Canvas printing technique
Today, we take more photos than ever before using our digital cameras and mobile phones. We store them on our computers and tend not to print them and rarely look at them. In the past it was only possible to paint on canvas using oil paint, but modern technology has made it is possible to take advantage of the unique quality that is achievable when printing photos onto canvas.
Printing on canvas can make a picture really stand out and look beautiful. It is special and has a distinctive quality and also has a long life span. Canvas ages well and can really make a picture feel enduring and can capture the moment gracefully. Printing on canvas allows you to preserve your most treasured memories which can be cherished in years to come, and is the choice today of most professional photographers.
Not only can photos be printed onto canvas, they can be reproduced in black and white, or be enhanced by taking away red eye or editing any damage. With the correct care and elimination of direct sunlight, your print has the potential to last a lifetime, as the UV inks employed contain light stabilisers that can keep prints looking new.
An Inkjet process is used for the majority of canvas art printing, commonly referred to as Giclee. Giclee (pronounced Gee’clay) is derived from the French expression meaning to spray or squirt, which is how an inkjet printer works.
Once the image is printed, the canvas is trimmed to size and glued and stapled to traditional stretcher bars or a wooden panel. This is then displayed in a frame or as a gallery wrap.
Gallery wrapping is a term for the process used for framing canvas prints and can be used to enhance the three-dimensional effect of the mounted print. It takes a lot of skill and experience to accomplish a finish that is of high quality. The print is firmly stretched and wrapped around the rim of the canvas, particularly on smaller size canvases, as on some photographs, significant details are near the edge.
