stretching giclee's printed on canvas
- Thread starter prac
- Start date
Fairframer
Grumbler in Training
With a stretched canvas done in oil or acylic, misting warm water on the back of it and drying with hair dryer on low heat tightens it up great...However giclees on canvas are ultra sensitive to water or anything for that matter so it is risky situation if the misted water makes contact with the vulnerable inks from the saturation of backside or inadvertently to the front. Try bracing the stretchers with with a couple tighter cross pieces and see if that fixes some of the slack first. I had a customer who was happy with a wet mount on one of these which turned out great albeit, not the most acid-free if value is a factor.
Greg Fremstad
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Unless you know exactly wether the "ground" is water based or not you should never spritz water on the back of either an oil or acrylic. The moisture will likely loosen the bond between the paint and the ground and later the paint may come off.
If you had stretched this beast on key-able stretcher bars, you could merely tap the keys in a little and the sag would be gone.
If you had stretched this beast on key-able stretcher bars, you could merely tap the keys in a little and the sag would be gone.
Fairframer
Grumbler in Training
Yeah, any humidity is detrimental to an unproperly prepped original,whether it be quick misting to perpetual rainy weather surroundings. A minimal and localized misting with immediate drying should be a low risk alternative ONLY when stretching negotiations reach a halt. Your stretcher bars/staples/tacks adjusted to the pulling force, now they need to be re-established to original tautness via restretch one side or two OR spread bars on back. You can "pull" a stretch bar towards a frame leg during fitting by driving a point into the canvas edge and stapling the part sticking out into the frame back also. Ok, I'm tapped on this.
framah
SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
The problem isn't with how you stretched it nor the bars. The problem is with the canvas material. Giclee canvas is notorious for not holding its' tightness and will pretty much always sag soon after stretching.
The best way to prevent this is to dry mount it onto FC and then frame that.
There have been postings about this before. Do a search and see if you can find them.
The best way to prevent this is to dry mount it onto FC and then frame that.
There have been postings about this before. Do a search and see if you can find them.
Dont strech them, they could crack, just becasue they are printed on canvas doesn't mean they should be streched. As Framah said, post a plenty here on the subject, use the search function above.
Personally I like using Lascaux 360 to glue on to a substrate, it requires no heat, no pressure and has excellent holding capabilities
Personally I like using Lascaux 360 to glue on to a substrate, it requires no heat, no pressure and has excellent holding capabilities
Giclee on Canvas............
I do not recommend stretching any of this media. I have one hanging over my desk that is a constant reminder to me.
A few years ago a customer brought one to us they purchased in New Zealand on vacation and wanted it stretched and framed. A couple of months went by and the customer came back with a sagged and cracked piece of art.
The artist didn't have a website and it took me about 2 months to track him down to try to get a replacement. He happened to be in Hawaii at a gallery opening and the gallery owner got me in touch with the artist.
He (the artist) agreed to replace the original customer piece if I bought one at cost in addition. For I and the artist to not be out anything, I was supposed to sell the second to get my money back. (After two months of detective work on my end.)
I decided to stretch and frame "my" replacement but, keep it for a while to see if the first had been an anomally or the rule. Shortly after, my test piece cracked and sagged.
Note: We didn't stretch the replacement we gave to our customer. We hinged and matted it so there would be no stress considerations. I am sooooooooo glad we did.
I am sure there are some giclee's that can be stretched without this problem. But, I don't feel there is enough standardization in this media for me to recommend stretching anytime soon if ever.
Rob
I do not recommend stretching any of this media. I have one hanging over my desk that is a constant reminder to me.
A few years ago a customer brought one to us they purchased in New Zealand on vacation and wanted it stretched and framed. A couple of months went by and the customer came back with a sagged and cracked piece of art.
The artist didn't have a website and it took me about 2 months to track him down to try to get a replacement. He happened to be in Hawaii at a gallery opening and the gallery owner got me in touch with the artist.
He (the artist) agreed to replace the original customer piece if I bought one at cost in addition. For I and the artist to not be out anything, I was supposed to sell the second to get my money back. (After two months of detective work on my end.)
I decided to stretch and frame "my" replacement but, keep it for a while to see if the first had been an anomally or the rule. Shortly after, my test piece cracked and sagged.
Note: We didn't stretch the replacement we gave to our customer. We hinged and matted it so there would be no stress considerations. I am sooooooooo glad we did.
I am sure there are some giclee's that can be stretched without this problem. But, I don't feel there is enough standardization in this media for me to recommend stretching anytime soon if ever.
Rob
Another point.............
Also, the one in question in my previous post was printed on linen canvas.
Most of the problems I have witnessed in 20 years with canvas' sagging have been canvas made of linen. It is much more pliable and reactive to moisture and temperature.
