Printing to canvas

I have a client who is requesting a number of prints to canvas. Unfortunately I have no experience in this medium although there are a number of respectable parties locally who could do it. Any advice, pitfalls? What are the advantages/disadvantages? Thanks.

The most important thing is that the canvas should be fed into the printer using a straight paper path to keep it flat. Not all printers have this option. Other than that, like any paper, a good profile is a must.

Results on canvas look very interesting. In my personal opinion some images are better suited for this medium (especially ones that have a soft/painterly look rather than ones that rely on very fine detail).

Guy

I just recently tried one of my images on canvas and was very pleased. I have a local lab that does a very good job. She even wrapped it for me. I concur with Guy...it depends on the image. The finer the detail is, I think it won't look right on canvas but for a more painterly, impressionistic photo, the canvas really looks nice. Be aware of the calibrations on the lab's monitor. My blues were a bit different and we had to rework the colors but I was very satisfied and the price was not unreasonable. I've had several people comment about the "painting" so it may be a possibility for the future. Also, they can put "glue" on some of the canvas making it look more like an oil painting. Lots of possibilities and fun too. I'd find a lab that is willing to work with you and experiment a bit before the final product. Have fun.

We market a lot of canvases through our studio, all printed by a lab. These are portraits, both studio and outdoor. I agree with the others about the "painterly" look of studio shots, whether soft or sharp. Outdoor portraits and groups with lots of scenery fare well too, though in our experience you have to be even more careful than usual about maintaining detail in highlights and shadows to be really successful. From volume of sales (and we don't sell them cheaply by any means), our customers agree about the quality and look.

I'd be darn sure to look at samples if you use a lab or carefully consider your mounting options if you print your own. When you receive your order, inspect it very carefully for scratches or chips incurred in shipping due to packaging or handling proglems, as well as flaws from printing problems. If anything isn't perfect, send it back and make them do it over. You're talking high dollar market here and you don't want a rep with your customers for problems. If you're printing your own, make sure you can do a great mounting job or know where to contract for it.

For our tastes (and sales) stretchers are best, rather than flats. We have both in our displays, some dating back 15 years or so. For whatever reason the stretchers seem to look better as they age. Canvas is framed unmatted and without glass, so fairly substancial "painting" style frames usually look better than the thinner frames more typical of photos.

I've been printing on canvas using an Epson 4800 and like the results. The canvas comes on rolls and feeds through without a problem...you just have to turn off the internal cutter and cut the prints off by hand. I use a spray protector as there will probably not be glass protecting the print from UV.

I had a photo of a blade of grass bent over with ice crystals after an early season snow storm, printed on canvas, hanging in an art show. Opening night I was sitting with some friends where I could watch people's reaction to the photo. Several people concluded that the label was incorrect and that it was a painting and not a photo. One gal even surreptitiously reached up with a fingernail and ran it over the canvas.

Just a quick profiling note to those who are printing their own canvas:
The uneven surface of canvas can make profiling tricky. A regular spectrophotometer may not be able to accurately read the intended colors off of a profiling target page. We use a SpectroScan table with a polarizing filter to filter out stray reflections of light for canvas profiles.

-Patrick Herold
Chromix, Inc.

I have been printing on canvas using an Epson 3800. I attach a short leader to the canvas to get a more reliable feed. There are a number of canvas materials out there. Some have a heavier weave than others. You might be concerned with how white the canvas is if you have any significant amount of white in the image. The image I was disappointed in was one with some important white portions and the canvas I used didn't do the image justice. I also use a spray UV protector. If you are going to stretch you own....it takes patience and practice.

Thanks so much for all your responses. KKY