Cheap canvas warning

LongLensPhotography

LongLensPhotography

Th..th..that's all folks!
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LongLensPhotography
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I bought a couple canvasses for myself two years ago on groupon from a small supplier. Price was great so I took the plunge and they looked OK at first (OK = good enough, but not quite perfect)

Right now they look less than great. The varnish or coating has started coming off creating a few light smudges across the canvasses. You get what you pay for. I should have bought one expensive one from reputable printer back then... Perhaps a good old framed print is still the way to go.

I thought I would warn you.
 
This is exactly why I own a HP Z6200, it's paid for itself as I've learned over the years how to do a 'proper' print, some of the cheaper companies don't apply a varnish at all and if one of the frames is hanging in a humid room it won't be long before the ink bleeds!!!
Pure laziness and corner cutting is usually the case, especially these cowboys on eBay doing large prints for next to no money!
 
Flightphoto said:
This is exactly why I own a HP Z6200, it's paid for itself as I've learned over the years how to do a 'proper' print, some of the cheaper companies don't apply a varnish at all and if one of the frames is hanging in a humid room it won't be long before the ink bleeds!!!
Pure laziness and corner cutting is usually the case, especially these cowboys on eBay doing large prints for next to no money!
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Flipping heck you must be putting out a lot of prints to justify that cost :eek: I think I'd rather just find a trusted supplier :lol:
 
I've bought cheapies from ebay in the past and they've been "dead" within 6 months. I bought one from snapmad a year ago, I didn't anticipate it being great but it looks ok still, though for £30 for a massive canvas, I don't anticipate it lasting too long.
 
Matt, I bought it from a liquidator with a massive discount ;) Each wedding I do usually sells around 10 of 24x24 prints on a 38mm box frame so it just about covers itself :D
Plus I use it for CAD plans etc, quite an investment though!
 
MWHCVT said:
But what was the name of the company? Need to know who to avoid, well I don't Ive already got great canvas suppliers :) but I'm sure it could help a number of people
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I need to look through my emails for that. It was a small not so well known company, but at the end of the day you get what you pay for - that was my point
 
Flightphoto said:
Matt, I bought it from a liquidator with a massive discount ;) Each wedding I do usually sells around 10 of 24x24 prints on a 38mm box frame so it just about covers itself :D
Plus I use it for CAD plans etc, quite an investment though!
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Ah fair enough...amazed at you selling those numbers at a wedding but hell fair play if your getting clients like that :clap:

daugirdas said:
I need to look through my emails for that. It was a small not so well known company, but at the end of the day you get what you pay for - that was my point
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Indeed but would be a far more useful thread with the name :thumbs:
 
i had some a couple off Your Perfect Canvas off groupon and they were abysmal.

Flimsy Canvas and cheap looking. also one got splashed and the ink just bubbled up and peeled off.

Not only that, but the first one i ordered was ordered in November last year as a present and it didnt arrive until the start of February this year.
 
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digitalcanvasprinting :) - and looking at the email it took me some effort to chase up my order. That is cheap bargain on one of those deal websites (not groupon, but the Russian secret security service one :cuckoo:)
I only hope they have improved since then.
 
MWHCVT said:
But what was the name of the company? Need to know who to avoid, well I don't Ive already got great canvas suppliers :) but I'm sure it could help a number of people
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Are you going to let us in on your great supplier?:)
 
MikeM said:
Are you going to let us in on your great supplier?:)
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I've had a canvas from Trade Canvas Print, the are an advertiser on here and it's exceptional, as is there service, I've also used Oxford Image Company, they are also excellent :clap:
 
MWHCVT said:
I've had a canvas from Trade Canvas Print, the are an advertiser on here and it's exceptional, as is there service, I've also used Oxford Image Company, they are also excellent :clap:
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Cool, do you know how they compare with OVI and DSCL (quality and price-wise)?

Since I don't really sell many canvas (or any to be more specific) what materials are better for presentation and durability - cotton (DSCL, photobox) or paper with "Canvas"-like coatings (OVI). This would be very helpful to know. Thanks
 
daugirdas said:
Cool, do you know how they compare with OVI and DSCL (quality and price-wise)?

