Anatomy of a High-Quality Canvas Print

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Anatomy of a High Quality Canvas Print image

^{photo by ChristinLola via iStock}

The difference between a canvas print and a high-quality canvas print, or better yet a handmade canvas print, is incredible.

Cheap canvas prints are attractive because it saves you and your client money. But, using a canvas print maker that actually puts love and care into their work makes all the difference in the world. Because I offer my clients high-quality prints, they are happier with their purchase and buy more prints.

Here are some features of a good canvas print you should be looking for. All of this information was pulled from my favorite high-quality canvas print shop, CanvasHQ.

Speaking of CanvasHQ...

In the video below, I put CanvasHQ and six other canvas printing companies through a series of tests to see who makes the best canvas. Who came out on top? Who was at the bottom? Find out in the video below!

Touch-Ups Should Be Included

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^{Photo by Kevin Bhagat on Unsplash}

This one’s important, especially if you’re a new photographer or if you’re prone to human error. Make sure your canvas print shop includes touch-ups. Every once in a while you may forget to get rid of noise in your photos, or any number of other errors.

CanvasHQ ensures that your photo is perfect before putting it on a canvas print. They’ll send you all of your proofs for free via email so you can give the go ahead before the printing process starts.

Plus, this step shouldn’t take forever. CanvasHQ has a turnaround time clock on their website so you always know how long you’ll wait before having your canvas print in hand (touch-ups included).

Ink Should Be Weather-Proofed

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^{Photo by Z S on Unsplash}

The ink on your canvas print is, arguably, more important the canvas your photo is printed on. If your canvas maker uses ink that isn’t waterproof or weatherproof, your canvas print could be ruined by one freak storm.

CanvasHQ only uses ink that is made for outdoor use, which means your photo won’t fade in direct light. The ink they use is also waterproof, so you can use a wet washcloth to clean your canvas print.

Finally, they use a fine blend of 6 different ink colors to ensure your canvas print perfectly mimics the colors on your original photo.

Learn More:

Frame is Hand-Built

Have you ever purchased a canvas print that immediately warped? I have and it sucks. With a high-quality canvas print maker, every aspect of your canvas print is meticulously thought through, and that includes the way the frame is built.

CanvasHQ uses kiln-dried pine to ensure your canvas won’t warp in inclement weather. Each frame is hand-measured before being constructed. And they don’t use glue, which can compromise the build of the canvas print in the future. They use brads and staples.

They also use wooden corner bracing to ensure the structural integrity of your canvas print.

Canvas Prints Should Be Hand Stretched

If your frame is hand built, it doesn’t make any sense to not also hand stretch your canvas.

Stretching your canvas is actually the hardest part of creating a canvas print because you need to ensure the canvas print is aligned correctly while ensuring you don’t damage the face of the canvas.

A high-quality canvas print will make a nice “drum” sound when you tap your photo. This means that your canvas was stretched correctly and evenly.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

Every canvas print that CanvasHQ creates comes with a 30-day money back guarantee. They’re proud of their products and know you will be too.

Having a guarantee that backs up the product not only gives you peace of mind that if something goes wrong, you’ll be able to get it fixed, but it also gives you the confidence to drop-ship prints to clients.

I’ve purchased dozens of canvases from CanvasHQ over the years, and I can tell you that I’ve never had a problem with a single one of them. These guys care about what they do and have the quality control checks in place to ensure the final product is something that will make them - and you - proud.