Inside Tips About Buying Photo Canvas Prints Online

Don't Believe The Hype!

It struck me the other day that, once you've read some of my photo tips and are now taking fantastic photographs (ahem)... you might want to do something with them?

Dye Sub Printer

OK we can dash of to the local photo lab/supermarket/chemist and get some prints bashed out ...or go online and do the same. But and believe me it's a big but , there is so much more the digital format can do. One of the biggest and most popular photography trends to come of the 'digital explosion' is getting a PHOTO CANVAS, printed of your own photography, great looking modern and classy. Unframed and simple they will fit into nearly all types of décor and look great. Good for your own house or as a special personalised gift.

"So I can go online, just get one and 'bingo, job done' right? After all, there are new sites popping up every day claiming to offer stuff better than the last site you checked out" ...

I'll give you some facts and you decide...

Its all about the canvas

There are so many different types of canvas, it can get a little bit boring ... so does it make any difference? It depends what you want for your money, why is a Mercedes more expensive than a Kia?

The vast majority of canvas prints will be PVC coated canvas printed with solvent based inks. The ink can crack on the corners and the whole thing has a 'plasitcy' look and feel. some less 'bothered' printers call this 'giclee' printing ... its not. Giclee is an old fashioned and very smelly varnish they used to seal prints with 'back in the day'. There are some printers who have systems that are excellent. Don't get me wrong, but I'm afraid the vast amount of them are just just jumping on a hot trend to make some fast buck.

The other major alternative is 'woven canvas' for transfer ink. This is uncoated canvas, printed with a water based, heat cured ink, very eco friendly and very, very hardwearing, it's also used for handbags and shoes so it's got to be hardwearing. This type of printing involves some pretty heavy weight machinery to 'cure' the prints into the textile, the big advantage of this is that the inks don't affect the feel of the textile, keeping them soft and natural feeling. The overall effect is a much higher quality look to the print, its hard to put into words how classy dye transfer looks, so I won't. It just does OK?

Its all about the print as well

So you've taken a great portrait of your Mum and got it printed onto a canvas, as a gift online.... Why is her face now purple? It didn't look like that on-screen!

Most large format digital inkjet printers are stable machines these days and looked after will offer years of reliable service. The fly in the ointment here is that the owner doesn't look after them or uses cheaper third party inks in them they will be most likely to spit out mile after mile of sub-standard, weak, colour shifted, streaky, PANTS. (and no one wants streaky pants do they....mark?)

Problem is how do you know that from a website? After all no one is going to put a rubbish print in their shop window are they?

This is a tough one to work out online. Your best bet is to look for a quality or satisfaction guarantee, if they are prepared to put their money where their mouth is at least you have some recompense should the quality not be as you expect.

...eeerr and its all about frames....too

Best on a deep frame, (1.5 or 2 inches is the norm) this will keep it square and true. If a canvas print seems cheap it's a good chance it will be on a ½ inch frames and made of MDF or cheap knotty pine that could warp. Look for at least 1.5 inch deep, kiln dried soft wood .. preferably from managed plantations.

You may read on some sites, about 'wedges' on the inside corners of the frame. Here's the heads up on that. If the printer is using poor quality canvas it will stretch over time and need wedges in the frames to re tighten it. This concept came from the days when cotton canvas was stretched and oil painted and the cotton took in moisture from the air and became slack.

If they use wedges in 2007 be careful.

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Lifetime Canvas Prints

Professionaly printed photos on canvas

To get your photos to last a life time you need to have them professionally printed. You will already be familiar with old fashioned faded paper photos... very charming but they did not hold their colour vibrancy. These days photos on canvas will stay color true for years and often 75 years or longer.

Dye Sub Printer

When you have your photo printed as a canvas print then its life time is assured if you have selected a good printer and supplier. Your canvas may require a little maintenance such as dusting or wedge adjustment on the reverse to keep the canvas image taught.

When you have your print on canvas you need to select the best place for it so choose the right spot for hanging canvas prints. Try not to let it be exposed to direct sunlight. So when you mount the canvas on the wall, you should carefully choose a spot that does not get direct sunlight.

Do not worry about exposed to moisture or draughts for dye sublimated canvas prints as they will not be affected (cheaper giclee ones will run however). If the frame is a laminated bar it will not warp or twist unlike cheaper wooden frames with knots and twists on which the canvas are mounted. The cheaper canvas print frame can warp due to constant exposure to draught and this will affect its surface.

Dust your canvas regularly with dry cloth or duster. If you have dye sub canvas it is best to gently vacuum them as the woven canvas print will allow air to pass meaning they can be cleaned with light vacuum or dust buster.

If your canvas images are not dusted regularly, layers of dust can settle on the surface making the picture look dull over a period of time. Once the dust gets settled on the surface, it will be difficult to get rid of it completely. On a dye sublimated canvas you can never use soapy water to clean a mark or stain you may have had the misfortune to encounter on the surface of your prints

One day when your family are reviewing your history these canvas prints will become treasured even more so this means the memories will last more than a lifetime!

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