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03-27-2012, 09:52 AM   #1
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What's the point of printing on canvas?

I am not asking this question in a snarky way. I just want to know why so many people are doing it. Is it to give the photographic image a painterly quality? Is it because canvas prints sell better than paper prints?

Help me to understand the appeal of canvas.

Rob

03-27-2012, 09:59 AM   #2
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For me, it was a cheap way to have big and cheap prints of some of my photos: special offer on discount site, no need for additional framing and looks good enough when seen from far enough (which is the case from where they are hanging).
03-27-2012, 10:18 AM   #3
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It's really nothing more than taste ... I just had some prints done on aluminum, called strangely enough, Metal Prints. They looked fantastic, but different than paper or canvas. Just comes down to what "you" think looks good and what goes with the decor of the room they will be hung in.
03-27-2012, 10:20 AM   #4
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  • Images on canvas can be printed much larger since the texture masks the artifacts of low dpi printing
  • Larger sizes always sell better
  • Many collectors perceive canvas prints as "fine art" since paper ones will compete with snapshots from the drugstore or home printers
  • Canvas can be stretched and framed like paintings, further enhancing the "fine art" perception
  • Canvas prints can be coated with a number of materials, e.g. resin, acrylic, etc, to make a very unique work of art
  • It is a lot cheaper to print, stretch and coat a canvas print than to print on papers and frame it the traditional way with archival mat, frame and glass
Above all, it is a matter of aesthetics. Most fine art images have an element of abstraction and canvas enhances that.

03-27-2012, 10:23 AM   #5
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I like the texture and the "Pop" that canvas provides for some photos. Also the gallery wrap option that requires no backing, mat, glass or frame and stands out from the wall.
I have done some scan and repair work on very old photography in photoshop for family and clients,printed them 8x10 matt or semi gloss finish canvas on my home printer, and most seem to really love the effect.
03-27-2012, 10:43 AM   #6
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Of the money we made selling prints last year, all of it came from canvas. I can charge more for a canvas print that I send out to have done, than I can for a framed print, where I've had to clean the frame then custom cut a mat. # times as much work, and I can't get as much for it selling it. I'm hoping it's a fad. But right now we're debating whether or not to even buy frames this year, we made so little on them last year. As for what we have hanging in our house, I really like the canvases. My rule for art shows is " Never print something you wouldn't want hanging in your house." Because if it doesn't sell, that's what's going to happen to it. Right now we have both prints and canvases hanging, but just because of their size, 20x30, I notice the canvases more. Someone mentioned canvas hides imperfections with texture. It's more than that. My canvases are not behind glass, so they also don't emit glare or reflect light. They always look good. Some of my framed images right now , just looking around the room, I can't even see the image because of window light reflected in the glass.
03-27-2012, 10:44 AM   #7
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Um...because it's cool!

03-29-2012, 12:32 PM - 1 Like   #8
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Not having to frame behind glass is a huge potential advantage for works on canvas versus works on paper. I don't know to what exent that holds for the specific method used to make these prints, though.
03-29-2012, 01:23 PM   #9
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Glass protects the image from UV and marring.
03-31-2012, 07:59 AM   #10
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Right, but at least with paintings, the actual media itself is not really what needs protection - it is often the paper itself. That is, the pigment in the paint or pastel applied to the paper doesn't need more protection than does paint applied to canvas, so if it weren't for the fact that it were done on paper, a lot of art could be framed without glass. Pastel would still need protection from smearing, of course.

What I don't know is the extent to which the types of inks used in canvas printing need glass for protection long term, or it is assumed that unprotected works will fade but can always be reprinted if necessary. But if the inks are relatively permanent without the protection of glass, a canvas print would last longer unprotected than a paper one, could presumably be cleaned, etc, and that would be the real reason prints on paper are framed under glass - not just for protection of the ink. And of course, a framed (or unframed "gallery wrap") canvas print can be much lighter than a paper print framed under glass.

So to me, the advantage seem patently obvious - assuming that it really is the case it is reasonaly safe to display a canvas print without glass.
03-31-2012, 07:23 PM   #11
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Canvas - How long will it last?

This writer suggests that a protective coating is needed to prevent fading of canvas printed photos on display, and that environmental pollutants are more damaging than UV light.
04-02-2012, 08:17 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by civiletti Quote
Canvas - How long will it last?

This writer suggests that a protective coating is needed to prevent fading of canvas printed photos on display, and that environmental pollutants are more damaging than UV light.
Its sort of an odd article, he talks about the life of canvas and then often refers to dye inks. But finally at the end, he says pigmented inks have been tested to last more than 100 years.

The canvas printer i use claims 200 years. I tell my customers that if they see significant fading in 200 years, bring it back and i'll replace it

The term giclee inkprinting gets tossed around a lot, my understanding is that giclee means only that particulate inks are being used. And particulate inks are very important to longevity.

Also, I highly recommend that one get the clear coating, wr and uv coating, recommended in the article. Many places charge an extra $5 or fee for it - well worth it.

Now for my test:
I recently had a canvas printed incorrectly, so i tested it for cleaning ability. I ran a regular pencil over it for some friends, and then demonstrated how the 6" long pencil mark could be removed by water and a mild liquid soap. I even used a synthetic kitchen scrub pad to help me remove the pencil marked. It cleaned off fairly easily with no apparent damage to the print.

Previously i had an abrasion marks on a favorite canvas that my wife really liked. It looked like a cat had clawed it by jumping off the floor, but none of our 3 cats said they knew anything about it . In any case, i had concluded i was going to have to reprint it for my wife, but tried cleaning it first with water, mild soap and cotton cloth. Remarkably, it all cleaned off.

Framed glass covered prints can get quite heavy. especially if they are of any size. I had one greedy customer try to carry 2 of my 1'x3' framed prints to the sales desk. he dropped one and the frame/glass shattered. Of course he then said he didn't want to buy that one . I just printed a 24" by 36" canvas print and stretched it, quite reasonable to carry around.
04-02-2012, 08:27 AM   #13
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Yeah, I only skimmed the article but found what I saw equal parts interesting and frustrating.

BTW, Giclee doesn't exactly "mean" anything with respect to the type of ink used. It's more of a marketing term that refers to any high quality large format inkjet-based printing.
04-02-2012, 09:29 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Marc Sabatella Quote
BTW, Giclee doesn't exactly "mean" anything with respect to the type of ink used. It's more of a marketing term that refers to any high quality large format inkjet-based printing.
That correct, technically "giclée" means archival inkjet print.

In some art circles though,it is associated with mass-produced inkjet copies of scanned or photographed original oil/acrylic/watercolor paintings.
04-02-2012, 10:38 PM   #15
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Marc and demp10,
Technically you guys are correct, but i did find this statement under the Wikipedia discussion of "giclee"

QuoteQuote:
the word “giclée,” as a fine art term, has come to be associated with prints
using fade-resistant, archival inks (pigment based, as well as newer solvent based inks), and archival substrates
primarily produced on Epson and some other types of large format
printers
Like anything else in retail - let the buyer beware. The place i use had a discussion of their "pigmented ink" in a prominent place and leaves no doubt of what they use. I don't know what the new "solvent based inks" are all about and what resistance they have to fade.
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