Luminous Landscape Forum
Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: Kanvas Keepsakes on April 04, 2013, 04:23:51 pm
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Hey guys. Just got an email from LexJet notifying me of the partnership between LJ and Fredrix. It says "archival canvas" but the pricing is the same as LJ's SSMC and such. Does anyone have any experience with this canvas? Is it good? Is it archival with OBA-free?
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Fredrix 777 was my favorite canvas for a long time. It has an extremely fine weave that lets a lot of image detail show through, more than any other canvas I have ever used. The smooth surface also makes it very glare resistant when the light is coming from behind the viewer's head, as when viewing on a living room wall across from a large window. It's also the thinnest canvas I have used, which doesn't much affect the way I glue canvas to Gator, but may be an issue for those who stretch canvas. I gave it up because of chronic problems with the way the canvas was rolled up unevenly on the core, which caused curl and head strikes along the edges. Maybe that's fixed, I'm tempted to try another roll. Can't remember for certain, but I think there must be a lot of OBA in that canvas, same as Sunset Select and most other low end canvases. Lexjet is an excellent supplier with lots of stocking locations throughout the US which means 2 or 3 day lead times versus the 5 or 6 days it used to take to get anything shipped out of Florida.
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Thanks Bill! Appreciate the info. I figured it had to be on par with LJ's SSMC because of the price. 2 day shipping is just SO tempting! Although I run my business advertising archival products. OBA free. Fredrix canvas information on the website shows ARCHIVAL CANVAS. How can it be archival with a whole bunch of OBA's?
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Because the word "Archival" has been assigned so many varied and sometimes contradictory meanings by such a wide variety of sources that nobody agrees on exactly what it means anymore. The words "Cool" or "Awesome" could be just as easily used with no loss of already confused intent. Back in the day museums used "archival" to describe a type of presentation where an object from "the archives" could be displayed in a usually temporary manner that did not degrade the object. But "archival" was not originally used to describe the object itself, but rather how it was handled. And by the same definition, displaying prints in a vertical position in an chemically immaculate framing job for more than a very short period of time is not archival for the simple fact that the print is vulnerable to damage by warping.
FWIW, some of my "art pieces" have now been on display about 8 years, and the only significant degradation issue is with badly faded prints made on non-OBA, cotton rag papers. But my high OBA Enhanced Matte prints are doing fine in the same environment. Go figure.
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I've used Fredrix 901WR previously for a number of rolls. I also found issues similar to what bill t has mentioned although I didn't have head strikes. It's a good, relatively cheap canvas that allowed me to make nice prints. Stretching it was pretty good as well. With regards to OBAs and the whole archival issue, plenty of the best papers and canvases on the market have OBAs. In this day and age, wether a print lasts for 60 years or 150 years on a wall is almost a moot point. Most people aren't going to keep the print on the wall that long anyway. I will say that the customer service folks at Fredrix were very good because I had to contact them to get an icc profile for my 11880. That was before I had my i1Pro. I could definitely recommend the canvas to at least try out. I used to purchase mine from Shades of Paper as I wasn't aware of a distributor close to me.
Cheers,
Jay
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I've run 50-60 rolls in the past couple of years. A couple of rolls with issues on the core solved wait rewinding onto a second core and running it through the printer.
I did my own profile on my 9900 since I wasn't happy with the canned profile and then I coat with Clearstar satin. The coating is the key for me--adds richness and depth, especially to the blacks, durability and keeps the image from abration and scratching, and seems to make it easier to stretch with no issues.
Much of the work was dry mounted on heat activated foam board. Even cooking it hot and long, the prints are bullet-proof! I've got a very happy hotel with nearly 600 framed pieces and many other happy customers!
Overall, I'm very happy in using, handling and presenting the Fredrix 777!