Smoothest Canvas

[Russart]

Hi, I’m trying to avoid glass and am thinking about using canvas.

Can anyone recommend a canvas with the least amount of texture, or as close to paper as possible?

[PeterAit]

Hi, I’m trying to avoid glass and am thinking about using canvas.

Can anyone recommend a canvas with the least amount of texture, or as close to paper as possible?

Why not just use paper? We have had great success mounting paper prints on Gatorboard and then spraying with PrintShield and displaying with no glazing.

[Russart]

Thank you for the suggestion, Peter. I’m planning to mount the canvas to Gatorboard and was wondering what the durability difference would be between that and varnished paper, after they’re both framed. I’ll definitely look into that.

[MichaelKoerner]

https://www.canson-infinity.com/en/products/museum-pro-canvas

100% cotton, smoothest surface I now of. Have used it for 8x12" prints, portraits, weddings... where "normal" canvas would be too heavily textured.

When displayed without framing, (the borders of) canvas on stretchers has a more organic, natural appearance than paper on gatorboard, IMHO.

[Russart]

https://www.canson-infinity.com/en/products/museum-pro-canvas

100% cotton, smoothest surface I now of. Have used it for 8x12" prints, portraits, weddings... where "normal" canvas would be too heavily textured.

When displayed without framing, (the borders of) canvas on stretchers has a more organic, natural appearance than paper on gatorboard, IMHO.

Are you able to still get this where you are? I’ve heard great things about it but it’s coming up as discontinued on the link from Canson’s website.

[MichaelKoerner]

Are you able to still get this where you are? I’ve heard great things about it but it’s coming up as discontinued on the link from Canson’s website.

Photolux is my favourite supplier in Germany. Seems to be available there - good luck with it!

[PeterAit]

https://www.canson-infinity.com/en/products/museum-pro-canvas

100% cotton, smoothest surface I now of. Have used it for 8x12" prints, portraits, weddings... where "normal" canvas would be too heavily textured.

When displayed without framing, (the borders of) canvas on stretchers has a more organic, natural appearance than paper on gatorboard, IMHO.

I should have mentioned -- once the print is mounted on Gator we frame with 1/2" black metal, so the edges are not visible. Verry clean and elegant me thinks.

[mearussi]

If you're in the U.S. then Breathing Color's 17M Satin has an even smoother and less reflective surface than Canson's Museum ProCanvas Luster. It also have the added advantage of not needing to be coated before stretching, and as a cotton/poly blend is also a bit tougher than the 100% cotton Museum ProCanvas.

https://www.breathingcolor.com/products/17m?variant=31565231194208

[Russart]

If you're in the U.S. then Breathing Color's 17M Satin has an even smoother and less reflective surface than Canson's Museum ProCanvas Luster. It also have the added advantage of not needing to be coated before stretching, and as a cotton/poly blend is also a bit tougher than the 100% cotton Museum ProCanvas.

https://www.breathingcolor.com/products/17m?variant=31565231194208

Thank you for the recommendation. I ordered it and it looks great!

[John Nollendorfs]

I don't know how you can get around not coating any canvas ink jet print for maximum light fastness and durability! AFAIK, most inkjet media is  coated with a nano porous receptor coating, that is quite susceptible to atmospheric polutants, especially Ozone. This will attack pigments and dyes. This is why prints need to be sealed under glass, or coated to seal the nanoporous surface.

[dgberg]

Agree with John it must be coated. We still do pigment on canvas with sprayed top coat for the artisans and photography clients.
When doing large batches of hospitality art it was such a bottleneck with time required for ink to dry and then spray and wait for that to dry. So we purchased an Epson s80600 solvent to speed things up.
It is the best machine I have ever worked with, fast, great color. With the onboard heater it dries fast enough to gallery wrap in an hour. That ink is tough.
Two coats of varnish on pigment and it is still easy to scratch off the corners when wrapping.
All that being said even with 9 inks and the Onyx rip the solvent is still slightly behind the pigment P8000 in gamut.
My opinion here, the texture is what makes it pop. YOMV

[Russart]

Agree with John it must be coated. We still do pigment on canvas with sprayed top coat for the artisans and photography clients.
When doing large batches of hospitality art it was such a bottleneck with time required for ink to dry and then spray and wait for that to dry. So we purchased an Epson s80600 solvent to speed things up.
It is the best machine I have ever worked with, fast, great color. With the onboard heater it dries fast enough to gallery wrap in an hour. That ink is tough.
Two coats of varnish on pigment and it is still easy to scratch off the corners when wrapping.
All that being said even with 9 inks and the Onyx rip the solvent is still slightly behind the pigment P8000 in gamut.
My opinion here, the texture is what makes it pop. YOMV

Dan, I’ve seen some of your previous posts’ about varnish and was wondering what you’re currently spraying? I don’t have a booth but have a compressor and HVLP gun, so would like to go that route instead of rolling.

[dgberg]

We used to use breathing Color Timeless and Glamor II. The Timeless dries quicker and no mixing required.
Glamor II is good stuff if you do not mind the mixing and slower dry time. All these water based finishes in my opinion are way too expensive for what you are getting but it is what it is.
A water based varnish with water as the solvent for over $100 a gallon. Not many other economical options out there that do a good job.
I have been trying Lexjets Clearshield and it is right up there with Timeless. We have been moving away from canvas varnishing now that we have a solvent printer with no topcoat required.
The pigment print clients that want pigment prints all get top coated.

[mearussi]

I don't know how you can get around not coating any canvas ink jet print for maximum light fastness and durability! AFAIK, most inkjet media is  coated with a nano porous receptor coating, that is quite susceptible to atmospheric polutants, especially Ozone. This will attack pigments and dyes. This is why prints need to be sealed under glass, or coated to seal the nanoporous surface.

Yes the surface still needs to be coated to seal it from air pollutants, but that is done after it's stretched. I use Premier Art's solvent based Print Shield but Moab or Hahnemuhle's sprays will work as well.

BTW, the primary purpose of the water based coating is to keep the edges of the print from cracking. Mechanical protection and sealing the microporous surface are secondary. Somehow Breathing Color has come up with a canvas coating that does not need the water based coating to keep the edges from cracking, so all it needs is a solvent overcoat to seal out air pollution.