What to know before ordering a bespoke canvas
13/05/2008 - By Lissa Haines
Your own photos on canvas
Read this article to find out all you need to know about ordering a canvas.
If you’ve ever thought about putting your favourite photo onto a canvas there’s a few things you should consider before you go ahead.
What size of canvas do I choose?
The size of your canvas depends on a few factors. It’s a good idea to know where you want to display it and the area generally dictates what size it should be. There is also the issue of what you can afford, obviously the bigger the canvas the more expensive it is!
For a quality canvas the size of your original image is very important! If you have a print that you would like enlarging the size of the original print and the print quality affects how big the enlargement can go. If the print quality is poor, for example newspaper print, then enlarging this will distort the image and show up the print pattern.
If your image is a digital file, e.g. an image taken from the web or taken by a digital camera, the size of the resolution and file size is crucial to know before going ahead with an order. Images on the web are most commonly 72ppi, to produce a quality canvas print the image needs to be a minimum of 200ppi. If you have an image and are unsure of its print potential the best thing to do is contact your canvas printer.
What goes on the edge on the canvas?
The most popular style for canvases is for the image to be wrapped around the sides of the frame. This finish works particularly well with images like a sunset or a seascape. However if you have a portrait of someone when the image is wrapped around the sides their forehead, chin and ears could end up disappearing around the sides leaving the front of the canvas looking rather odd!! Therefore if you don’t want you’re main focal subject to be wrapped around the sides make sure there is enough background to be used instead. So, if you do want a wraparound take into consideration what will be shown on the front of the canvas and what you will lose around the edges.
If you’ve decided your image is not suitable for a wraparound there are many alternatives to this finish. You can leave the edges white or have them filled in with a block colour. The cleverer of the effects are to mirror the edges of the image around the sides making the canvas look like a wraparound.
Other important factors
If you want your canvas to have a decent lifespan (10 years or more) it’s important to check on a few things first. I would recommend quizzing your supplier on whether their canvases are lightfast guaranteed, this means that they will hold their colour even if displayed in areas of sunlight.
As well as the printed canvas you will also need to know about the stretcher bars the canvas is wrapped around. There are many cheap frames out there that are made out of very soft wood which can be prone to warping resulting in your canvas losing it’s shape. This is particularly so if the canvas is to be hung above areas of direct heat like a fire or radiator.
The final point is the canvas finish. I would always suggest buying a canvas that has some form of protective layer, the most common being artist’s varnish. Not only does varnish increase the intensity of the printed colour but it helps protect it. For example if the canvas gets marked it can be gently cleaned without smudging or removing any of the inks. It also forms a moisture barrier therefore making canvases suitable to be hung in bathrooms etc.
Fore more information please visit our website: www.yourartonline.co.uk or call us on 01423 565223. Hope this article has proved helpful. Happy canvas shopping.
