Photos on canvas

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LurayFrameSmith

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I have a customer who had a photo center print 16x20 photos on very flimsy paper and the result was very unsatisfactory, but before I could convince him that he really didn't want to frame all those wrinkles and flaws he had me order the mats and frames. Then he came to his senses and is having them reprinted - this time on canvas. Can I do them the same way as usual, matted under glass??
Laurie:thumbsup:
 
I have dry mounted canvas prints and mounted them mat-less flush with the frame, but have never put a mat in contact with the surface.

The easiest approach for an inkjet canvas print is to have it stretched on a frame by printing service, like an oil painting canvas. Then frame it like an oil painting.

If you're already committed to a mat, I'm going to guess that it would be wise to put a spacer mat underneath your main mat, to prevent any long term, visible interaction between the edge of the mat and surface of the canvas. The spacer mat would have a bigger opening than the main mat so it can't be seen.

The surface of the print will either be coated or not with a protective coating. In either case the printed surface is pretty delicate and will not stand much handling or abrasion.

Ask the customer how long ago the print was made or coated, you shouldn't put it behind any glazing for at least three days after printing or coating to avoid hazing the glazing with solvent vapors. Also, an inkjet canvas should not be coated for at least three days after printing. I know those times sound kind of extreme, but I have felt the sting of failing to do so.
 
Thanks Bill~
After reading all the posts I could find this evening on this subject, stretching seems to be the consensus. If the printing co. doesn't offer that service is there a place you can recommend with directions on how to do that myself? Or would that be getting in way over my head? Also, I'm not sure they will have left enough canvas around the edges. Thank goodness I haven't cut & assembled the frames to the original dimensions already!!
Laurie:)
 
I have heard that for smallish prints up to about 16 x 20 you can stretch canvases over thin plywood and staple them to the back. That might require less than an inch all around for wrapping. It would probably be wise to include some barrier paper between the plywood and the print. There are doubtless people in your area who can stretch canvases, I would ask at the local artists' supply store or one of the local artist groups.

Not much good at wrapping, I think I have seen some instructions from a Google search.

I have successfully (they're still holding) dry mounted canvas to foam core with 2 sheets of mounting tissue (have used both Colormount and TM2). Have also seen recommendations for the Fusion 4000 dry mount tissue, the paperless kind with the glue only, use two layers to fill in the texture. Dry mounting offers very little abrasion to the surface and may be the safest mounting method. Have also glued very large canvases to their backing with the same "liquid laminate" used for the protective coating, but it's so harrowing I wouldn't recommend it, very high chance for ruining the print and much practice is required.
 
This may sound too simple, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but about six months ago we had an Artaissance print mistakenly ordered on canvas instead of paper. This was a rush corporate job. We mounted the canvas, matted it in the usual way, and framed it. The job required acrylic. No problems that I know of and it looked great.
 
Yes I think as long as everything has had plenty of time to dry you would be OK with a normal mat on canvas. Stock giclee prints will have dried for weeks, or at least the amount of time it took to ship.

But the typical scenario for photographers is that the canvas was printed yesterday and coated this morning, and must be delivered tomorrow. A mat applied at that point would probably glue itself to the still tacky coating and pull off pieces of the print if removed. I ruined several large canvases before getting things right, and then gave it up because it was just too much trouble. For instance when coating canvas with a roller it is not unusual to peel up little flakes of the image by rolling over a partially dried part of the print a second time, it's that touchy.

Dry mounting with a good release sheet might have the advantage of force-drying the surface a bit prior to matting.
 
Thanks guys for all the options. I feel like this forum is so helpful. I really dove into the deep end without a lifevest when I purchased this business a little over a month ago and I am learning so much each day that my head is literally swimming. But... I am loving every minute of it and am so thankful that the way was paved for me to be able to do it and learn all that I am learning ~ albeit that some of the knowledge has come from making mistakes :). Hope a year from now I'll be one of the ones answering some of the questons!
Laurie
 
It is perfectly ok to dry mount them to FC and then mat and frame them as usual. If you all remember, one of the main problems with Giclee prints on canvas is the tendency of the canvas to relax after stretching and even restretching.
You might want to test the print as to whether it is heat resistant. Some printers do not like heat and it will destroy the print. Epson is not one of them. I mount my Epson prints all the time.
Go ahead and mount them down. Don't worry about sealing them as that is what you are doing when you close up the frame.:thumbsup:
 
16x20 with mats....?

Fabric adhesive. As for the print medium to "cure"... you must be talking about the decoupage's goop that accompanies the giclees.... most of the photos on canvas we have seen are just honest American Ink-Jet.
 
Baer Charlton said:
...most of the photos on canvas we have seen are just honest American Ink-Jet...
Click to expand...

...you must mean Japanese Ink-jet, which these days seems comparatively as American as Fuji-apple pie. Which still takes 3 days for the glycol solvent to evaporate to the point where it's even remotely safe to handle other than daintily.

And 90% of those canvases will be coated with ClearShield, GlamourII, or some other miserable water based protective crud that takes yet another 3 days to dry, forget about Z-gel.

You guys have become complacent from handling well dried canvases. Just wait until some photographer struts in with a still drying piece of canvas hot off Epson-san. Hah! You'll be sorry then...
 
Bill... I see your problem... I never put glycol solvent in my apple pies.:vomit:

My pies are good to eat right from the oven with cool whip... which, of course, might have glycol solvents in it! :vomit:

Never mind!!
 
C'mon, you know perfectly well you don't EAT Cool Whip, and least not the canned type!

Nothing like a shot of glycol to make your everyday problems fade away...forever!
 
That .pdf puts some light on the problem, but it really applies to resin-coated "RC" papers like Premium Luster, Glossy, and other such papers with plastic-like surfaces.

Not only can those papers fog the glass if framed too early, if dry or adhesive mounted too early they are likely to develop bubbles either immediately or within a few weeks. Also these papers are somewhat pinched until the ink is completely dry, if you hinge mount them too early they will develop ripple as they dry. I have personally experienced each of these problems in painful ways.

Canvas and rag paper inkjet media are different beasts and seem to dry a little faster, although 3 days is definitely not too long.

I disagree with the "blotter" drying method described in pdf, it is best to hang the prints up for at least 3 days before framing, although 1 week is better. Aside from being too much work, the blotter method is prone to damage prints by abrasion, embedding dirt particles, etc. As for blotting canvas, I wouldn't even consider it since it would almost certainly pull off pieces of the image.

The only accelerated drying method that works for me is to tape a print up on the inside of a sun lighted window for several hours, sunlight hitting the back of the print directly. About 8 hours of that is enough. Don't tape it up all around, just hinge it at the top so any solvent on the back can escape.

Bottom line, if somebody gives you an inkjet print ask them how long ago it was printed. A wet inkjet print doesn't necessarily look wet. If you can smell solvents when sniffing the print, it's probably still wet. Dry RC prints will lay flat. If you place it on a very flat surface like a piece of glass and you can see ripple on the surface or along the edges, it's probably still wet.
 
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