Canvas print

A canvas print, also known as a stretched canvas or canvas art, is the result of an image printed onto canvas which is stretched, or gallery-wrapped, onto a frame and displayed. Canvas prints are often used in interior design, with 'stock' images, or customised with personal photographs.

Printing methods

Reproductions of original artwork have been printed on canvas for many decades using offset printing. Since the 1990s, canvas print has been associated with either dye sublimation or inkjet print processes (often referred to as Repligraph and Giclée respectively). The canvas print material is generally cotton, or a cheaper alternative plastic based Poly Canvas often used for the reproduction of photographic images.

Modern large format printers are capable of printing onto canvas rolls measuring 60" or more. Modern examples of inkjet-based printers capable of printing directly onto canvas are the HP Designjet z6100 and the Epson Ultra Chrome 11880. Printers such as these allow artists and photographers to print their works directly onto canvas media, with slow print speed settings available to ensure print quality is not deminished.

Printed canvas for wall art is generally of a weight around 400gsm and should be 100% pure white cotton for a more exact colour representation.

Construction methods

After the image is printed, the canvas is trimmed to size and glued, or stapled to traditional stretcher bars, or a wooden panel and displayed in a frame, or as a gallery wrap. The frames are usually constructed from solid pine and underpinned for added strength. A print that is designed to continue round the edges of a stretcher frame once gallery-wrapped is referred to as full-bleed. This can be used to enhance the three-dimensional effect of the mounted print.

Uses for Prints

Canvas prints are commonly used in home decor, either chosen by professional interior designers, or by the home-owner. Canvas prints can be mass-produced and available through high-street retailers and home-improvement stores, such as Ikea, or personalised one-off canvas prints produced from the individual's own photograph, or drawing, usually uploaded via the internet, or ordered direct from social media websites.

Canvas prints are often used as a cheaper alternative to framed artwork as there is no glazing required and the pine frame is not usually visible, so do not need to be varnished, or treated.

See also

• Shaped canvas
• Giclée

References

• Canvas Printing Methods and History
• Canvas Print Processes