Resolved Circle canvas with giclée print

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Stumped79

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Hello everyone,

I’m seeking assistance from the community for two specific needs:

  1. Giclée Printing on Poly-Cotton Canvas: I’m looking for a company in the Southern California region, preferably around San Diego, that can print giclée on poly-cotton canvas and stretch/staple it with a gallery edge of a ROUND (circle) stretcher. Despite numerous calls to printers and framers who claimed this was impossible, I know it’s achievable and am hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.
  2. Custom Birch Plywood Stretchers: I need a supplier for birch plywood stretchers in a round, circle shape, specifically 40"x40" and single piece. Finding a vendor for this has also proven quite challenging.
Below is an example of what I'm looking for.

Thank you in advance for any recommendations or insights!

Round.webp


-Stumped79
 
I would try seeing if you have a mill shop near you. Most large commercial lumberyards (i.e. not Lowe's or Home Depot) will have such a facility with a CNC router. Now, it's not going to be cheap. You're talking half a sheet of $80 plywood plus shop time per stretcher.

The printing I don't know about.
 
We have been fabricating round,oval and odd shaped stretchers for many years. We usually create them out of MDF but using plywood is no different other than cost. We are located in Jamul about 20 miles east of San Diego. If you are interested you can contact me at rick@rianfabrication.com.
 
We have been fabricating round,oval and odd shaped stretchers for many years. We usually create them out of MDF but using plywood is no different other than cost. We are located in Jamul about 20 miles east of San Diego. If you are interested you can contact me at rick@rianfabrication.com.

Thank you, Rick! I will reach out.
 
Despite numerous calls to printers and framers who claimed this was impossible, I know it’s achievable and am hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.

Do you mean these printer shops you contacted told you the giclee printing part was impossible, or they thought the circular stretcher part was impossible?

I don't see any reason any print shop that has a large format canvas printer couldn't print a 40" circular image on a roll feed inkjet printer.
I don't have one that large, but do print with Epson Pro and HP wide format printers. It should be no problem at all to make you a canvas print for your purpose.
Just lay out the circular image on a square work space in Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel, (or whatever print software) , plan for several extra inches of blank canvas on all sides.
I would charge extra if the customer wanted me to cut out the circular shape, ensuring appropriate ecxess material for stretching purposes.

Is it thar they were baffled by the circular stretching concept?
I must admit it's not something I've ever seen, and would also not be able to provide a circular frame if requested.

But your description and photo got my wheels spinning with all kinds of potential ideas.

I hope you figure out it.
And please share photos of your finished project (if you feel that is appropriate).
 
Despite numerous calls to printers and framers who claimed this was impossible, I know it’s achievable and am hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.

Do you mean these printer shops you contacted told you the giclee printing part was impossible, or they thought the circular stretcher part was impossible?

I don't see any reason any print shop that has a large format canvas printer couldn't print a 40" circular image on a roll feed inkjet printer.
I don't have one that large, but do print with Epson Pro and HP wide format printers. It should be no problem at all to make you a canvas print for your purpose.
Just lay out the circular image on a square work space in Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel, (or whatever print software) , plan for several extra inches of blank canvas on all sides.
I would charge extra if the customer wanted me to cut out the circular shape, ensuring appropriate ecxess material for stretching purposes.

Is it thar they were baffled by the circular stretching concept?
I must admit it's not something I've ever seen, and would also not be able to provide a circular frame if requested.

But your description and photo got my wheels spinning with all kinds of potential ideas.

I hope you figure out it.
And please share photos of your finished project (if you feel that is appropriate).

Thanks for the question. I was referring to the repeated statements told to me by print shops that stretching the round print onto and around the round wood stretcher would be impossible and that there would be wrinkles on the edges. Of course I know this to be untrue as I've seen plenty of gallery edge giclee prints on round stretchers.
 
There is a difference between wrinkles in the main viewable area of a round stretched object and folds around the border of the stretcher.
Yes, there will have to be folds along the outside border to take up the excess fabric. Fabric can only stretch/shrink so far. This is simple surface manipulation of plainer geometry as seen in the photo you supplied.
 
Fully understood and agreed, JFeig. There was repeat concern (from others) about wrinkles on the front-face outer edge. I take no issue with the folds/wrinkles on the backside. Now it's just a matter of locating a skilled framing company in my region who can do the quality work.
 
Simon Liu also makes custom circular, tensionable stretchers.
 
We have found that the profile shown below can be wrapped without generating wrinkles around the outer edge. It does become more difficult to eliminate the wrinkles, even on this profile, in smaller diameters or shapes.

Rounded Stretcher Frame Profile.webp
 
The circular frame must be quite robust and stiff to not warp, bow or flex when under tension from a stretched canvas.
How thick would this frame be? At 40" diameter, it must be pretty hefty. What hanging mechanism would be best?

Would there be any point or need for cross bars to add some rigidity or strength?
Or to aid in a hanging system like Z-bar.
Also, I guess technically this would be a strainer, not a stretcher, as there is no way to adjust tension like a "standard" keyed stretcher frame.

