Many of the large format printers available today have the capability to print onto canvas.
Along with that a growing number of photographers and artists are discovering that printing their works of art onto canvas adds novelty as well as profitability.
The fact is that there are much large profit margins when printing onto canvas as opposed to fine art or photo papers.
There are several reasons for this, but the most prominent is that you can create an equivalent sized stretched and sealed museum-grade canvas print for a lower cost than a framed photo with mat and glass.
As a photographer with years of experience both perfecting and promoting my art, it has been my experience that canvas prints are much more profitable for my business.
So why doesn't everyone jump on board this new trend? In my experience the reason my many photographers choose not to print onto canvas is simply because they don't have the expertise to stretch the canvas on their own, and a typical framing shop will charge a hefty fee for this simple service.
Along the same lines, it doesn't really take specialized skill to purchase a mat, glass, and frame kit and produce a final product in an garage or office.
I maintain, though, that if a digital artist or photographer only knew how to stretch canvas they would be able to produce a beautiful final product for far less cost than a traditionally framed piece.
There is another way a digital artist or photographer can increase their final product profit margin with canvas: If you do a gallery wrap with your canvas then it can be hung on the wall without any additional framing and still be considered a finalized piece.
In essence, you will often be able to sell your canvas print without any costly frame for a comparable price as framed paper print.
A gallery wrapping on your canvas print basically means that the image on the canvas wraps all the way around the frame, making even the sides part of the art of the image.
The main considerations when it comes to creating fine art canvas prints is the materials you choose to create them.
The primary components are the canvas itself, the sealer, and the stretcher bar.
When selecting the canvas you will use for printing you need to ensure that its imaging properties are at the highest standard of excellence.
In my experience matte canvas is far superior to gloss or semi gloss.
If using matte canvas you need to ensure that you are also using a matte black ink in your printer.
When you stretch the canvas, a high quality canvas will not have any cracking along the edges.
The sealer you use to preserve and protect the image is just as important as the canvas it is printed onto.
When the sealer adheres to the print surface it makes the canvas more pliable.
A high quality canvas partnered with an exceptional sealer will ensure that there is absolutely no cracking.
The stretcher bar that you use needs to have a raised lip to prevent any ghosting (seeing the outline of the stretcher bar through the image), as well as very sturdy.
It may feel like all of this information comprises quite the learning curve.
The good news, though, is that you don't have to suffer through the trial and error process just to master canvas stretching.
At ZaZa Gallery you will find a pictorial demonstration of the canvas stretching process from beginning to end, as well as helpful text instructions.
This site provides lots of resources for someone looking to get into canvas printing, or refine their process.
At this time in my photography career I choose to print exclusively onto canvas and have no regrets about it.
The encouragement that I can offer those considering fine art canvas printing is that the payoff greatly outweighs the investment.