Might be interesting to see if the canvas' in question are on linen or duck cotton.
Rob
Also, the one in question in my previous post was printed on linen canvas.
Most of the problems I have witnessed in 20 years with canvas' sagging have been canvas made of linen. It is much more pliable and reactive to moisture and temperature.
Might be interesting to see if the canvas' in question are on linen or duck cotton.
Rob
Huckleberry
True Grumbler
I worked for a medium chain store, dry mounting fine art could get you fired. Over time, working alone, I understood that you could do this with many things with customer permission. What type of foam do you use for dry mounting canvas? I have only had success with Encore Single Step Heat Activated because it is the only thing toothy enough. It's not acid-free, though so good for European and African street art or (you know), certain acrylics from cruises.
No one would dry mount fine art. (I hope...) A giclee is basically just a copy and can be re-printed.
The problem is that plastic looking canvas.
I don't do any dry mounting. I would probably wet mount them to something sturdier than foam board
The problem is that plastic looking canvas.
I don't do any dry mounting. I would probably wet mount them to something sturdier than foam board
Huckleberry
True Grumbler
Thanks
Nikodeumus
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
I dry mount inkjet printed (aka Giclee) canvas using Mountcor foamboard.
The cheap "plasticy strechy" kind of canvas doesn't work so well, because it does tend to tighten too much and warp the foamboard.
Better quality/heavier canvas doesn't do that nearly as much.
Mountcor is nice because it has a good pre-applied adhesive, and works at a lower temperature. I have never had a problem with it holding canvas.
However, it is only 3/16", so can bow if used with larger canvas items.
I usually only do this with items of relatively low value and easily replaced.
And also usually only to fit a canvas inside standard rabbeted frames.
It is less costly than custom stretcher/strainer preparation for canvas.
But certainly not something to do with any item of value or importance.
There are stiffer products such as Gatorboard (and others), and other methods such as roll-on adhesives.
But I have no personal experience mounting canvas in those methods.
The cheap "plasticy strechy" kind of canvas doesn't work so well, because it does tend to tighten too much and warp the foamboard.
Better quality/heavier canvas doesn't do that nearly as much.
Mountcor is nice because it has a good pre-applied adhesive, and works at a lower temperature. I have never had a problem with it holding canvas.
However, it is only 3/16", so can bow if used with larger canvas items.
I usually only do this with items of relatively low value and easily replaced.
And also usually only to fit a canvas inside standard rabbeted frames.
It is less costly than custom stretcher/strainer preparation for canvas.
But certainly not something to do with any item of value or importance.
There are stiffer products such as Gatorboard (and others), and other methods such as roll-on adhesives.
But I have no personal experience mounting canvas in those methods.
If you are mounting the canvas on rigid strainer bars then you have no real control over it. It may start off flat
but it like as not will not remain so. That's if you can get it flat in the first place.
Keyed stretcher bars were invented at the same time as canvas started to be the go-to substrate for oil paintings.
Canvas. being an organic natural substance will react with the climate and move above imperceptibly. So you need
the expandable corner joints to keep it flat. There are 8 keys - each imparts a force in a different direction, giving you
great control. With rigid frames your only option is prising all the staple outs and remounting on the strainer frame.
This is a PITA to be frank and doesn't ensure it won't go wappy again some time soon. The time you spend faffing about
far exceeds the extra cost/convenience of keyed bars.
There are a few compromise systems. One I use occasionally is a stock strainer with a groove along it's length. You cut it as
usual and instead of pinning it you insert a plywood triangle to make a floating corner joint. Not good on big canvases but
on medium sized ones it works well and is good for printed canvases where cost is a factor. Not quite the same level of control
as keyed bars but in most cases OK. I'll see if I can find a pic.....
but it like as not will not remain so. That's if you can get it flat in the first place.
Keyed stretcher bars were invented at the same time as canvas started to be the go-to substrate for oil paintings.
Canvas. being an organic natural substance will react with the climate and move above imperceptibly. So you need
the expandable corner joints to keep it flat. There are 8 keys - each imparts a force in a different direction, giving you
great control. With rigid frames your only option is prising all the staple outs and remounting on the strainer frame.
This is a PITA to be frank and doesn't ensure it won't go wappy again some time soon. The time you spend faffing about
far exceeds the extra cost/convenience of keyed bars.
There are a few compromise systems. One I use occasionally is a stock strainer with a groove along it's length. You cut it as
usual and instead of pinning it you insert a plywood triangle to make a floating corner joint. Not good on big canvases but
on medium sized ones it works well and is good for printed canvases where cost is a factor. Not quite the same level of control
as keyed bars but in most cases OK. I'll see if I can find a pic.....