I just got the press release from Breathing Color this morning, announcing the new canvas they have been hinting about for a while, called Lyve.
Here is the web page with the details:
http://www.breathingcolor.com/bc/catalog/index.php?cPath=355I will be ordering a sample roll today, but was curious if anybody here has already tried it. It sounds like the best thing to come along since ink, based on the testimonials from the press release. It would appear that they have had a number of beta testers already using it, so I'm wondering if it is as big a leap forward as it sounds? They have quotes from Michael Gilbert, Rob Medrano (Maui Giclee), and Peter Latham. Quotes like "15-20% improvement in color gamut and black density", "surface that makes each image look 3D" and "quantum leap in color gamut, density and texture" are tossed around.
Interestingly enough, BC also says that Glamour II works better with it, too. I personally have never had cracking issues with freshly coated Chromata White, and have never witnessed any resist properties that can sometime cause fisheyes or excessive beading with spray application, but better is certainly not a bad thing. One thing I have noticed about Chromata White is that the surface is a little less tough with Vivera inks before coating than HP Professional Matte Canvas, my other favorite choice. I have a client that had flaking problems with another printer, and she did a fingernail test with the HP and BC canvas, and found the uncoated Chromata White a little less robust before applying the Glamour II. With the coating they are pretty comparable in that respect. If Lyve has a better bond, though, I'm sure we will all appreciate it.
I was told that it would be appreciably more expensive than Chromata White. The prices I've seen are a little less than 10% higher, which is less than I was expecting. I will most likely need to create a new price point, though, to pass along the added cost if it proves that the added performance is significant and demonstrable.
