May
16
2010
Canvas printing is the process of creating a fine work of art using an image. Nowadays, usually giclee printing is done to create canvas pictures out of digital, scanned or a tradition photo. Canvas printing is a wonderful way of preserving memories. If you have a cherished photo which you want to preserve and show to the world, don’t keep it buried in a photo album where it will fade and lose color in 10-15 years. Instead get it made into a canvas pictures which will easily last for at least a couple of centuries.
You can get canvas print done in the UK easily. There are a number of websites based in the country which will do it for you. All you have to do is upload the image to their website and they will get the printing done. You have to choose the kind of framing you want and the canvas print will be delivered to you right at your doorstep. A canvas print has a historical and artistic feel to it which will appeal to your aesthetic senses. Canvas printing UK is also great for people who are looking for beautiful wall art but don’t want to waste a lot of money. Photo on canvas printing is an easy and inexpensive way to take a cherished photo and transform it into a work of art. Digital photos taken with a camera of at least 3 mega pixels will work best because of its good resolution. A traditional photo will also do. If the photo you want printed is old, you can get it restored for a small fee. You have to choose from a variety of framing techniques and sizes. You can choose between a Light Brush or Sepia stroke for your print.
Choosing the correct frame is important. A simple wooden frame looks good but if you want a decorative frame, you can opt for a tinted ornate one. But make sure that the wood that is being used is of good quality or the picture will lose a lot of its durability. The least expensive is the simple wrap where the print is stretched and wrapped around the frame. It is up to you what you want for your canvas picture. You will be surprised at the quality of image canvas printing can produce. The richness of color and sharpness will not be rivaled even by the original image. Previously, dye-based inks were used for this purpose which used to fade with time. But archival inks which are used for giclee printing are longer-lasting. If you like the black and white effect, you can opt to transform your image into a black and white one before the canvas printing. So whether you want to print a photo of your smiling baby, your family on a picnic, your graduation day, your pet or a random shot with your best friend, get it done sitting right where you are.
If you like the black and white effect, you can opt to transform your image into a black and white one before the canvas printing.
Apr
18
2010
My fiance wants a platter, to hang on the wall. I say if we’re gonna hang it might as well do a canvas.
We want a photobooth, without doing a traditional book, how could we collect up copies of the pics, (they print in sets of two so we would want the second set from our guests so we can enjoy them).
Apr
03
2010
In past few years Giclee prints have gained more importance the normal prints. However, there are still many people who prefer normal canvas prints over giclee prints for a number of reasons. The canvas pictures which people want to get printed can be done through both ways but it really depends on the person’s choice that what type of print he/she wants.Advantages & Disadvantages of Normal PrintingAdvantages:Normal printing is the method of printing which most of the canvas printing services are using for the canvas prints from photos. There are only few advantages of using normal printing for your canvas pictures. The first advantage is that you don’t have to pay a lot of money to get this type of printing and you can easily find the printing service offering this service near your house which means you don’t have to travel a lot for your canvas prints.Disadvantages:This type of printing is full of disadvantages. This article will discuss only the few main ones which are very important to be considered if you are going to have canvas prints from photos. The quality of the canvas print from normal printing is not at all good and you can hardly use it in your living room and show it to everyone who is going to visit your house. You can only use these canvas prints in your own room where only friends are going to sit. It is better to avoid normal printing because you will never get satisfied with the quality you are going to get with it.Advantages & Disadvantages of Giclee PrintingGiclee printing is basically done through computers using inkjets printers ensuring the high quality of canvas prints from photos. Following are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using giclee prints for your canvas pictures.Advantages:Giclee prints are full of advantages are considered far better than the normal canvas prints. Giclee prints are really fast which means that you want to decorate your house for some upcoming even and you want some canvas with beautiful designs on them then you can go for giclee prints without any hesitation as you will get your printed canvas pictures in less than a day from the giclee printing service. The speed of giclee prints can not be matched with normal prints in any way.Another great advantage of giclee prints is that their quality is very high and your canvas pictures can be used anywhere in the home. The inkjet printers produce really fast and high quality canvas prints.Disadvantages:There is only one disadvantage of the giclee prints which is that these type of prints are usually priced higher than the normal prints because of the fast delivery and the high quality of your canvas pictures. However, if you want canvas pictures all over the house then you can also request a discount from the printing service which can save you money on giclee prints.
