I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Simply Elegant matte canvas. it's pretty comperable to Lyve and even prints nicely with the lyve profile (frustratingly it comes with nothing). the "everyday matte" looks nice but I'm liking it less and less as there's no real way to correct anything in the stretching (it's poly so adding water can't help you with spot tensioning)
Agreed. I use the Simply Elegant line as well, in addition to the Epson Exhibition Matte, depending on if they are running promotions or not. The Epson canvas seems more firm, which I do like, even though it does still stretch nicely since it has some elastic properties. I also agree that the Simply Elegant Everyday Matte is difficult since it doesn't stretch given that its 100% poly. Its also thinner, so light shines through easier, which maybe isn't a problem once its on a wall, but its pretty cheap to the touch. I would only use it for really low cost stuff. But the regular canvas line from Simply Elegant is nice. Its soft, much softer than the Epson, but still stretches nicely, in fact, it has even more give than the Epson, and is cheaper, if there isn't that 3 to 1 rebate for the Epson canvas.
Honestly, when it comes to canvas, I'm not sure if there is a huge difference. Sure some have different variants of white, and there is that OBA thing, but once its sealed with a coating, can anyone really tell the difference? So to me, what is most important is the cost, and the ease of stretching, and also a defect free surface. I've had issues with all of them mind you, so no company seems to be any better or worse. Sometimes you get seeds, sometimes you get a "run" in the coating, and hence, this is also where costs comes in. If you gotta redo a print, its best that you're using a cheap canvas.
