Current state of spraying/protecting canvas?

[mikev1]

Hello previous owner of an Epson 9900 and Canon 8300 here.  Life turned elsewhere and I sold the printers.
 
I have been approached by several old clients inquiring about whether I would get back into it.  And you know what?  I really enjoy making prints and working with photographers or graphic artists.  It was always more of a collaboration than a business.  So I am strongly considering buying another printer.

However,  the one thing I always detested was spraying canvas.  Despite spending good money setting up a dedicated workspace in my workshop with proper ventilation, mask etc I was never quite convinced that I wasn't breathing that stuff in  or it was permeating my skin somehow. Perhaps overly dramatic but I really hated everything to do with it!

Does anyone have any experience with other methods other than spraying? Forget hand rolling,  too hard with large prints to get an even coat.  Any experience with liquid laminator systems that use a tray?

The great thing about making prints for my own use is I can say to hell with the coating!  But for others it comes up.

Thanks

[Garnick]

Hello previous owner of an Epson 9900 and Canon 8300 here.  Life turned elsewhere and I sold the printers.
 
I have been approached by several old clients inquiring about whether I would get back into it.  And you know what?  I really enjoy making prints and working with photographers or graphic artists.  It was always more of a collaboration than a business.  So I am strongly considering buying another printer.

However,  the one thing I always detested was spraying canvas.  Despite spending good money setting up a dedicated workspace in my workshop with proper ventilation, mask etc I was never quite convinced that I wasn't breathing that stuff in  or it was permeating my skin somehow. Perhaps overly dramatic but I really hated everything to do with it!

Does anyone have any experience with other methods other than spraying? Forget hand rolling,  too hard with large prints to get an even coat.  Any experience with liquid laminator systems that use a tray?

The great thing about making prints for my own use is I can say to hell with the coating!  But for others it comes up.

Thanks

Hello Mike,

Well, you mentioned that we should forget about "rolling" coating.  However, I'll risk it regardless.  I've been rolling Eco Print Shield for almost ten years with no issues relating to uneven coating.  I print only on matte canvas and apply three finish coats.  The first two are Satin and the final coat is either Satin or a 50/50 mix of Satin and Gloss.  The Satin Gloss mix is the one that most customers prefer.  I have coated canvases up to 40 by approximately 80" with no issues.  Yes, I do wish I had more space, but I have found ways to overcome that particular annoyance.  You are correct that after the first coating with EPS it does appear somewhat uneven, but that is quickly taken care of with the second coat, not a problem.  And also, the coating is diluted 20% with distilled water to make it easier to roll.  Of course I do understand that nothing I have mentioned will likely convince you to try the roller again, just my experience with EPS.

Gary   

 

[mikev1]

Hello Mike,

Well, you mentioned that we should forget about "rolling" coating.  However, I'll risk it regardless.  I've been rolling Eco Print Shield for almost ten years with no issues relating to uneven coating.  I print only on matte canvas and apply three finish coats.  The first two are Satin and the final coat is either Satin or a 50/50 mix of Satin and Gloss.  The Satin Gloss mix is the one that most customers prefer.  I have coated canvases up to 40 by approximately 80" with no issues.  Yes, I do wish I had more space, but I have found ways to overcome that particular annoyance.  You are correct that after the first coating with EPS it does appear somewhat uneven, but that is quickly taken care of with the second coat, not a problem.  And also, the coating is diluted 20% with distilled water to make it easier to roll.  Of course I do understand that nothing I have mentioned will likely convince you to try the roller again, just my experience with EPS.

Gary

Thank you for your response.   You have inspired me to work on my technique and perhaps dilute a bit more than I used to.

[Malcolm Payne]

Hi Mike,

For the last few years I have used an HVLP gun for coating canvas, but prior to that I hand-rolled with Breathing Colour's Glamour II varnish and never had any problems with uneven coating on prints up to about A0 in size. The trick is to use a rather wet coat, work fast and then walk away from it without worrying about any remaining marks or unevenness; Glamour II has a relatively long drying time and levelling agents so that any marks should flatten out without further attention. A second coat if needed should take care of any visible variations in the finish.

I'm not sure I'd risk a large print with their Timeless varnish though, which is much quicker drying and without the levelling agents that make Glamour II so forgiving.

The only real downside I found with hand-rolling is that you need a large flat area for coating and that dust and hairs can get stuck in the print, which HVLP spraying generally avoids.

There are some useful tutorial videos on BC's site, and I believe they now also sell an 8" roller that they recommend for larger prints.

Cheers,

Malcolm

[dgberg]

Spraying at least for me is the absolute best way to get any sheen from matte to high gloss quickly and efficiently.
That being said we run several laminators here and if you want to go that route you can purchase a hot roll laminator.
Frequently we fire up the hot roll Seal machine and put down Seal's Print Guard Ultra. (Film not liquid.)
It is the toughest finish you can put on canvas, bar none.

[Mike Guilbault]

I've been spraying Timeless with a FujiSpray HVLP gun for a couple years now. I can't believe how much easier it is than rolling.  I've sprayed prints up to 8' long with no problem. It takes some time to get the technique down to ensure a consistently even coverage, but then there's no looking back to rolling.