Photos onto canvas were made with high quality printer inks and it improved the look and feel of the photographs printed. These photos onto canvas were more professional in their appearance and appealing too. Photos onto Canvas have a long life when compared to other ones.
Apr
01
2010
What is a Giclée Print?
Giclée is a French word (pronounced gee-clay) that simply means “the spraying of paint”. The term giclée has come into common usage to refer to a high quality duplication process using a unique print on canvas technique. Giclée prints are commonly used by museums to display works of fine art while the originals are being repaired or stored.
Museum stores and fine art galleries also generally offer high quality print on canvas reproductions created using the giclée print on canvas technique. A giclée print on canvas is simply the closest duplication of an original work of art or photographic image that is technically possible using the best printing equipment, inks, canvas and printing methods available.
What is the Giclée Print on Canvas Process?
If the print on canvas will be made from an original work of art (for instance, an oil painting) the painting is photographed with a digital camera or scanned into a high resolution digital file with the use of a digital scanner.
Once the image is a digital file it can be optimized by expert photographic editors to achieve the sharpest details and color tones and shading that most closely match the original.
The giclée print on canvas process uses especially formulated “museum quality” inks which offer a wide range of colors and a high UV resistance. Museum quality means the inks must be color fast for at least 70 years under museum archival conditions. Some inks used in the giclée printing process have been tested to guarantee lifetime (100 years) light fastness.
In the gicl̩e print on canvas process, a fine stream of ink Рmore than four million droplets per second Рis sprayed (similar to airbrushing, but finer) onto a specially treated canvas. Each canvas is hand-mounted onto a drum which rotates during ink spraying via six nozzles. The printer is able to make exact calculations of hue, value and density which produce a combination of 512 chromatic changes (over 3 million color possibilities) of saturated, nontoxic, water-based ink.
The expertise of the human printer and the quality of the printing equipment used in the giclée print on canvas process are both critical to obtaining a duplication of the subtleties and nuances of the original artwork. Each giclée print on canvas is individually optimized and sent to the ink jet printer one at a time which ensures that each final print will have color accuracy and apparent resolution higher than that obtained on lithographs or serigraphy.
Since they display the full color spectrum, giclée prints on canvas capture minute nuances in original paintings which other printing processes cannot match. The highlights are brighter, contrasts are better defined, and the colors are more exact than any comparable reproduction process.
When Should You Choose Giclée Print on Canvas?
If you own original works of art you wish to have reproduced or if you have print or digital photographs you wish to have enlarged and printed on canvas to be displayed in your home or office, you will obtain the truest and most long lasting results if they are reproduced using the giclée printing process.
The best online art galleries offering prints on canvas from photographs you send them employ artists and printers that are experts in using the giclée printing process, so this is one of the things to check out when choosing an online gallery.
Nathaniel Brown is an artist that appreciate the uniqueness of pictures in canvas. He always preserve his painting by sending them to a digital print on canvas companies.
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Mar
14
2010
I’m making a mosaic photo for my girlfriend for our anniversary. All the cell photos are pictures of me and her, and the background photo is her favorite picture of me and her, my question is: should i print it on paper or canvas? The mosaic is 30” by 20”
Mar
03
2010
Getting a canvas photo done is a popular technique to create a work of art using an image. If the correct quality of canvas and ink is used during the process of creating the canvas picture, it can last for centuries to come. A traditional photo kept in a photo album will start fading and losing a lot of its color within 10 to 20 years. This is not the case with canvas photos as they are long-lasting in their very nature. So if you have a photo which you cherish and want to treasure it for the future generations, the best way to do it is by getting a photo on canvas printing done. Before you get a canvas picture made out of your favorite photo, you should keep in mind a few things to get the best deal.
There are a number of websites available on the internet which will make a traditional photo into a canvas photo. It is not very expensive and is perhaps a much better deal than going to a normal shop to get it done. All you have to do is upload an image of the photo on the website you have chosen and let them do the rest. Alternatively, you can email the image to the designated id. The website company will convert the image into a canvas picture, frame it in whichever way you want and deliver it to you.
It is best to send a digital photo. It must be of a high quality and high resolution. Since the canvas photo is going to be in a size much larger than the original photo, make sure that the photo quality is excellent before sending.
The image you are sending should not have irritants such as dust, red eyes or red strikes. It should also not be too dark. Some websites will also do touch-ups to the image for free if you want. On others, you will have to pay a small charge.
If you want, you can even get the image you have transformed into a black and white one before getting it canvas printed.
