Weird result with gloss spray varnish on canvas

[artiste]

After ruining my umpteenth print trying to hand roll Glamour II, and not being able to afford to buy any spray equipment, I decided to try canned spray varnish. (I am printing on Breathing Color's Chromata White Canvas from a Canon ipf5000).

I tried Grumbacher's resin-based Gloss picture varnish. At first I thought it looked great, the print had a nice low gloss look without the extremely shiny plasticy finish that I'd been getting with the Glamour II.
Then I noticed a very odd thing -  it was only the black areas on the print (it's got a lot of black) that were glossy - while the non-black areas looked matte - almost as if they hadn't been sprayed. I thought maybe I'd missed some areas, so I let it dry well and sprayed on another thin coating. Same thing - the black areas are glossy and the other areas look like they are just absorbing the varnish.

Has anyone else used a spray-can picture varnish on their canvas prints and had the same result?
Anyone have an idea on why the black ink would react differently than the colors - unless it has something to do with which black ink the printer uses on the canvas setting?

p.s. I have also tried Printshield products, which I liked on my paper prints, but didn't like on my canvas.

[bill t.]

Can only assume the thick ink coverage in the black areas is acting as a resist, letting the spray build up on the surface there while the lower ink coverage in lighter areas allows the spray to seep into the canvas.  The cure may be to spray a whole lot more.  Canvas is very thirsty on the initial coats until you get the weave sealed.

Look, you can't afford NOT to get at least rudimentary spray equipment!  With a $59 Wagner HVLP gun and thinned-down Glamour II you can coat anywhere from 150 to 250+ square feet of canvas with a gallon, applying about three coats.  So that's like $0.30 to $0.45 per square foot, much cheaper than any canned spray.  And a lot cheaper than rolling it on, even ignoring botched canvases.  And it doesn't rot your brain as fast as the volatile based sprays.  Hint...get on Breathing Color's email list, just about every week they have some sort of email special, often it's for GlamourII.

[artiste]

Can only assume the thick ink coverage in the black areas is acting as a resist, letting the spray build up on the surface there while the lower ink coverage in lighter areas allows the spray to seep into the canvas.  The cure may be to spray a whole lot more.  Canvas is very thirsty on the initial coats until you get the weave sealed.

Look, you can't afford NOT to get at least rudimentary spray equipment!  With a $59 Wagner HVLP gun and thinned-down Glamour II you can coat anywhere from 150 to 250+ square feet of canvas with a gallon, applying about three coats.  So that's like $0.30 to $0.45 per square foot, much cheaper than any canned spray.  And a lot cheaper than rolling it on, even ignoring botched canvases.  And it doesn't rot your brain as fast as the volatile based sprays.  Hint...get on Breathing Color's email list, just about every week they have some sort of email special, often it's for GlamourII.

Hey bill t., thanks for the info on the Wagner gun (I thought they only had super expensive ones)- I'll check into it! I am on BC's email list and have already gotten some great discounts on stuff.

[Paul2660]

The Wagner gun HVLP with BCW and Glamour II will do a great job, I thin mine approx 50 50.  

Paul Caldwell