Canvas Printing Materials

Canvas printing is possibly one of the fastest growing segments in digital image reproduction. More than half of our workload is from canvas. After testing pretty much all the different products offered on the market, I can say the differences among different manufacturers are marked. Our criteria for selecting the canvas to print clients' giclees is the following:

-Water resistance: a good canvas should not run when touched or when a little droplet of water falls on it. Some canvas we tested had to be very carefully handled before coating to avoid smearing. One particular product was so delicate that even casually brushing against the inks would cause damage.

-Scuff resistance: proper coating can eliminate problems even with canvas materials that are easy to scratch.

-Color gamut: the major issue with canvas is a reduced color gamut. This was the hardest to measure and we were surprised to see the great difference among different products. This said, new advancements in coating technology are quickly bridging the gamut gap between canvas and photo papers.

-Consistency: canvas has to be consistent from batch to batch. Also, print holes (tiny white dots where the inks cannot bind to the coating) are common with some brands and cause a lot of waste.

-Archival properties: only use canvas that is acid-free with a neutral PH coating. No need to explain further!

-OBA free: make sure you request canvas free of OBAs (Optical Brightner Additives). It is used to achieve a whiter base at the expense of archivability. What happens is similar to using bleach on clothes and not washing them to remove the chlorine residue. Over time, the canvas will yellow. My personal advice, stay away from OBAs.

I am not gong to advise any brand in particular because each manufacturer has substrates that will appeal to different people. To make an example, one canvas may be very white with a bold saturated look, while another will produce a softer giclee. It all depends on individual preferences and the nature of what is being reproduced.

A very important point I want to bring up regarding canvas and other giclee papers in general is this: Whether you print your own or you use a professional, do not order off brand, overseas cheap materials. If you buy for your printing needs, it is easy to do some research about the product. Stay away from giclee printing companies that do not disclose what brands and inks they use. Someone who states "matte canvas" or "watercolor paper" without saying who the manufacturer is, may have something to hide. Why? Canvas coming from Asia can cost one third of American and European made brands. You get what you pay for. This said, it is possible that we will see more consistent products coming from low cost countries but at this time I am definitely not seeing the benefits of saving the money and sacrifice quality.

We keep testing other manufacturers' new lines and the competition is so fierce that we can expect better offerings and technical improvements. The canvas types we carry are free of brighteners and we still strongly advise to coat anyway. Coating enhances saturation, Dmax, scuff protection and archival properties.