Since I don't really sell many canvas (or any to be more specific) what materials are better for presentation and durability - cotton (DSCL, photobox) or paper with "Canvas"-like coatings (OVI). This would be very helpful to know. Thanks
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I'm afraid not, the only way I suspect you could really tell would be to order a sample from each, and that soon gets expensive :lol: I prefer to work of recommendations and OIC were recommended on this forum, full disclosure the TCP canvas was a free canvas as a part of a competition they ran but none the less very impressed at the service and quality
 
MWHCVT said:
I'm afraid not, the only way I suspect you could really tell would be to order a sample from each, and that soon gets expensive :lol: I prefer to work of recommendations and OIC were recommended on this forum, full disclosure the TCP canvas was a free canvas as a part of a competition they ran but none the less very impressed at the service and quality
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OK. I suppose I could order some... just can't be asked to register with so many suppliers to even see the prices :) I could always use a couple for marketing reasons should they be of better quality than my current ones :lol:

But it would really help to decide on cotton vs paper canvas and any necessary coatings before ordering
 
if you buy these cheap deals i would only expect it to last a year or less anyway

saying that i bought one and it come direct from germany took 3 weeks and was a massive canvas way too big my own fault but almost 2 years on still looks great
 
In regards to the material, cotton lasts longer in terms of warpage, the polyester stuff is just too flimsy but it's still great stuff nonetheless, it also depends on the primer coat that's been applied to the fabric, on Cotton it's quite a hard type of primer while the polyester seems to be very very flexible and can loosen in a warm room. I tend to use Kodak cotton, although it's £250 a roll, it does the print justice, I've got both natural rolls and white, the natural seems to have a berber appearance with small particles of brown, beige to add a vintage effect. My tip would be that if a supplier offers you the option of different fabrics then go for that one, if the company just states canvas prints then I guarantee it will be the crap type of polyester, it doesn't matter too much about the inks applied, as long as they are covered accordingly with an appropriate varnish - I started off using a PVA mix varnish which worked great for Gloss prints but just found it would take too long to cure, in the end I settled for a solvent based lacquer which cures within minutes and holds in the colour, has the UV protection etc etc. I've not tried any professional companies for their results on the basis of doing my own though :)
 
Flightphoto said:
In regards to the material, cotton lasts longer in terms of warpage, the polyester stuff is just too flimsy but it's still great stuff nonetheless, it also depends on the primer coat that's been applied to the fabric, on Cotton it's quite a hard type of primer while the polyester seems to be very very flexible and can loosen in a warm room. I tend to use Kodak cotton, although it's £250 a roll, it does the print justice, I've got both natural rolls and white, the natural seems to have a berber appearance with small particles of brown, beige to add a vintage effect. My tip would be that if a supplier offers you the option of different fabrics then go for that one, if the company just states canvas prints then I guarantee it will be the crap type of polyester, it doesn't matter too much about the inks applied, as long as they are covered accordingly with an appropriate varnish - I started off using a PVA mix varnish which worked great for Gloss prints but just found it would take too long to cure, in the end I settled for a solvent based lacquer which cures within minutes and holds in the colour, has the UV protection etc etc. I've not tried any professional companies for their results on the basis of doing my own though :)
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Thanks for a very detailed reply, and wow! thats impressive to do this.

I think you have identified the reason why my canvasses degraded. My room certainly gets pretty warm on some days. No more polyester then.

What do you think about these http://www.onevisionimaging.com/info/products/finishedproducts/Canvas.aspx vs Photobox pro canvas? These are the only I can offer through my website. Or should I drop canvas altogether?
 
I would say photo box would be the best bet, I don't touch a supplier who won't disclose prices unless you register, it's rude and means you could waste time for nothing. When doing prints I find that the smaller the image, a box frame suits better, a large print with a large frame I.e. A 38mm box just looks out of place, I still find it funny how some suppliers try to hype the fact of a frame image wrap vs blank edging etc or 'mirror edge frames' they know damn well which ones are the easiest to sell but yet they make out how it's 'premium'. Depending on how many prints you sell it may be worth looking into buying your own printer at some point, pm me if you need advice on a budget as it's not as expensive as you would think, I get my stock through liquidator auctions.
 
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