CANVAS vs PAPER PRINTS
Your choice will depend on your specific needs, your budget, the intended display environment, and personal aesthetic preferences.
Canvas vs. Paper | What’s the Difference?
Do you prefer wall art that is set off with a mat and frame? Or do you like a more original look without a mat and glass....more like the artist's original art piece? When considering art prints, the choice between canvas and paper can significantly impact the presentation, durability, and overall feel of the artwork. Here are some questions to ask yourself when deciding whether you should purchase paper or canvas prints.
Canvas Art Prints
Traditional Stretched Canvas
One great way to highlight your new artwork work is to choose printing on a traditional stretched canvas. These art prints are open-backed canvases, built around a hardwood frame. Each canvas is carefully hand-stapled to ensure a tight surface, and to prevent any sagging or wrinkling at the corners. As such, they create a clear, vivid representation of your artwork, and are incredibly quick and easy to install in your home, and come with all the hardware you need to hang your print. Each canvas has a 100 percent gesso-polyester base, and the print media is acid-free with a medium texture and scratch-resistant finish.
Material and Texture
Fabric: Canvas is made from cotton or linen, which provides a textured surface that can add visible depth and dimension to the print....much like the original canvas art piece, and even often difficult to discern the difference between the original and the reproduction.
Texture
The weave of the canvas fabric adds a tactile quality that mimics original paintings, especially with oil or acrylic artworks.
Appearance
Frameless Option: Canvas prints can be stretched over a wooden frame (gallery-wrapped), allowing them to be displayed without additional framing, which gives a modern, sleek look. Alternatively they can also have a frame or floating frame added.
Traditional Art Look: Because of the texture and the way the ink sits on the canvas, these prints often resemble original paintings more closely than paper prints.
We aim to make our canvas prints look as authentic as possible
My art is printed directly onto pre-coated cotton canvas with color fast solvent inks. The higher quality Giclée canvas print options are very resilient and can last for many years without the bulkiness of glass and mats original paintings are simply mounted in the back of a frame and then hung on the wall, and since we aim to be as authentic as possible, we also frame our canvas prints the same way.
Canvas needs to breathe and will expand and contract slightly with temperature and humidity changes, therefore an open back is best to encourage this process. If you ever want to clean your canvas print, you only need a soft, damp cloth to gently wipe the surface of the print.
Durability
Sturdiness: Canvas is more durable and resistant to wear and tear compared to paper. It can withstand humidity and light better, making it suitable for various environments, including those with higher humidity.
Additionally, Inkjet printing is more environmentally responsible choice for your home environment (no chemicals), for businesses like mine (reducing carbon footprint, energy and chemicals), ….and for the planet as a whole.
Longevity
High-quality canvas prints, especially those with UV-protected inks, can last many decades, or even over 100 years, without fading.
Paper Art Prints
Smooth or Slight Texture
Material and Texture: Paper Types: There are various types of paper used for artprints, including matte, glossy, and textured papers like watercolor or fineart paper.
Smooth or Slight Texture
Paper generally offers a smoother surface, but textured papers are available for a different feel and appearance.
Appearance
Detail and Sharpness: Paper prints can capture fine details and sharpness better due to the smooth surface, making them ideal for highly detailed artworks or photographs.
Framing and Protective Glass Recommended
Paper prints typically need to be framed for protection and display, which can add to the overall cost and influence the aesthetic. Fine art paper prints should be protected by glass if you want them to last in original condition over decades. It is not absolutely necessary to protect your paper prints with glass, but it will protect them from airborne smoke, dust and small particles in the air, that may diminish their quality over time. Some UV glass can also protect your prints over time from UV rays that may take some of the vibrant colors out.
Our prints are created with color fast, aqueous inks, designed to last over 100 years, but just to make sure you can enjoy your purchase for a lifetime, you should use only UV glass to ensure that the colors remain as vibrant as the day you unpack your new art. Your paper prints will be delivered unmounted unless you buy with a frame, so we recommend you might consider mounting them with a mat and UV-rated glass.
Durability
That all men and women are created equal. That everyone belongs. That everyone has rights, and everyone has the right to flourish. I believe that when people who are bound by the rules have no role in shaping the rules, moral blind spots become law, and the powerless bear the burden. … I believe that entrenched social norms that shift society’s benefits to the powerful and its burdens to the powerless not only hurt the people pushed out but also always hurt the whole.”
Vulnerability: Paper is more susceptible to damage from moisture, light, and handling. It is crucial to use UV-protective glass and acid-free materials for framing to enhance longevity.
Fading and Yellowing: Without proper care, paper prints can fade or yellow over time, especially if exposed to direct sunlight or high humidity.
Considerations for Choosing
Aesthetic Preference
Choose canvas if you prefer a painterly, traditional look that mimics original artwork. Choose paper if you value sharpness, fine details, and a wide range of textures.
Display and Environment
Canvas prints are versatile and can be hung without a frame, suitable for a modern or minimalist style. Paper prints require framing and are better suited for controlled environments to avoid damage.
Budget
Canvas prints might be more expensive initially but don’t require framing costs, but will likely last longer. Paper prints might be cheaper but consider additional costs for framing, glass, and protective measures.
Durability and Maintenance
Canvas is generally more durable and low maintenance. Paper requires careful handling, proper framing, and protection from environmental factors.
In summary
In summary, canvas prints are ideal for a durable,frameless, and textured presentation, while paper prints are excellent fordetailed, sharp images requiring traditional framing. Your choice will dependon your specific needs, your budget, the intended display environment, andpersonal aesthetic preferences.