Giclee on canvas vs paper Although we carry a very wide gamut canvas (Epson Premium Satin), keep in mind that canvas giclee printing does not reproduce as wide of a color gamut as our art papers. This is due to the way canvas and paper are coated for pigment inkjet printing. Once the manufacturer starts with artist canvas, a few hurdles have to be overcome in order to make the canvas absorb the inks and create a binding layer with archival properties. The fabric is gessoed and then coated with a receptive layer. Manufacturers go through great length and research in order to widen the color gamut and create canvas that will produce a true giclee. The manufacturing process not only requires quite a bit of research and science. The top producers are all based in Europe, the US and Japan. Chinese canvas is much cheaper than the former but it shows in quality, consistency and archival properties. Many low price printers acquire Chinese canvas and sell prints as giclee work, which is, again, a questionable practice. Do not confuse Chinese made canvas with canvas made in China under the umbrella of big name manufacturers; After all Epson produces its ink cartridges in China but the quality is outstanding. How can you tell if a print job you order is made with a European or American canvas? Well, asking doesn't hurt, but keep in mind that in many instances you will not be able to tell right away. Chinese canvas may look OK at first and degrade in a matter of months; you may order a giclee today, then reorder another one of the same image in a month and get different color; inconsistency between batches is a telltale sign. Canvas rolls made in China cost 1/3 of premium canvas; you can see why it can be very attractive for a printer to go with it. Like all things in life, you get what you pay for. We insist on having the best printers, inks and papers available.

Giclee printing on paper renders wider gamuts but carries the same pitfalls regarding qulaity differences depending on whee it originates from; high end American and European papers are optical brightener free, which in simple terms means they are not bleached to make them whiter. You may ask why paper would be treated with OBAs. One reason is that people like bright papers. If top materials are used such as prim cotton pulp, it is not necessary to bleack. If subprime materials are used, bleaching is necessary, otherwise the paper base will be off white. Bleaching is not kind to papers; it will shift colors and make the papers yellow and brittle over time. In conclusion, if you are marketing giclee prints to a fine art buyer, do not settle for the lowest priced printing available as it eventually cause problems over time both in terms of archival properties as well as color consistency.  ¶ 8:39 AM 2 comments