Spraying already stretched canvas

[mburke]

I have a 16 x 40 canvas stretched on Breathing Color EZ wrap stretchers. I did not spray it. It looks nice and is holding up fine but I have some Glamor II and a Wagner spray gun. I was wondering if I can spray the Lyve Canvas after it is mounted. What would be some potential problems.

On another note, I recently was at an art show where a couple of photographers were displaying canvas prints with no coatings. They said they felt they were not really necessary and removed a messy and costly part of their process. They have been doing this for several years and have had no problems. Prints are holding up just fine.

Thanks,

Mike

[RFPhotography]

Personally, I'd take the canvas off the stretchers, spray it then restretch it.  Depending on how the spray reacts with the canvas it could cause it to sag a bit and it may not fully tighten back up.

As for not coating, wouldn't even consider it.  Too easily scratched.  And the edge cracking isn't overly appealing either. 

[dgberg]

Bob has it right, do not skip the coating process.
Once you see one with messed up corners,scratches across the face or cracked inks you will instantly know it has a very poor coating or none at all.
Using the easy wrappe systems is not really stretching compared to the true stretching and stapling process.
When you stretch and staple canvas the stresses are much greater and can more easily damage the inks at the corners and the back edges.
Do the fold test. Take a printed uncoated canvas and fold a corner over and give it a good crease. Look at the cracked ink at the fold. Now coat with several coats of Glamor or Timeless and do the same test.
You will see the difference,instantly.
The coatings have many advantages,none of them negative. You want the best looking images with the highest degree of protection,then coat.
The biggest reason to coat first is to protect your face image and help prevent your inks from cracking at the corners and back edges through the stretching process.

[John Nollendorfs]

While physical protection is a good reason to coat your canvas prints, sealing the microporous surface is even more compelling.Even using pigmented inks, atmospheric contaminants such as ozone can cause premature failure of the  colors.
 

[Peter McLennan]

While others who've posted are far more knowledgeable than I on this subject (in fact, I've printed less than ten canvas prints) I'm always one to do my own tests on things photographic.  I'm a long-time user of third party inks and CISs, for example.

To evaluate the necessity of coating, I've made two large prints and stretched them without coating and hung them in a sunny room.  No cracking or damage of any kind on the corners or edges occurred during stretching and I see no visible fading after an intense summer.  I do live in a rural area far from ozone producing elements and, since the prints are mine and hang in my own environment, I'm careful about physical damage.

I've also made two additional prints, coated them and hung them in the same environment as a control.

So far, so good.

[dgberg]

While others who've posted are far more knowledgeable than I on this subject (in fact, I've printed less than ten canvas prints) I'm always one to do my own tests on things photographic.  I'm a long-time user of third party inks and CISs, for example.

To evaluate the necessity of coating, I've made two large prints and stretched them without coating and hung them in a sunny room.  No cracking or damage of any kind on the corners or edges occurred during stretching and I see no visible fading after an intense summer.  I do live in a rural area far from ozone producing elements and, since the prints are mine and hang in my own environment, I'm careful about physical damage.

I've also made two additional prints, coated them and hung them in the same environment as a control.

So far, so good.


Splash a glass of wine on one and see how it holds up.
I still have much to learn but have printed and mounted more then 1000 canvases.
I admit that you will see minimum issues when using the new Easy Wrap. Which says alot for the product.

In a commercial setting using a Gallery Stretcher Machine without varnishing,you are just asking for trouble.
Take a dozen of these to a trade show without varnish and see how they hold up with all the transporting and handling.
I am not really discussing UV and fading issues,that's another story.
I happily warranty my work. So I will continue to varnish 3 full coats.

[Peter McLennan]

Dan, I completely agree.  A dash of red wine on my uncoated prints would be a disaster.  I don't intend to let this happen. If it does, I'll just have to suffer the consequences.  I might enforce a "chablis-only" rule.  : )

You frame and print as a business, and your business depends on quality and durability.  I spent a career photographing for others, but now I photograph, print and frame for me and me alone.  If any prints leave my residence, they're gifts.  And, while quality of image and presentation is vital, I instruct my recipients on the fragility of the canvas surface. Also, transporting my prints to and from art shows isn't going to happen.  The only transport I do is from my framing table to my wall or the walls of my friends.   

Coating is a PITA. I've tried it and I hate it.  I hate the equipment, I hate the chemistry, I hate the failures that can ruin an image at the last stage of production and I hate spending the time doing it.  For all those reasons and a few more, I decided to stretch a few uncoated test prints to see what the results might be.  So far, other than damage susceptibility, I see no problems.  My risk, my reward.  Since others may be in my situation, I thought I'd share my experience.

After a year in my sunny display area, I may see fading.  If I do, I'll reconsider my decision to skip coating all together.  Until then, I'm happy to avoid the time, cost and problems of coating.

I also make my own stretcher frames from raw wood.  A 30X40 frame from 3/4" X 2 1/2" stock costs me about $2 and takes about ten minutes to cut and assemble.

I must say that I'm delighted and amazed at the quality of imagery we can create today.  We are so lucky.

[Damir]

Well

When HP Pro B9180 was out for the first time, it was 2005. If I remember, I got demo unit for testing on which I printed a picture on canvas. That picture is still as new although I roll it and de roll it three times every week, keep it in humid, sometimes wet environment. I carry it around in my sport bag with wet towels and my other cloth for practice for 6 years now. At least three days in week I stretch it over my knee put it on the wall, after practice roll it again put it in my bag with all my cloth and towels. There is no coating or any other protection on the picture. It is also washed in washing machine for more than 20 times. There is no sign of any damage - OK it is black and white only, so it may be that color ink will make some difference.

In the meantime I got canvas samples from other manufacturers; I print some new pictures for the guys that practice with me. First time when they put the pictures in their bag ink smears all over their wet cloth. Same with coating - I did coat some prints - they was already stretched, no problem with HP canvas, third party canvas first smear the ink, and later cracked so it looks like centuries old painting.

This may look like some commercial for HP, but it is truth. I use only HP canvas for HP printers. I can splash a glass of wine over it and it holds - but this is strange idea, picture should be on the wall, hmmmm - not so strange maybe I can start to sell unique tablecloth to restaurants - sorry I must leave you now to work on this idea!

[RFPhotography]

Peter, what canvas/ink combination are you using?  I've tried several different types of canvas in my 3800 and haven't found one yet that won't crack at the edges when stretched if it's not properly coated.  I stopped using the solvent spray coatings (e.g., Moab, Hahnemuhle) because they didn't prevent cracking or scratching (just a UV protectant) and have gone to Premier Eco Print Shield because it does all three.  It's also much safer from a health standpoint.

[Ken]

I agree with "BobFischer" about spraying/coating. Even after letting the ink dry for 24+ hours, you can gently rub a wet finger on the image and the ink will smear... at least with Epson Ultrachrome. Coating with a few layers of canned spray is the easiest way, or of course you can go heavy duty with Glamour, ClearShied, etc. I have applied a light coat of canned spray before stretching, and then again after stretching, with no problem.

[Luca Ragogna]

I sprayed a couple of already stretched canvases last week with Timeless Satin. No issues. Worked great.