Paint to use for canvas wrap borders

[schrimsher2017]

I am just starting to print canvas wraps for clients.  I have one who wants the wrap painted flat black.  What paint do you use to paint it or is it better to print a black border to wrap around.  It seems to me that if you print it, that locks you in to aligning the canvas on the frame precisely so the edges line up whereas painting it gives a little wiggle room. Any suggestions appreciated.

[dgberg]

Don't think anyone paints..
Photoshop or On1's Perfect Resize is the simple way to print black or any other color.
On1 gives you options to mirror the edge as well.

[barry685]

If your really going to paint it, Paint it after you wrap it.

[enduser]

My wife, who is a digital restoration wiz, would create a fade in /fade out line at the edge. This creates a little wiggle room for the person doing the stretching.  We never do black edges - we mostly use a mirror edge slightly blurred and de-saturated. "On one", Qimage and several others give you the basics.

[schrimsher2017]

Thanks for the replies.  I use Qimage and understand its ability to print the black, mirrored or stretched borders with it.  Two things come to mind - one I am printing on Epson Exhibition Natural canvas gloss and if I print the edges, they will be glossy versus flat black which I can achieve by painting (after stretching) and two - if the borders are printed good alignment when stretching the canvas is a must.  My client specifically wants black and not a mirrored or stretched border.  Due to the camera angle and subject matter, a mirrored border looks weird and detracts from the image.  I take it from the replies that virtually no one paints the borders after the canvas is stretched.

[davidh202]

Use what you have ..Print normal on your gloss canvas and  wrap, then mask and spray the sides with a matte finish varnish or similar product. If your careful and spray at the right angle from the back edge, you should not get any overlap of spray onto the face of the image. ;-)

[enduser]

I agree that the customer should get what they want. The reason we didn't paint edges was that we were never asked. Most of our sales were for already finished editions of my wife's art, so how the edges were done wasn't a consideration.  The suggestion by davidh202 seems like the best way.
 

[hugowolf]

I have had (on request) to paint the edges of canvas prints. I have never done matte on gloss or vice-versa, the finish has always been to match the front image.

I have used standard artist's acrylics with either a gloss or matte medium.

Brian A

[bgasser]

I have used Artists Loft Flow Acrylic black and applied with a foam roller.

Personally, with my canvas prints I don't care for the mirrored finish look and prefer the accent of the black edge.  When I first started printing canvases with a black edge I found it difficult to consistently line up the edges, so I started painting them instead.  Eventually I gave up on stretching canvas and found a frame shop that could do it for less than I was buying stretcher bars. I believe that came down to economy of scale and having the right equipment.

Ben Gasser
Metal Mouth Prints
Kansas City

[mearussi]

http://www.goframe.com/gallery-wrap-1500p-stretcher-bars/

This is the system I use and it works well. Scroll down to the video on the right about white sides.