If the image you have is old and is a bit faded, you can opt for a restoration. The website itself will do it for a small fee. This is a good idea for old family photos which have a history attached to it.
Decide on the kind of framing you want for your canvas photo. Do you want a simple wrap around a wooden frame? Or do you want something more exotic? Framing is usually the most expensive part of the process. You can opt from a variety of options.
Make sure you check what kind of wooden frame is being used. It should be of high quality.
The website you are using should use archival canvas and ink for you canvas photos as they last much longer.
Before you get a canvas picture made out of your favorite photo, you should keep in mind a few things to get the best deal.
Dec
05
2009
A fine art reproduction (giclee print) consists of three elements; the medium, the ink and the top coat. If any one is compromised, the whole print is compromised.
THE MEDIUM
The medium is whatever the giclee is printed on. It can be anything from photo paper, a range of art papers, to canvas. Due to the nature of paper itself, all art printed on it, must be framed under glass. That is, if you want to get any longevity from your print. The glass will protect your paper from moisture, fingerprints and anything else that might find its way onto your art piece. And if you have kids you know what I’m talking about! Canvas on the other hand, is gloriously resilient. It can be displayed in an open frame without the glass. The breathable cotton and cotton/poly blends allow the fabric to dry should it get wet. It’s strong enough to stretch tight over wooden stretcher bars, flexible enough to resist punctures and tears with normal handling, and it doesn’t warp! Sounds perfect doesn’t it? There’s a catch. Most giclee printing canvases on the market are infused with optical brightener additives or OBA’s. The additives make the canvas bright and white. Giclee art needs bright white medium because ink jet printers do not use white ink. All the white in your print is the absence of ink with the medium shining through. So why would you care? Because the OBA’s break down over time when exposed to light, turning the canvas strange hues of blues and yellows. Your art print goes from beautiful to bazaar…How much did you pay for that piece?…Thankfully there is OBA free giclee canvas on the market. If the outfit you’re buying your art from does not tout the benefits of their OBA free canvas, you can bet their not using it.
THE INK
Almost everywhere you read about ink on the Internet, you’ll hear about them being ‘archival’. The claim is that they will last for 75-100 years or more! Well…we just don’t really know do we? They haven’t been around that long. Let’s assume that modern technology can simulate a “100 year” test and conclude that the ink will actually hold up. One thing I can tell you from first hand experience, ink is not water proof. Some sellers will tell you the ink is water resistant all by itself and doesn’t need a top coat. It’s not. I’d hate to see the neighbor kid blow a PB&J sneeze on one of those prints! Also, giclee inks deteriorate significantly when exposed to light. Sound familiar? That brings us to the next element of our print.
THE TOP COAT
Top coat doesn’t sound very exiting does it? Oh, but it is! The right top coat applied to your print can mean the difference between life and death (for your print, that is. Or maybe you, if you happen to be an overly emotional Artist). A top coat serves two ESSENTIAL purposes. Protection from ultraviolet light and protection from water. Did I mention essential? I’m trying to make a point here. A giclee print not treated with a top coat is doomed to a short life. Glass can protect the print from moisture but not from light. Most sellers of prints will tell you not to hang your print in direct sunlight. Even a giclee printed on water color paper or photo paper under glass should be treated with an ultraviolet / water resistant protective top coat. Here we go again back to modern technology. ‘Testing’ has shown that a UV top coat SIGNIFIGANTLY increases the longevity of ‘archival’ inks under exposure to ultraviolet light. For canvas giclee prints, one of the top performers in top coats is Glamour II. What it does for a print is just as the name implies. It makes the colors pop, acts as a barrier to all things evil, and virtually gives your print that rich oil painting feel. If the seller isn’t bragging about Glamour II or a high grade equivalent (like BullDog), their probably not using it. Or worse, they may not be using any top coat. Yikes!
So there you have it; the medium, the ink and the top coat. If any one of these three elements are compromised the whole giclee print is compromised. You don’t want to get stuck with a mess that was once called called Art. When you’re looking for that perfect print for the wall above the mantel, just make sure you’re getting your moneys worth.
Cathy Robertson is an Artist and writer for Fine Art Castle. Have fun, informative decorating & design articles delivered to you! Sign up for our monthly Newsletter today at http://www.fineartcastle.com/decoratingtipsanddesign.aspx . Or stop by and take a peek at our Fine Art Prints for your Canvas Art decorating needs at http://www.fineartcastle.com