Canvas Prints - Photographs and Digital Art On Canvas

Canvas prints is the term that has come to describe a process by which a digital photograph is printed onto a canvas medium. What is compelling about this process is the depth and realism that can be achieved with this style of photograph printing. Even though canvas prints retain the vast majority of the smooth, realistic lines in the original photograph, the gentle diffusing of the edges and blending of colors actually adds to the original photo's beauty.

Canvas is the preferred, traditional medium of oil and acrylic paintings. As such many avoid it as a photograph printing surface because they feel it is unauthentic or presumptuous. That may have been a consensus years ago, but it is no reason to avoid adding to the beauty of your photography now. Canvas printing has been on the rise for several years, and has quietly but securely won its way into the hearts of artists, photographers, and consumers alike.

There's more than just an aesthetic advantage to printing on canvas, however. For example, have you ever tried printing a paper banner to put on display at an event like a sports game or trade show? I'm sure you discovered that whether you printed it on your home printer, or had it made at a shop, it didn't last very long. Paper is overly prone to tearing, crinkling, bleeding, and falls apart of a rain drop even looks at it funny.

Canvas is none of those things. It is very heavy and durable. It is exceedingly difficult to tear. Properly printed and sealed canvas can be held under a water faucet and not bleed, weaken, or stretch. It can easily handle a few raindrops. Best of all canvas is heavy, so it won't blow around in the wind, crinkle, crease, or distort in any way. It is truly the perfect medium for posters and banners, in addition to fine art prints.

Best of all, canvas prints are affordable. Unlike paper photograph prints, canvas doesn't have to be put in an expensive frame with matte and glass. Even without a frame a well stretched canvas print is considered a finished product, and can be put on display as is. You don't have to worry overmuch about protecting the canvas either - Just keep it out of heavy moisture areas like bathrooms, and away from prolonged direct sunlight. If you follow these few little suggestions, your canvas print will last for over 100 years without any visible signs of deterioration. That's over four times as long as traditional photograph prints.

There are many uses for printed canvas, whether as an art piece, promotional poster, banner, or anything else you can think of. For example, I currently have a 3'' wide 8'' long unstretched canvas print covering an unsightly door. Not only does it negate the terrible aesthetics of the door, but it inspires conversation whenever I have guests. What else can you think of to put on canvas, or use printed canvas for? Let us know at ZaZaGallery.com and we'll see if we can bring your imagination to life.

For anyone who is a fan of poster art and loves larger displays of photos and other favorite mementos, it's likely that you've already started to think about canvas prints. Of course, in some circles, many of the painters and other artists aren't too happy about canvas prints, as they offer a way to have a beautiful work of art cheaper than a painting, but canvas is still picking up speed. So many people that used to love posters are starting to turn to canvas prints.

But why would people who love posters and other larger art turn to canvas prints? Well, cost sure isn't one of those issues, posters still cost less as canvas prints are a better quality product and the materials to create them are more expensive. You won't find a poster for the same price that you will a canvas print. However, it's not the cost that is switching people over.

If you think about the different materials that are used to make posters and canvas prints, you will see a huge difference. Canvas prints are stretched around a solid frame that will stand up to years and years of wear. The frame is actually part of the canvas print, and therefore isn't something that's just placed around the photo to preserve it. Posters, on the other hand, are normally framed so that they last a few years, and you can never really be sure how sturdy the framing is. Canvas frames are very sturdy, especially since the canvas is stretched on them, and super easy to hang.

Take a look at the inks that are used in posters and the inks that are used in canvas prints. They are so different it's almost like night and day. Since paper doesn't last very long anyway, the printers won't use very expensive inks that make the colors and lines really pop. Canvas printers know that these are made to last for hundreds of years and they use the inks that will last that long and still stay beautiful.

Also, once a canvas print is completed, a very special sealer is put on top of the canvas to help keep it sealed and protected. Posters aren't. They are not printed to last very long, the inks used are not UV resistant, and are not moisture resistant as well. In fact, anyone knows what happens if you get water on a poster - not a pretty thing. Yet, you can really run running water over a canvas print and it won't damage it at all.

