Giclee Printing and Canvas Gamut
Of all the materials used for giclee printing, the widest gamut differences among different manufacturers are seen in canvas substrates. You can order 2 samples of canvas made by X and Y and X will not render a fairly bright blue while Y will. Why are there such differences? Coating technology plays a big factor. Some companies heavily invest in research and development while others do not. On the other hand, a certain canvas may intentionally not have a wide color gamut but be very good at reproducing subtle tones and a soft look. Fortunately these days there are so many different types of canvas for giclee that it is easy to cater to different tastes.
We advise our customers on different choices once we see what they are trying to reproduce.
Keep in mind new materials are coming out constantly. What could be problematic to effectively print today, might be very easy to do tomorrow. Do not believe that all colors can be printed on canvas to be absolutely identical to an original. While, this is true in most situations, there are instances where it is just not possible. Whoever tells you that all digital files and art can be printed to match 100% is doing a disservice to the indusrty.
There will be a time where this will be possible. The technology is getting so sophisticated that one year ago we wouldn't have even attempted to print some files without heavy and time consuming corrections to bring color in range. Today, we can do this with ease due to new printers and substrates.