Different Variations Of Canvas Printing

Canvas Corners

Canvas prints are a very popular addition to homes, offices and public places all over the world. Cheaper and lighter than many traditional heavy framed, glass fronted wall furnishings, canvas prints offer a great alternative for any wall and there are a number of different styles to choose from, whether you decide to do it yourself or purchase a print based on your own design.

Doing It Yourself

The old fashioned way of making a canvas print from scratch is hard work, but can be very rewarding.  The method of stretching the canvas is simple to describe but more difficult than it sounds. You have to soak the canvas for a considerable time then stretch it over a pre-built wooden frame, tacking it into place as tightly as possible. Once it has dried completely, you can then begin to coat it with the undercoat layers and protective layers that it needs. Unfortunately, unless you have had a great deal of practice, many will find that the canvas dries in a way the makes the frame crooked, something which can be corrected but not in any quick and simple way.

The Simpler Option

You can avoid all the legwork yourself these days by simply buying the canvas frame pre-stretched. This allows you to concentrate on the printing/painting process if you are still feeling artistic and creative. Another option which makes things even easier is to select (or create) the image your want printed and then buy the whole thing as a complete package. You can get anything printed onto a canvas frame nowadays so all you have to do is supply the image itself and specify how big you want it.

Professional Printing Options

If you need a professional print job for work, then you will need to contact an experienced printing press. There are two main styles of professional canvas printing, lithograph and giclee. Lithograph printing is the older, more traditional style where you create stamps and use a relatively low number of colours. This style is great for producing high volumes of prints at a lower price. For a more intricate and delicate piece, you should probably choose the giclee method, which is a far more modern method whereby digital, inkjet lazer-printing technology is used, similar to regular colour paper printing. This style is more expensive, but the results will be much closer to the original image.

But What To Choose?

The limits really are as wide as your imagination. You could take early crayon drawings made by your children and have then printed onto canvas to hang on the walls of their nursery. You can finally display that amazing photo you took in Paris by blowing it up and putting it on your office wall. How about a selection of small prints of old black and white family photographs that can proudly line a wall in your home. Whether you try and do it all yourself or let the experts do the hard work for you, canvas prints are a great, cheap option for anywhere that needs brightening up.