When it comes to advice about printing photos on canvas, we have heard it all. Unfortunately, a lot of the advice that we’ve heard isn’t true! Don’t let misguided “advice” about art and artwork block your creativity and prevent you from achieving your décor dreams. Find out the truth behind these five common misconceptions about printing your photos on canvas.
1. All photos look like painting when printed on canvas.
If you know how canvas prints are made, you might be able to guess why this is untrue. A canvas print of a photograph is printed directly onto the canvas. The process uses different materials than printing a photograph on photo paper, but it is the same true-to-life replication. It isn’t the canvas that makes a real painting look like a painting; it’s the paint and the brush strokes. Put simply, a canvas print of a photo does not look like a painting unless it has been edited using software to look like a painting.2. You lose quality of the photo when you print it on canvas.
Having read a little bit about the canvas print process and its similarities, you are probably guessing that this one is untrue too – and you’re right! If you are using an experienced canvas print service that’s using high quality materials (like yours truly) you are not going to lose photo quality or resolution printing on canvas. In fact your photo will probably look higher quality on canvas than on the same size of photo paper!3. Canvas is for painting only.
We’re not sure how this one started, considering how many different uses there are for canvas. Canvas works well for photo and image printing for the same reasons it works well for painting: it’s durable, accepts all types of pigments and finishes, and is flexible at the same time. It also lasts for decades when properly cared for. Why wouldn’t you want your photos printed on canvas with these benefits?4. Only photos of landscapes look good on canvas.
This is a bit like saying only photos of landscapes look good as home décor or only portraits look good printed on photo paper. Like a lot of other advice out there, this is simply an opinion. Take a look at our blog to get an idea how sharp portraits and other subjects look printed on canvas.5. You can’t print photos from your iPhone or Instagram onto canvas and expect it to look good.
While it’s true that you can’t print photos at very low resolutions and get gallery worthy results (whether on canvas or photo paper), Instagram and iPhone photos are usually high enough resolution to look amazing at sizes up to 24”x24” for Instagram and up to or over 30"x40" for photos from your iPhone. These types of photos have enough pixels to be enlarged without extreme pixilation. Plus, the cameras on the newest iPhones and other high end smartphones are in some cases able to produce more detailed photos than a standard digital camera from just a few years ago! We hope that you haven’t been led astray by misguided advice about canvas prints, and we’re here to help. Contact Canvas Press with any questions you have about getting your creativity displayed on canvas and dispel false advice about your canvas print decorating ideas!This article is written for Canvas Press. To find out more about Canvas Press’products visit www.canvaspress.com.
