A canvas print has at least three "layers of sheen." The bottom layer's sheen comes from the canvas material itself which is often sold as matte, satin, or gloss. On top of the canvas is the ink -- one can print either with photo (gloss) black or matte black. On top of the ink is/are one or more layers of varnish which can be matte, satin, gloss, or combinations of these. The varnish layer(s) could either be a mixed layer (ie. BC Glamour 2 matte + gloss mix), or separate layers (ie. a solvent varnish spray followed by a roll-on varnish) with different sheen characteristics.
I'd like to ask: how do the various layers of different sheen impact the sheen of the final product?
My original thinking was that they would blend together layer-by-layer (ie. matte canvas + gloss varnish = satin), perhaps with the higher layers having a greater impact, however, from my limited testing it seems to me the top layer rules. Perhaps this is because the top layer has a dominant impact on how light is reflected. (Let me emphasize this was very limited testing.)
If you've had extensive experience mixing canvas, ink, and varnish with differing levels of sheen, could you please comment on what best practices you've developed and what combinations produce the best results to your eye. Or, if it really is just the top layer that matters, please confirm that.
Finally, on the topic of ink (photo black vs matte black), the matte black by itself may be darker so this might have more of an impact than just sheen. Would perhaps a matte black covered with a gloss varnish produce a deeper black than photo black covered by gloss varnish?
