Canvas Printing

We specialize in canvas printing and and gallery wraps, and produce a low glare, elegant product compared to most other print shops.

Picture Element offers two versions of canvas. A Museum and Decor product. They have a similar color range (gamut) and black density (dmax), and are almost indistinguishable from each other when printed. The museum canvas is thicker and uses no OBAs (optical brightener agents), while the Decor is a little thinner and does use some OBAs. The Decor is less expensive, and a great alternative for larger commercial projects. They use the same archival pigment ink and get the same 2 coats of acrylic varnish after printing. The acrylic varnish comes in a matte, satin, or gloss finish.

There are many parts to achieving a great looking canvas print. We use a matte black ink set and our raw digital canvas to achieve a superior black, tonal range, and low glare, compared to other print makers using pre-coated canvases. Our printers and settings are optimized beyond manufacturer standards to achieve a better color range, and we make our own custom ICC color profiles on top for color accuracy.  We take the additional steps and coat our canvas with 2 coats of an anti-UV acrylic varnish after the pigment ink has dried 24hrs. This is done using our acrylic spray system for a smooth even finish that enhances and protects the final print.

Canvas wraps are a great alternative to traditional printing, mounting/matting and framing, for both photographs and paintings. The canvas printing and stretching costs are less, and the results are a beautiful image ready to hang on the wall without the added glare from traditional glazing. Adding a floater frame at the time of printing or later adds an elegant finish.

Custom stretchers are measured, cut and assembled from kiln-dried wood to the exact size for each print.

Canvas can be coated with a satin, matte, or gloss finish, and stretched with several different options:

1. White sides – canvas is stretched and white is left on the sides. Stapled in back.
2. Solid color wrap – your choice of color is added on the edge.
3. Crop wrapped – the image is printed large enough to encompass the entire side wrap, essentially cropping the image in the process.
4. Mirror wrapped – part of the image (the edge), is digitally copied and mirror flipped on to the side of the stretcher making an image “wrap around” without cropping the original image
5. Added Floater frame – Canvas is printed and stretched with one of the above methods, and a floater frame is added to the edging leaving a gap between it and the stretched canvas. The canvas appears to “float” within the frame. A traditional frame can also be used that overlaps the edges.

• Stretcher depths in  5/8”, 1.0”, 1.5”, and 2.0”.

• At least two inches of white border is provided on canvas prints when puchasing prints without stretching.

• We can ship almost any size, and offer discounted flat rate shipping in the continental US on sizes up to 32×40, or larger when rolled without stretching. We can print up to 64″ x 120+”. Contact us for more details.