acid-free backing sheet that protects your art from infiltrating dust and insects. Combined with a sawtooth hanger and silicone bumpers, your piece will hang perfectly without marking or discolouring your walls.

This size guide helps you to find out the exact outer measurements of all ManMade Art prints and frames available in our store. All dimensions are displayed in inches, Width x Height.

Prints with a White Border

These have a white margin surrounding the artwork. It is not a separate physical photo mat. The size of the white border is included in the total dimensions of the print. For example, an 11"x14" print with a white border means the entire piece of paper, including the border and artwork, measures 11"x14".

Prints Without a White Border

These are "full-bleed" prints, where the artwork extends all the way to the edges of the specified dimensions. For example, a 11"x14" print without a white border means the artwork covers the entire 11"x14" area without any margin.

Dimensions by Format

Format	Specified Size		Print Size (Trimmed)	Outer Frame Size
Rectangular	SMALL	11" x 14"	11" x 14"	12.5" x 15.5"
		14" x 11"	14" x 11"	15.5" x 12.5"
	LARGE	16" x 20"	16" x 20"	17.5" 21.5"
		20" x 16"	20" x 16"	21.5" 17.5"
Square	SMALL	12.5"x12.5"	12.5"x12.5"	14" x 14"
		16" x 16"	16" x 16"	17.5" x 17.5"
Panoramic	ONE SIZE	10" x 27.5"	10" x 27.5"	11.5" x 29"
		27.5" x 10"	27.5" x 10"	29" x 11.5"

Shipping Terms & Conditions.

Order $100 or more and get free shipping to most locations in Canada. 

Canadian orders over $100 ship free, or under $100 ship for a flat rate to the following provinces:

• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec
• Ontario
• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Alberta
• British Columbia

Canada North Standard Shipping.

Canadian orders over $200 ship free, or under $200 ship for a flat rate to the following provinces and territories:

• Newfoundland & Labrador
• Nunavut
• North West Territories
• Yukon Territory

Greeting Card Shipping.

Buy 5 or more on greeting cards and enjoy free shipping! Orders under less than 5 cards will be subject to a flat rate shipping fee. 

Free shipping for cards is not available on Canada North orders.

Please note, free shipping on greeting cards applies only to orders consisting solely of greeting cards. Card orders included with prints or framed items will be subject to the $150 minimum order requirement for free shipping.

International Shipping.

We do not offer shipping outside of Canada. International shipping requests are quoted on a case-by-case basis. Contact us if you have a specific international request.

Shipping and Delivery Times.

Express Shipping.

Please allow 1–3 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) to process, print, frame and package your order. Shipping transit times vary depending on your location, however, most orders reach their Canadian destination in 1-5 business days.

Standard Shipping.

Please allow 1–3 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) to process, print, frame and package your order. Shipping times vary depending on your location, however, most orders reach their northern or remote Canadian destination in 3-8 business days. Please note that some remote destination transit times may be longer.

Pre-inspection Before Shipping.

We stand by our products. Each print and frame is inspected for printing defects or damages as it is packaged for shipping. We will not ship prints or framed art we would not be proud to hang on our walls.  

Packaging Care and Materials.

Every ManMade Art order leaves our studio in packaging custom made for our products, ensuring it arrives in excellent condition. Unfortunately, accidents can happen in transit. If your order arrives damaged, we will replace it. We only ask that you provide photos of the packaging and item damages so we can assess what happened during shipping. 

Damaged in Transit.

All orders are carefully packaged in sturdy cardboard containers to protect them from the normal rigours of shipping. If your package arrives damaged, please keep the original packaging and send us photos. We'll get a replacement to you, but we can't process a replacement without seeing the damage first.

Shipping Policy and Terms.

Please double-check your shipping address and ensure it can be received at your specified address (residence or business). If, for some reason, delivery is denied to the correct address, fear not, we will help you find your order. If we give the shipper the wrong delivery address, we will pay for any extra shipping charges associated with the error. If it is hopelessly lost for reasons beyond our control, unfortunately, we'll have to share the new shipping costs based on our standard rates. Repeat free shipping is a one-time offer not available in these situations.