Just Ordered A Canvas Print

Artistic Photo Canvas (www.artisticphotocanvas.com) had a killer sale yesterday on 16" x 20" canvas gallery wraps. I've never printed on canvas but for $50 I figured I'd better give it a shot. So, I ordered a gallery wrap of the attached image and can't wait to see how it turns out!

Anyone else have any experience printing on canvas? If so, how do you like it? I'm thinking that not every image will print well this way, which is why I picked this textural, not heavily detailed image.

I'll keep ya'll posted as to my experience.

I had a few of my prints printed on canvas and I wasn't very impressed, but that's because the place I ordered them from does a crappy job on photo processing anyway - which is why I refuse to use them anymore. Good canvas prints look almost like paintings.

You can just send this canvas to me upon receipt

I thought you might like my choice of images for this one, Angela!

I haven't done canvas either but this looks like a great candidate for it Bret. Anxious to hear how you like it (or not).

Hi all,

I've printed about two dozen photos on canvas - portraits & landscapes - through CanvasOnDemand.com

They have a professional option, which saves you 20%, and they're always having sales. For example, I ordered two 16x20 prints with floating walnut frames this past weekend and the total cost was $160, with shipping. That included my 20% Pro discount, plus another 22% for a sale that they were having. And, the second print is 50% off. One of those prints is already sold and the other will be a charity donation.

I had an issue with one of their prints a couple of years ago and they gladly reprinted it for me - no cost. I've always had EXCELLENT customer service with them and quality of prints.

I also have a $25 gift card from them sitting on my desk if anyone would like to give them a try. It expires 11 April 2010. Send me an email at Tim@TimMulholland.com and I'll get it to you...

Tim!

I think you are correct, Brett, "not every image will print well this way".

I have seen a few canvas prints that I liked, but those are few and far between, so I haven't been tempted to try it. I visited one gallery outside of St. George, Utah. The images were superb, but almost everything was printed on canvas in oversaturated colors. I felt the presentation did a big diservice to the photography.

Keep us posted on the results of your experiment.

I think canvas helps take 35mm print sizes much farther than they should be able to go. I personally don't like the canvas print look. Its seems to wipe out fine detail when it is there, but it also seems to mask missing details when they aren't available. Big open grand landscapes or portraits (human or animal) seem to print better than finely textured images like forests or grasslands. Like Bill, most of the stuff I've seen on canvas in galleries has been obscenely saturated and lit to emphasize this, but I don't think it has to be that way.

Interesting observations, everyone. It's definitely an experiment for me. I figured for $50 it's worth a shot. If I don't like it, I'll probably just give it away.

No doubt it takes the right kind of image to print on such a heavily textured material. Anything with fine detail is likely out. The image I chose was photographed with a 400mm lens and isn't all that detailed. You certainly can't see every leaf. So, we'll see...

Seems to me that you chose a good candidate for the canvas treatment. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this when you get the print.

I have no experience with canvas, Bret, but I hope you'll give us your feedback as I've been thinking of doing some canvas prints.

The coating applied after printing on canvas makes a huge difference in the apparent color saturation and "pop"...

I use and highly recommend Breathing Color Museum II Giclee Veneer.

Nat: I had a feeling you'd offer some thoughts on this topic. BTW, got the book today. Thanks! I might just keep that one for myself as I haven't even seen it yet.

I do many canvas prints, both stretcher and canvas wraps.....dont know how other photographers like them, but customer love them. I use Millers Imaging ( Mpixs daddy) for most of my printing, but, not stretchers or wraps.....looks kinda cheap to me. BWC in Dallas offers great wraps and is currently running 40% off wraps with floater frames. I hear good things about Simply Canvas as well as Canvas on Demand. Over saturated.?.....probably.
Joe Rogers

I have not printed anything on canvas but the print by Ken W. I brought home from the Shindig looks pretty darn awsome above my mantel. Ken the light just jumps off that print! I am sure that has a lot to do with the photographers talent! But it makes me want to try some of my stuff on canvas. Who did you say that was printed by?

Bret et al,

In no particular order:

I got a canvas gallery wrap from Canvas on Demand and while color, sharpness, saturation were all very good the frame itself was only 1/2 inch so did not stand out from the wall much. It seems "flimsy" but hey,. I only paid $50 for the 16X20.

I have a gallery wrap from MPIX I got about a year ago and the frame was thicker and more solid, color, sat, sharpness all good. No problems with this at all.

Tim Ernst(cloudland.net) prints his own canvas and build his own frames, etc. His images are SHARP and very colorful He had open houses at his gallery this past holiday season
with about 3 dozen large canvas wraps on his walls. He made a HD movie and posted it on his Clouland Journal link off his home page. I THINK if you go back to November and December you should see the link for the movie. Wait for the download and watch it and you can see how gorgeous this stuff can be. If it is not still there I bet he would send you the file. He is an Apple guy so you will need Quicktime to view it.

I work at a framing shop, and we see a lot of these giclee prints coming through. More often than not the images over saturated and have color shift. The most memorable case is a portrait of a family with all of their faces damn near beet red. I can't believe that lady spent $500 to get that thing framed. I'm not sure where these images were printed so I don't have much input on who is better. Although i did just remember that my epson 2440 is able to print on canvas. might have to give it a shot.

One thing to remember about these pieces is that they are not meant to be viewed up close. They are large images and are meant to be viewed at 5 feet or more. There is going to be sharpness issues due to the size and material being printed on.

Something that I have picked up on recently, is the perception of giclee prints amongst other artists. I feel as though they are looking down on us photographers, and that the canvased photograph is over pushing the photographers boundaries as an "artist".

Also, I'm not sure why they call them giclee. Technically all inkjet prints are giclee.

I think that it comes down to personal preference. When the right image is chosen, printed correctly, presented effectively, and viewed correctly, the canvased print increases it's potential as a true piece of art. I'm still yet to see one come through the shop, but I know I have seen them. A print of Mesa Arch comes to mind, not sure where I saw it though.

So there it is,my two cents.

I had a print done on canvas once by one a printer. I then went to a framer who suggested putting the coating on that helps preserve it and bring out the colors. Well, the ink apparently was cheap and the coating reacted with the ink on the canvas. It was totally destroyed and wierd. The framer, who has good quality ink redid it for free and applied the coating. It made a huge difference. Just an FYI.

I think photographic canvas wraps work best at 20x30 or larger ... when displayed with a larger viewing distance. Abstract images can work well much smaller. My opinion anyway. Not cheap, but you ought to try a 30x40 for comparison of impact/presentation on the wall. That's a great image for a large wrap.

Colorado's Duraplaq does canvas wraps as well, for any of you local Duraplaq fans. (They also do aluminum now.) Much has already been said here about their stellar quality. I just found out about this offering, so I haven't tried it yet.

i just remembered where i saw the photo of mesa arch. The Venetian in Las Vegas. there is a wonderful gallery their with many giclee prints. i'll be there in 2 weeks, gotta check it out again.

The only experience I have with this is for Christmas my parents got one of my pictures printed on canvas. I think it turned out pretty decent, maybe not the best picture for it but from a little distance away it looks pretty good.