Canvas prints are fast becoming a contemporary way of decorating living rooms, and sitting places all over UK and Europe. A canvas print is essentially a print reproduction of a photo or artwork on canvas. The patterns and designs used are what define and make canvas prints special. Cheaper than commissioning a painting, yet as elegant and eye catching as any normal canvas painting, canvas prints are fast become a quick and effective way of making a statement, the best part is that canvas prints are available in a vast array of printed medium. From digitally printed canvas prints to the traditional yet impressive, off set printing based canvas prints, almost all major art works have been reproduced using canvas prints.

Before a canvas print reaches the beautiful and arty finish that you see, there are a few steps that are taken to ensure that the canvas you view is prim and perfect. Once the canvas and the method of printing is selected, the photograph is first analysed to gauge the feasibility of the print, although almost all photographs and images, can be converted into canvas prints, however all professional canvas printers make sure that they let the customer know if there are going to be colour and quality variations. You should be prepared for minor colour and quality variations if you are told so by the printer.

Once the canvas print is printed, the next step is trimming the canvas and preparing it to be mounted, or as the technical term used is 'stretched'. Stretching is a specialized task and involves the mounting of the canvas on a wooden frame, and then setting it so that it emulates a canvas original and does not loose the charm and effect of a canvas painting. After the canvas is mounted and affixed to the wooden frame, the canvas is then finally made ready for delivery. Stretching is a specialized process, and is one of the major reasons, why people prefer leaving canvas prints to professionals. Stretching is usually included in the overall cost of buying a canvas print.

Based on the end result of the border the canvas is said to have 'bled' or not, if a canvas was allowed to print to keep the trimming and mounting process in mind, and the end result has no white margins then the canvas is said to have been printed with bleed, in the other case there is a particular area only that is printed, and the white canvas shows only at the margins. Make sure you are aware of both results, as some people actually like the canvas print without bleed as it makes the print look even more authentic (a regular painting does not usually have a painting on the margin).

The biggest advantage that canvas prints of today have is that, with the evolution of printing methods the results are absolutely breath taking, and are ideal for any contemporary home. These are some of the things you need to keep in mind before you actually go out and get yourself a canvas print for your home, or as a gift for someone special.

Printing techniques

Printers today have come a long way, earlier offset printing had its limitations, however with digital printing solutions available, and with the onset of specialized printing techniques like Gicl'e. There are basically two major methods that are used to create canvas prints, the first method is called Dye Sublimation and is similar in technique to thermal printing, dye sublimation ensures the colours are as close to the original, an additional advantage of thermal sublimation is that the colours are resistant to strong lights and temperature variations.

The second technique for printing on canvas is using inkjet printers, the name Gicl'e is used for inkjet printing, inkjet printers add a more realistic touch to the canvas prints, however inkjet colours fade if they are exposed to light and temperature extremes over a long period of time.