Canvas Printing
As with the Giclée printing, every step of the canvas printing process is designed to ensure the integrity of the original image.
The materials
Paper
I use Fotospeed Canvas Matt Renaissance 350. It’s a poly-cotton canvas with a uniform matt finish. Because of its bright white appearance and crack-resistant surface, it ensures a consistently excellent result when stretching and framing.
Ink
My ink of choice is Canon Lucia Ex 12 inks. They’ve been specially developed by Canon to work with their ipf6400 and Pro1 printers, both of which are designed for specialist photographic and fine art applications. The Canon Ex 12 is a 12 colour pigment inkjet system with image processing technology that delivers a wide colour gamut, smooth graduations, less bronzing and highly scratch-resistant prints.
Together they deliver an exceptional print quality that will last over 80 years!
Stretcher bars
I swear by Gallery Stretcher Bars, made from UK pine, 38mm deep and 35mm wide. They come complete with wedges in the back. These are brilliant because, as the canvas naturally loses tension over time, a quick tap of the wedges with a hammer increases the tension again meaning you don’t have to re-stretch the whole canvas.
The process
After the printing process itself, every canvas is left to dry for a minimum of 24 hours. Once it’s completely dry it’s coated with a water-based varnish. This adds richness and depth to the blacks and colours of the ink and provides a protective finish to increase the longevity of the canvas print.
Choose your option
Option 1 — Mirrored Image
This is the most popular option. Here I mirror the edge of the print image around the side of the canvas. This ensures the front image is unaffected and your print is instantly gallery-ready. It’s a particularly good choice for landscape and still-life photography.
Option 2 — Image wrap
Here the existing image is wrapped around the sides of the stretcher bars. It can look really effective but you have to be aware that if any vital part of the picture sits close to the frame, the mirrored image option might be a better bet.
Option 3 — Solid sides
With this option, the image doesn’t extend to the side bars, which can then be coloured with solid black or white.
If you’re unsure which is the best option for your image, give me a shout and I’ll be happy to advise.
Framing
Need a frame for your canvas print?
I use tray frames with L-shaped mouldings, which can be removed at any time without damaging the canvas.
Price List
Below you’ll find a price list for the most common canvas print sizes. Please get in touch if you can’t see the size you need.
Next steps.
Ready to place your order?
Need some advice about your images?
Email: iain@iainglennieframing.com
Call to arrange an appointment: 07840 193 784
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