Given the curved profile that Rick showed, it would look really amazing with a circular float frame around it.
I can envision how to make it, but boy-howdy I don't want to put in the effort.😅

I still think it's a cool idea, just some things that came to mind.
I have a number of photos that would look great with this kind of display.
 
The circular frame must be quite robust and stiff to not warp, bow or flex when under tension from a stretched canvas.
How thick would this frame be? At 40" diameter, it must be pretty hefty. What hanging mechanism would be best?

Would there be any point or need for cross bars to add some rigidity or strength?
Or to aid in a hanging system like Z-bar.
Also, I guess technically this would be a strainer, not a stretcher, as there is no way to adjust tension like a "standard" keyed stretcher frame.

Given the curved profile that Rick showed, it would look really amazing with a circular float frame around it.
I can envision how to make it, but boy-howdy I don't want to put in the effort.😅

I still think it's a cool idea, just some things that came to mind.
I have a number of photos that would look great with this kind of display.
Because it is cut out of sheets we can make the width of the profile anything that is required. In addition, we always include cross bars on all stretchers (strainers) over 20" in diameter. We also cut a bevel into one of the cross bars so it can be used as a built in French Cleat. The matching wall cleat in the package. We have also fabricated many round,oval and odd shaped frames to go along with the stretchers. The frames are usually finished with hardwood veneers or can be painted or leafed. Below is an image of a Trapezoid type frame we made with African Sapele veneer.
 

Attachments

  • Trapazoid resized.webp
    Trapazoid resized.webp
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I've used Upper Canada Stretchers for a round stretcher bar. Maybe Inline Ovals also?
Thanks for that tip on Upper Canada Stretchers, eh!. 👍
The examples on their website are mindblowing to me.
I had never imagined this entire market of "non-standard" canvas stretching even existed!

It can be hard here in the "Great White North" to find specialty suppliers and manufacturers in the country.
There are so many products and companies making incredible products in the US, that just cost too much in exchange, shipping and duties to be worth ordering here in Canada.

I've added Upper Canada Stretchers to my list of specialty providers.
 
There is no problem printing round images, we do it all the time. I am not sure why you are having an issue getting it printed. As for the stretching, well I have done three and will never do it again! It takes forever and you need to be very skilled at stretching with even pressure or you are going to have wrinkles. What I have to charge to make it worth my time is almost never worth it to the customer. When you want specialty things they come with specialty prices! To make the stretchers I just router them out of mdf and router an edge on them.
 
There is no problem printing round images, we do it all the time. I am not sure why you are having an issue getting it printed. As for the stretching, well I have done three and will never do it again! It takes forever and you need to be very skilled at stretching with even pressure or you are going to have wrinkles. What I have to charge to make it worth my time is almost never worth it to the customer. When you want specialty things they come with specialty prices! To make the stretchers I just router them out of mdf and router an edge on them.

No problems printing per se, it's the printers who also do the stretching that say no-way-jose. I'm in need of a quality printer who is also specialized in stretching the printed canvas around the round shape, that's the issue.
 
Fellow Grumble's,

Thank you all so much for engaging on this post! I have one defined ask of the community, please: I'm in need of a skilled company to both giclee print and stretch the print around a pre-fabricated (to be supplied) 40"x40"x1.5" circular (round) strainer. Preferably, this company is in the Southern California or Western Region. Any leads or insights are very much appreciated!
 
With all due respect, you have not given us an inkling as to your background and experience as a picture framer.
You now have access to the two components that you can farm out (the printing - from your source, and a 40" round strainer). Have you ever stretched canvases before? This is a basic skill to know. If not, possibly another frame shop close to you can do the stretching for you.
 
OK, The availability of a circular stretcher frame is limited.
It would be a rare occurrence if a frame shop had the capacity for both creating the stretcher and making the print.
It would be rare to find a framer with the experience in stretching a circular canvas.

Unlikely you will find a one-stop shopping option. Be prepared for some logistical challenges.
 
OK, The availability of a circular stretcher frame is limited.
It would be a rare occurrence if a frame shop had the capacity for both creating the stretcher and making the print.
It would be rare to find a framer with the experience in stretching a circular canvas.

Unlikely you will find a one-stop shopping option. Be prepared for some logistical challenges.

Thank you for the honest feedback, wpfay, very much appreciated.
 
With all due respect, you have not given us an inkling as to your background and experience as a picture framer.
You now have access to the two components that you can farm out (the printing - from your source, and a 40" round strainer). Have you ever stretched canvases before? This is a basic skill to know. If not, possibly another frame shop close to you can do the stretching for you.
I have zero experience as a framer--not a framer. I'm just a person looking to have work done and thought to ask a community of experts. Based on the feedback from this thread, I'd say the request for help is warranted as this is clearly not an off-the-shelf challenge to solve for.
 
Good questions. Not an easy solution. Best of luck.
 
No problems printing per se, it's the printers who also do the stretching that say no-way-jose. I'm in need of a quality printer who is also specialized in stretching the printed canvas around the round shape, that's the issue.
That is going to be an issue. We are one of the bigger giclée printers in FL and that is how I ended up doing the three I did. No one else in in southern FL would do it. We still get calls all the time asking if we will do it. The answer is a huge no! You may have to send it fairly far away but I am sure you will find someone.
Eric
 
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