When you take a good look at the durability of canvas over paper posters, it's easy to see why so many collectors are turning to canvas prints for their favorite larger photos. Canvas prints will last hundreds of years, where their favorite posters won't last but a few years at the most. It won't take long to have a new poster looking torn and ripped, although this does add to the appeal of some of them. But if you are after the image quality, then posters are not the way to go. Of course, for those things that have a lot of tiny details and need those sharp edges to keep them, canvas prints are not the way to go - glossy paper will always be the best. Yet for those larger photos that have wonderfully rich colors and can stand to have a softer feel added to them, canvas prints are the way to go.

Consider how the canvas will take in the ink and create extremely small areas of shadow and light on the image when it's printed on the surface. This subtle change as you change the lighting, change your viewing position, or simply move the canvas across the room will create a different look to it each time. The texture itself creates a wonderful way to make any photograph "pop" off the canvas, and will add an extremely personable and unique look to the photo.

For anyone who is considering having a poster done for yourself, or as a gift, consider canvas instead. Not only will it last longer, but you will have something that is truly unique that you can cherish for many decades to come.

Author Hugh Parker:

Zaza Gallery is the buzz in the photo on canvas world. This site is unique so join the buzz and visit us by clicking Canvas Prints. Thank You - Hugh Parker.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hugh_Parker

Amateur photographers, rejoice! There is a fresh, growing, cutting edge print medium out now to help promote and display your photography. You may have once felt limited, ordering mundane traditional prints from photo labs, or online. "4x6 or 5x7? Matte or Gloss? Doubles? Triples?" What a bore. How would you instead like to answer these questions: "20x40 or 36x48? Gallery wrapped or mirror wrapped? Would you like a hefty dose of professionalism and artistic expression with your order today?"

Although typically of good quality, traditional photo prints lack the unique artistic touch. Even large poster paper prints still seem empty, flat, and one dimensional. Wouldn't you instead prefer a display piece that was vibrant, stunning, and looked like it could be hanging in a museum instead of on your living room wall? We thought so.

Canvas prints are the answer. To what question? How about, "How can I help promote myself as a photographer and artist?", or, "What can I get my friend or loved one as a personalized and unique gift"?, or even, "How can I increase the profitability of my photography or gallery business?" In the last couple of years, canvas photograph prints have revolutionized the photo printing industry. Utilizing fresh and emerging technologies, print professionals and galleries alike have started to print digital photographs and other digital works of art onto canvas, and this service has been welcomed by the photography community with open arms.

There are so many advantages to choosing canvas as your print medium. Even a small 8x10 print leaves a long lasting impression when given as a gift. Canvas printing services haven't been available for very long and most people aren't familiar with the works, so the loved one that you choose to gift with a professional canvas print will enjoy it for the sheer uniqueness, and the sentiment expressed in such a personalized present. Who doesn't love the feeling of opening up a wrapped gift and finding something personal, special, and beautiful inside?

Beyond just that, canvas prints have a profound elegance to them. The classic appearance of any art on canvas is reminiscent of the master artworks of centuries past. The texture of the canvas is entirely different from that of paper, adding richness, depth, and softness to the piece.

The variety of photos and other digital artwork that can be printed onto canvas is impressive. Any quality digital image can easily be retouched, resized, converted to black and white or sepia, and any other digital edit imaginable. Computer generated graphics, digital photographs, and high resolution scans can all be transferred to canvas medium to create a stunning, personalized work of art. For photographs, the only real restriction is that it needs to have been shot with a resolution of 2 megapixels or higher. The large sized canvas you want, the higher resolution digital photograph you need. To help ensure that transferring to canvas will always be an option for your photographs, try to always shoot at the highest possible resolution.

Another big advantage to having your photos printed onto canvas is that the typical professional canvas print has a longevity of over five times that of a standard photograph print. Archival inks coupled with museum quality canvas and sealer protect your print from fading, UV damage, dust, and moisture. While it is common for photo paper prints to last for around 15 years under normal conditions, digital images transferred to canvas can last for upwards of 100 years before there are any signs of fading or deterioration.

Because the original image begins its life as digital, print professionals and galleries that produce canvas prints can apply a plethora of effects to your photograph, in addition to repairing problems like damage or blemishes. Artistic effects can be applied to the image to slightly change its appearance, such as oil painting, pen and ink, pastel, and many more. Opting for effects like this makes the pieces less "real" looking, but can greatly enhance the artistic value of your piece.

Taking your plain digital photos and transferring them to canvas is a fabulous way to add a innovative and edgy touch to your work. As gifts, photos on canvas allow the giver to help create something truly unique and personalized for their friend or loved one. To learn more about canvas printing please visit ZaZaGallery.com.