A Look at the History of Canvas Prints

A canvas print made today is often also considered a giclee print because it is a high resolution, fine quality digital inkjet print. Any digital image whether it be a graphic, painting or photograph are all options for printing on canvas.

History of canvas prints

Before giclee print technology was available there were many professional photo labs offering what were photo canvas prints. These were made by taking a chemical photographic print and separating the emulsion from the backing, which was then pressed onto a piece of canvas material and stretched on a wood frame. Often these prints weren't available to the general public and had trouble with longevity as is often an issue with traditional chemical printing processes.

Digital art printers were available in the 1980s but since 2000 the technology has rapidly improved and expanded with printer manufacturers Epson, Canon and HP dominating the digital printing market. In many photo labs chemical processes have been almost completely eliminated.

There are several different technologies that make printing directly on canvas possible today. The most popular is Aqueous printers which use water-based pigment inks and work much the same way as a desktop printer does. They have much higher resolution capabilities and can print to a variety of paper and fabric materials made for this type of printing. Canvases made with this type of printing require an additional layer of coating for durability and UV protection. This is typically done with a water-based liquid laminate.

UV curable printers are flatbed printers than can print on even hard substrates like metal and wood, but can have problems with cracking and splitting on a flexible material like canvas. The resolution is often lower on this type of prints and creates a slightly raised effect where the ink is printed.

Solvent printers are often used for sign and banner printing but the inks have many harmful chemicals and can cause issues in the work environment and when it comes down to needing to dispose of used material. In recent years Eco-Solvent inks have been introduced which eliminate these issues. Epson has taken their fine art printing technology and combined it with the new Eco-Solvent ink system to create the GS6000 which Canvas Press uses exclusively for canvas gallery wrap printing. Canvases made on this printer are the most durable available and have all the resolution and color reproduction capabilities of an aqueous printer without the need for additional coating. The Wilhlem Imaging Research Institute has rated canvas prints on this machine to have a print permanence rating of 91 years. This means there will be no sign of fading or discoloration of the image for 91 years.

How do you make a canvas print?

All you need to do is provide us with a digital image. It could be a digital photograph, a scan of a negative or photo print. It can also be a digital photograph or scan of a painting or other artwork, or even an image that has been created on the computer as a graphic or other digital design.

With the technology available it doesn't take more than a few days for a canvas print to be printed and stretched. The canvas will arrive with all the hanging hardware you need. It will last even when displayed in direct window light and only needs light dusting from time to time. In the event it becomes dirty, a soft damp cloth should clean off debris without damaging the ink.

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